Hotel Sacher Celebrates a Milestone Anniversary With the Same Recipe for Success That Made It a Viennese Legend
Still sweet after 150 years.
In Austria’s capital, few names evoke as much history―or sweetness―as Hotel Sacher Wien. This year, the iconic Viennese landmark celebrates its 150th anniversary, marking another milestone in its illustrious legacy as one of the world’s foremost five-star hotels.
The story of Hotel Sacher begins in 1832 with the creation of the Original Sacher-Torte, the world-famous chocolate cake concocted by Franz Sacher. The popularity of the apricot-infused confection eventually led to the opening of Hotel Sacher’s Vienna hotel in 1876, followed by sister properties in Salzburg and Seefeld-Tirol.
Today, the Sacher hotels are synonymous with spectacular service, culinary excellence, and quintessential Austrian hospitality. Among the brand’s defining distinctions is its enduring legacy as a family-owned and family-operated business, led by Alexandra Winkler alongside her husband, Matthias, and her brother, Georg Gürtler. “Celebrating 150 years is a meaningful milestone for our family and reminds us that we’re not simply owners of a hotel, but custodians of a legacy,” Winkler says. “One of the greatest privileges when you’re running a family-owned property is you have the freedom to think in generations rather than in quarters, and that perspective shapes every decision we make. Our role today is to honour that heritage while allowing it to evolve.”
Winkler has also played an instrumental role in the company’s ongoing evolution, championing a series of art and design-centric partnerships. To mark the hotel’s milestone year, two giant sculptures by internationally renowned Austrian artist Erwin Wurm were installed outside the property’s grand entrance. The rose-coloured works, Step Big and Dancer, depict oversized bags balanced on long, slender legs, serving as a playful meditation on the “invisible baggage” every person carries. “I personally think this contrast is fascinating―a building with 150 years of history in conversation with contemporary artistic expression,” Winkler says. “Honouring the past and shaping the future are never opposing ideas. Heritage is not something to be placed behind glass―it must remain alive.”
Photo courtesy of Adrian Gaut/Hotel Sacher.
Photo courtesy of Adrian Gaut/Hotel Sacher.
The hotel’s annual Artists Collection has likewise become a celebrated tradition. Each year a renowned contemporary artist is invited to create a limited-edition design for 1,000 Sacher-Torte boxes, with proceeds benefitting various charities. This year’s edition, designed by Brian Donnelly―better known as Kaws―quickly sold out, with the collectable cake boxes shipped across the globe.
Today, Hotel Sacher remains a place of quiet celebration for both Viennese locals and international visitors alike. Whether gathering for an intimate meal in the silk-swathed Restaurant Rote Bar or lingering over dinner beneath the historic Lobmeyr chandeliers in the emerald-hued Restaurant Grüne Bar, guests are drawn to the hotel’s timeless elegance. “The Sacher is different than other hotels in Vienna in that it’s a place where many Viennese come,” Winkler says, whether to celebrate family milestones or grand occasions, such as the gala dinner preceding the annual Vienna Opera Ball.
Elsewhere eager visitors wait for tables at the Café Bel Étage or the Café Sacher Wien, where coffee is traditionally paired with a slice of Original Sacher-Torte. Unbeknownst to some, this famed dessert is still handmade in 34 precise steps following the original secret recipe from 1832. “The Original Sacher-Torte is an important part of our identity,” Winkler says, proudly. “For many guests, it is the first encounter with Sacher and with Austria itself. It has become a cultural icon.”
Beyond its namesake cake, the hotel has become a destination in its own right, much like neighbouring landmarks such as the Vienna State Opera and the Albertina Museum. Stepping into the historic lobby feels like time-travelling back to the late 19th century. At every turn, echoes of the past reveal themselves, from gleaming displays of polished silver and framed menu cards designed by the hotel’s matriarch Anna Sacher to the table linens embroidered with the names of distinguished guests including Jean Paul Gaultier, Hillary Clinton, and literary giants like Graham Greene, who wrote portions of The Third Man during his stay. Although Hotel Sacher has welcomed generations of celebrated artists, writers, and world leaders over the years, Winkler says privacy remains one of the family’s highest priorities. “Hospitality is built on trust, and guests should feel confident that the moments they experience at Sacher remain entirely their own.”
Integral to that sense of discretion and heartfelt hospitality is the extended family of employees, from the front-desk staff to room service, whose dedication has shaped the Sacher experience for generations. “What people remember long after they leave is how they felt here,” Winkler says, crediting her team. “I think guests continue to return because they feel a genuine sense of belonging. They don’t just come to stay―they come to create memories and become part of our story.”
Photographs courtesy of Hotel Sacher.
