Austria’s largest hotel group, Vienna International Hotels & Resorts, became Vienna House. With Vienna House, a new hotel brand steps into the international market on 1 February 2016. The umbrella brand “Vienna House” brings together four separate hotel lines, each with its own personality but all with the same shared values.
The new umbrella brand Vienna House brings together individual city and resort hotels, the design hotels “andel’s by Vienna House”, the vibrant business hotels “angelo by Vienna House” as well as the down-to-earth easy line “Vienna House Easy”.
CEO Rupert Simoner (right) and COO Martin Ykema (left)‘The name “Vienna” stands for the company’s origins and for the quality of life, joie de vivre and hospitality for which the city is famous. “House” is a place that unites, where you can be yourself, where the family comes together, and where you invite friends and guests as a host,’ says Rupert Simoner, explaining the decision behind the new brand name. ‘This feeling of contemporary, modern Vienna, combined with our shared European roots and traditions, will be reflected in all hotels, and when the opportunity arises, we will also grow in Vienna.’
With the rebranding, a major milestone has been reached on the path set at the end of 2014 by Vienna House CEO Rupert Simoner.
Each and every change at Vienna House is consistent with the guest perspective. All hotels subscribe to the principle of hospitality as well as clear, thought-out standards that give the staff a maximum of freedom and flexibility. Vienna House puts the focus on a personalised reception culture with an open, inviting lobby. Digital progress is put into practice wherever it makes sense for the guest. This includes for example free high-speed internet, web-based concierge services as well as mobile check-in/check-out. New restaurant, bar and breakfast concepts are being introduced in each of the four hotel lines in accordance with their respective positioning. The focus will be on a clear culinary philosophy. International cuisine – in the sense of something exchangeable that can be found anywhere – is out. The focus with regard to meetings and conferences will be on creativity. Multifunctional spaces, fresh break offerings and original, more relaxed furnishings will provide the necessary room for new ideas. The issue of mobility is being addressed through bike stations, e-vehicle charging stations and car sharing stations. A separate kids’ world is being set up at the resort hotels and family destinations. Most of the Vienna House hotels already feature top quality in the guest rooms. Additional renovation works and upgrades will be completed by the end of 2016.
Renovations are ongoing at the Vienna House Easy hotels. Vienna House Easy in Landsberg, the first to be completed, is representative of the new room design and showcases the bakery-style breakfast concept with simple yet first-rate products and a fresh bar concept with a focus on the latest trends as well as special selections. These could include a local gin or fruit juices from the farmer next door. The hotels offer a self-service menu of pillow options. In place of the usual minibar, the mini-shop in the lobby offers fresh food and beverages as well as daily necessities or stylish details. The lobby is a place for both work and entertainment. Sitting at one of the large tables is conducive to communication. Standing tables, sofas and easy chairs, as well as natural materials and modern technology, offer groups the greatest possible flexibility for their meetings. The concept for those hotels with their own restaurant is based on Vienna’s famous Naschmarkt. Guests will have the option to order for example the best pizza or coolest sushi in town from a select list of partners.
Vienna House CEO Rupert Simoner said, “In 2015 we repositioned ourselves from the inside out, invested in modern technologies, brought the employees on board and drafted the brand strategy. This process has now been brought to a close and we are heading into implementation. The foundation and the new positioning are so strong that we are on an expansion path in Europe, but I can also imagine hotels in North America or the Middle East.”
