The Overview

[Why we chose Central-Living Vienna, dates stayed, room type, rate paid, and first impressions.] Vienna is the city of art, music, and great culture and I wanted to be at the center of it all so much to my surprise I found a reasonably priced apartment near the heart of everything I wanted to see and do but it wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns.

The Seven Senses Review

👂 Cadence — Sound (Score: 10/10)

This is one of the quietest neighborhoods I have ever stayed in with decades of travel all over the world. If you want quiet, this place is it.

✋ Unwind — Touch (Score: 6/10)

While this apartment was quiet and close to where you want to be the room and furnishings themselves left much to be desired. The bed mattress was a bit too stiff, it was functional not fun nor relaxing. There is no desk for a working area except the kitchen counter that had two uncomfortable booths with no back support. The bathroom was a bit small but functional, it was a challenge getting in and out of the shower stall though as the sliding door only opens half-way.

👅 Palate — Taste (Score: 9/10)

This is an apartment rental but since it is walking distance to so many restaurants, you won’t go hungry unless it’s past 8 pm when restaurants and grocery stores start shutting down. As a last resort there is an ice cream shop that stays open late.

👃 Aroma — Smell (Score: 7/10)

The building was under renovation so walking in from the ground floor, I was greeted with the odors of whatever chemicals are used on new dry wall and pre-paint planning. The apartment itself was clean and had ample windows however July heat was brutal in Vienna and these apartments don’t have central air so they get very hot.

👁 Vista — Sight (Score: 7/10)

There is plenty of light that comes into this apartment as well as heat during the summer. I would imagine cold in winter. The view is of the quiet street and opposing building across the street. The room has very plain aesthetics which missing a great opportunity to dress up the room in the shadow of Vienna’s art masters.

🙏 Sanctuary — Spirit (Score: 9/10)

Mani gets 4.5 stars for his availability and responsiveness but I dinged 1 point because of a complicated door locking mechanism that requires an apple-tag like device to lock and unlock the door. I had something similar in an apartment rental in Uruguay and the mechanism broke and we couldn’t open the door. Had there been a fire, we would have been trapped and died.

🧭 Wander — Instinct (Score: 10/10)

There are two ways to hit the center of Vienna. You take the 74A bus at the corner of Landstraber-Hauptstabe or you walk the opposite way and turn the block and get on the U3 subway. You could also walk but you won’t want to on a hot July day. That’s how simple and easy it was to move around the city.

The Scorecard

• 👂 Sound: 10/10
• ✋ Touch: 6/10
• 👅 Taste: 9/10
• 👃 Aroma: 7/10
• 👁 Vista: 7/10
• 🙏 Sanctuary: 9/10
• 🧭 Wander: 10/10
• Overall: 8.3/10

Practical Notes

• Hotel: Central-Living Vienna
• City: Vienna, Austria
• Chain: Independent
• Room Type: Studio Apartment
• Rate Paid: $163/night
• Booked Via: Booking.com
• Loyalty Status: N/A
• Points Earned: 1400 on Chase Sapphire
• WiFi: 25 Mbps up / 25 Mbps down
• Amenities: N/A
• Transit: 40 to 100 feet to Bus/Subway/Other
• Cancellation: Pre-paid

The Verdict

For the summer, this apartment was too hot for my personal taste and if I had to do it all over again, I’d probably stay at a nearby hotel in this area but if I were traveling to Vienna in the Spring or Fall with moderate temperatures, I would probably pick this place again since I already know the subway and bus routes and nearby restaurants.

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