A luxury stay at The Ritz Carlton, Vienna

Vienna was my second destination in my “One Mum, One Baby , The World” travel series. After our Barcelona adventures when the little one was 4 moths old,  it was time for us to visit our second destination: The imperial and majestic city of Vienna in Austria with my 5 months old baby girl at the time we travelled .

Year after year, Vienna is recognized as the most livable city in the world . The quality of life is exceptional and I knew baby and I would feel safe to walk around, explore and enjoy the beautiful surroundings . The majestic Ritz Carlton, Vienna hosted us at the end of April, and the hotel became our home during our stay in the city of music . The hotel is situated in the city centre along the Ringstrasse (Ring Boulevard) , the most beautiful boulevard in the world and Vienna’s most important traffic artery. I had read that the original construction of the hotel was four historic palaces which date back to the 19th century, and as soon as I walked through the door and explored a bit, I could tell they have done an excellent job at blending history and contemporary design. The place has soul and character and it felt welcoming.

The Ritz Carlton, Vienna is made up of four grand, 19th-century houses. The hotel’s original features include grand staircases, parquet flooring, walnut wall-panelling and ornate fireplaces.This staircase has the wow factor.  It is also a  great setting for a shoot, by the way.

But let’s start from the beginning; Alba and I flew to Vienna from Madrid via Iberia business class but we literally went from Business to First as soon as we left the plane. The hotel had arranged for a driver to pick us up from the airport and a baby carseat was ready for the princess to do her journey by car safely. They even asked me how much she weighted to make sure she had the right one for her.Nice one!

And so, in what felt like the blink of an eye, we were checking in at The Ritz Carlton, Vienna where they upgraded us to a Junior Suite. A member of staff took us to the 7th floor to do the check in at the exclusive Club Lounge. Here, the staff knew we were arriving and they knew both my name and the baby. Talk about personalised service and attention to detail!

The Club Lounge of the hotel, has a very relaxing atmosphere which was nice after a morning of travelling since crazy o’clock. It really is an Oasis of peace with a very relaxed atmosphere. It is child friendly- in my case baby friendly- and they have an spacious area at the back of the lounge for children to play. When Alba gets older she will appreciate it a bit more and make use of the facilities better. For now,she was fascinated by all the colours surrounding her in the children’s area.

Club Lounge amenities include access to a computer station, hot breakfast, light lunch, hors d’oeuvres, desserts and complimentary beverage service including wine and spirits. There is also Champagne and strawberries available for those who enjoy the leisure breakfast experience.

The Ritz-Carlton Club truly is the ultimate luxury hotel experience. Exclusive and with a personalised service. I used the club every morning to enjoy their hearty and healthy breakfast.Thankfully, little Alba was in her best baby behaviour and no one could tell there was a very young guest around, except when they saw her stroller. With her big eyes , peaceful and smiley ways, she was soon making friends with fellow guests.

After checking in at The Club Lounge , a very helpful member of staff, accompanied us to the very sumptuous Junior Suite where we were staying. The room was spacious,with high ceilings and a very large balcony with a wonderful view of the city. From the balcony, I could see all the daily action of the hotel, which I loved. I saw a horse carriage dropping off some guests, I saw a beautifully dressed lady in a ball gown one evening, and many guests arriving by car to the hotel.

Baby Alba, on the other hand, was fascinated with the Trams crossing the street regularly.

My suite did have a walk-in closet where Sex and the City “Carrie Bradshaw” would feel in “closet heaven” as there was plenty of space for everything. It also had a large wall mirror which I guess is perfect for all those guests who stay at the Ritz during Vienna Ball season.

In the large seating area, we had a beautifully handwritten note welcoming us to Vienna and to the Ritz. This was definitely the most heart felt welcome card I have ever received in a hotel. It even had a picture of the members of staff I would encounter daily and it was signed by them!. The Ritz really does know how to go above and beyond every step of your journey with them.

They also supplied a cot and she had her daily bath with some baby toiletries they kindly gifted her.

Alba slept soundly in the cot every night. However, she seemed to enjoy the super comfy bed and the Egyptian cotton sheets more, as one night she felt asleep right in the middle of the bed. As you do, I slept on the side not to awake the Principessa.

The marble bath had everything I needed and more. A large bath and a huge shower room where washing my hair felt wonderful not only because of the power shower but because of the excellent quality of the Austrian water.

The next day, we had lunch at Dstrikt, the famous steakhouse in the Ritz where I tried their famous cheesecake.  If you go online, people do say this is the best cheesecake in town and it definitely was the best I ever had, surpassing in flavour the one I tried at the famous Eileen’s Cheesecake shop in New York, which I thought was pretty special at the time. But I will write about my experience at Dstrkt on another post.

So let’s go back to the Ritz hotel experience as the cheesecake pictures are making me anxious about that wonderful cake.Miss you cake !

Next in the agenda, was a visit to The Guerlain Spa. Entering the Spa, I had the feeling, I was stepping into a Zen area. Quiet, relaxing and staff with a majestic aura.

Petra, the therapist in charge of my treatment was so softly spoken and calm, I felt like talking to a philosopher from the stoicism school of thought. Even though I was curious about their popular “Imperial Rose Ritual” treatment which is inspired by Empress Elizabeth “Sissi” and the Vienna’s famous rose gardens, when Petra first saw me, she noticed that my posture wasn’t right and that as a new mum carrying a baby who is over 7kilos, I probably needed something a bit more customised to my needs. Baby Alba was with me on her stroller so 40 mins was more than enough rather than the 1 hour and 30 mins of the Sissi treatment. Again, if personalised service and attention to detail are the two hallmarks the Ritz brand is known for, I definitely experienced it by myself throughout my stay.

And so after 5 mins with Petra’s hands soothing my arms, back and shoulders, I was transported to a world of inner peace and utmost relaxation.  The oils and music was so soothing that little Alba felt asleep too in her stroller!. I told you this place was like a Zen area!

The mission of The Ritz-Carlton Spa in Vienna is to take visitors on a journey of well-being, relaxation, and replenishing in an oasis of luxury and indulgence. They use sustainable and organic products by Austrian brand Susanne Kaufmann.

After this very relaxing treatment, Alba and I left ready for an early night and some much needed beauty sleep.

We made some wonderful memories in Vienna. The hotel and professionals who work there, do know how to make your Vienna experience one to write about in the book of  life. Baby Alba and I were treated like royalty and the little one, was the Empress of that hotel for the time she spent there. This is all done in a genuine, friendly and relaxed manner. The staff here are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen and so there is no us and them sort of distance. The ambience is welcoming and warm. This team enjoy what they do, and that comes across in the  positive atmosphere you breath everywhere you go in this luxury hotel. Thank you Ritz Carlton, Vienna for the memorable experience. I have to say that this was one of the best stays of my life and I will tell Alba about it when she grows up. See you soon!