National_Geographic_Traveller_UK_June_2017

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GRAND FERDINAND
The Grand Ferdinand is a little different to the other
grande dames of the Ringstrasse. Yes, it’s palatial but
unlike its 19th-century neighbours, this eight-storey
postwar building was, until recently, crawling with spies,
as the home of Austria’s domestic intelligence agency. The
seventh-floor suites are something to behold — there’s
nothing undercover about luxury here — but there are also
a pair of dormitories, with mahogany bunk beds, bookable
on Airbnb. This is hipster-luxe: Freudian couches but
no wardrobes, rainforest showers right next to the bed, a
restaurant serving cheap goulash with Champagne. Up on
the roof is the crowning glory: the glass-walled Restaurant
Bel Étage, for guests and members only, with white
banquettes and armchairs overlooking the Ringstrasse,
and views of the Belvedere palace from the terrace pool.
ROOMS: From €210 (£182), B&B. Dorms from €30/£26.
grandferdinand.com
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