Rich in history, this hotel was first documented as a tavern in the 17th century. A river at the foot of the Maria am Gestade church had connected to the Danube, allowing the dinghies of large ships to unload goods fresh from the Orient. As such, the tavern was quickly coined “The Orient”, a name it retained when it became a hostel in 1896.
According to time’s aesthetic, the hotel was furnished in purest fin de siècle, the Viennese opulent Makart style. These elements are still evident in its interior today, attracting art and film bon vivants alike. The 1949 film The Third Man was in part shot here; Orson Welles was reputedly often a guest and enjoyed spending post-filming hours here as well.
These days, it’s Arthur Schnitzler adaptations and the crime series Tatort shot here, but the Hotel Orient still reigns as a pearl from the past in the middle of a bustling city. You will know what we mean when we say that rooms are mostly rented out by the hour, the Orient is known to be the most exclusive hot-sheet hotel in town.