The Marriott is one of the many deluxe hotels in the heart of Vienna. It has a prime location along the Ringstrasse, which separates the hotel from the large Stadtpark that features the popular gilded memorial for composer Johann Strauss. As the name indicates, the Ringstrasse is a ring road that encircles the old center of Vienna.
The Marriott is a modern structure with 7 floors and 313 guest rooms. It is a wonderfully comfortable hotel, but it lacks "old world" charm that one may expect from some of the classic Viennese hotels that are plentiful around town. The main entrance has an automatic revolving door that rotates without any manual pushing, seemingly a common feature in many public buildings in Vienna. The revolving door is a bit slow, so one may have an unconscious tendency to push the door to make it go faster. This is a mistake, as it will make the revolving door stop, with you trapped in it! This is easily undone when the next person tries to enter the revolving door, but it leads to slightly embarrassing situations. The lobby is very large, with a pleasant sitting area near the front desk. The hotel staff is very accommodating, whether they are offering you a free Vienna tourism map (one of the better free city maps around) or explaining local transit strikes.
The guest rooms are quite elegant and spacious. My room had two double beds, but there was still enough space to cram in a twin-size rollaway. Our room faced south, with a partial view of the Stadtpark, and the window can be opened when you are tired of the freezing air-conditioning. The entertainment center houses the TV (which also had radio stations that were more enjoyable than the TV stations) and minibar. There was also a writing table, and the top of the TV center can serve as an extra countertop. Note that the little bottles of mineral water prominently located on top of the entertainment center are not free. The closet hides an in-room safe, iron, and ironing board. The bathroom is nice and chock full of Nutragena toiletries. The door to your room has a security latch that is a bit tricky the first time you try to unlock it.
The complimentary fitness center is in the basement of the hotel. The indoor pool is supposedly the only one in central Vienna. There is also a bubbly Jacuzzi, sauna, and fitness room located down here. There are several bars and restaurants in the hotel, including Champions Bar, which tries very hard to look like a typical American sports bar with lots of autographed photos of athletes.
The Marriott is very much a hotel for the international businessman, with many meeting rooms on the second level. The hotel may not be as charming or historic as other hotels, but the leisure traveler will certainly enjoy it.