The Ruby Hotel chain has a philosophy: lean luxury. They believe you don’t have to pay insane amounts of money just to enjoy the finer things in life. We’re with you on that! They strive to build hotels that provide laid-back comfort, providing luxury in smaller spaces and using IT as much as they can.
Immediately walking into the Ruby Sofie hotel in Vienna you can tell that the lean luxury philosophy is mirrored everywhere throughout the space. Named after Archduchess Sofie of Austria, the hotel opened in 2013 and hasn’t aged a day since. Prior to the new ownership, space was actually home to Sofiensale, a famous bathhouse and concert house. It’s rumoured that the likes of Johann Strauss, Falco and the Kinks actually played and Sofiesale.
Taking a page from their past, music plays a large role in the decor and details of the hotels interior decor. The one thing I loved the most was that our rooms speaker was actually a full-size amp that you could plug your phone into. Hopefully, you have respectful neighbours!
Comfort is key
I don’t care how a hotel looks (that’s only a slight exaggeration) if the place is uncomfortable. It’s one thing to look nice but it’s another thing entirely to be able to enjoy your stay while you’re there. The minute I walked into our room I could just tell we were going to enjoy our stay.
The bed was bigger than most you’ll find in Austria (or at least from what we’ve found) and the room was a very good size as well. There is plenty of space to hang out and relax without feeling overcrowded. While we didn’t get a chance to really enjoy the balcony seeing as it was the middle of winter but I know it would be an unreal space in the summer.
The rooms also have big comfy leather chairs that I could have sat in for hours.
A few extras
What’s better than free? The Ruby Sofie Hotel has one of the best breakfasts we had during our trip. The breakfast nook is super modern and welcoming first thing in the morning. There are no super bright lights and it was wonderfully quiet even though there were a number of people enjoying the food.
I really enjoyed the range of food, especially the baked goods. Staying there for a couple of days it was nice to not have to feel like I was eating the same thing every single day like you do in most hotels with free breakfasts.
If there’s anything I love more than free food, it’s a good workout space. It was such a nice surprise when I found the Meditation area in the Ruby Sofie Hotel. In the middle of the winter, the space wasn’t open but they had yoga mats hanging for anyone to use so you better believe that I took one of those back to my hotel for an in-room workout! If you’re interested there’s also a really nice looking gym in the bottom of the building.
The other cool thing about the Ruby Sofie Hotel? The Tea station. Basically right outside of our room door was a little station set up where you could grab some free tea or snacks from a vending machine at any time. It was perfect for when we were on the run and needed something to stay warm, especially in the middle of the winter.
The little details
I’ll often judge a hotel by how much care they take to the small details throughout their space. Ruby Sofie Hotel was no stranger to making sure every last detail was taken care of. From the moment we walked in we found ourself admiring all of the little things. The main colour throughout the hotel is black but it they have made it feel warm and modern at the same time.
When you check into the Ruby Sofie Hotel, you’ll really get to see how advanced the hotel is. Everything is done on an IPad and they print your hotel room key for you on the spot. Yes, you read that right, your hotel key is literally printed right in front of you. How cool is that?
The lobby space has completely different furniture throughout but somehow they all work and blend in very nicely together. The different colours of the chairs contrast nicely with the black background.
I also have an obsession with standing showers. The rooms in the Ruby Sofie Hotel have standing showers IN the room. There’s not really any bathroom except for a closet like toilet space. The shower is enclosed in glass which I would say is pretty damn sexy. Of course if you’re staying with a friend, there’s a curtain you can use to close off the space as well.
So tell us, is your next stay going to be at the Ruby Sofie Hotel?
Book your stay
Average room price: $120 CAD
Distance to the old town: 15 minute walk
Closest metro station: 5 minute walk
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*This post was made in collaboration with Ruby Sofie Hotel and their parent company RUBY HOTELS. We were guests at the hotel and worked in collaboration on this post but all opinions are our own!
