Marriott Vienna celebrates its anniversary: ​​looking back at Queen and the future of tourism!

Marriott Vienna celebrates its anniversary: ​​looking back at Queen and the future of tourism!

The Vienna Marriott Hotel recently celebrated its one-year anniversary while remembering the unforgettable moments when the legendary band Queen performed in Vienna in 1986 as part of their “Magic Tour”. At that time, Freddie Mercury performed with his band in one of the biggest rock dates of the 80s and left not only musical traces, but also nostalgic experiences in the hotel's Promenade Bar, where they toasted together after the concert and gave a private concert for the hotel guests. It's just a shame that the band's signatures on a white grand piano were accidentally removed by cleaners, a minor mishap in the hotel's history.

Hotel director Dieter Fenz and Satya Anand, president of Marriott International for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, expressed optimism about the future of the Vienna Marriott. With an occupancy rate of around 80 percent, it shows that Vienna is still very popular as a destination. A large number of hotel guests come from the USA, followed by local visitors from Austria. What is particularly pleasing is that around 70 percent of catering customers are local guests. To appeal to younger audiences, the hotel is planning exciting events such as cheesecake tastings and Valentine's Day specials.

Vienna as a tourist center

But there are also challenges. Vienna, which set a record last year with an incredible 19 million overnight stays, still has a lot of potential. Walter Ruck, President of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce, describes the city as one of the most sought-after destinations in the world with sufficient growth opportunities. This fact is particularly underlined by the high income of over 500 euros per night for the congress participants - an important economic sector for the city.

The city hosts over 6,000 conventions annually, and a strong need for additional venues is signaled. Ruck therefore calls for the regulatory framework to be reconsidered in order to attract more events and expand event capacities in Vienna. There are currently 180 bookable venues that can accommodate over 400 people. In order to remain competitive, more flexible regulations and a new “Vienna Event Board” are necessary in order to attract high-profile events to Vienna.

The future of the Vienna Marriott

The Vienna Marriott itself has coped well with the challenges of staffing shortages during the pandemic, and both Fenz and Anand are looking to the future with confidence. Their goal is to expand the hotel, which will make it possible to create event halls for up to 25,000 people. Such measures could not only enrich the hotel concept, but also contribute to strengthening tourism in Vienna as a whole.

Vienna's tourist landscape is not only characterized by historical attractions, but also by modern luxury and a variety of cultural offerings. The cityscape is being supplemented by new attractions that also include less frequented areas and help to distribute the flow of visitors more evenly.

With all of these developments and a clear focus on the future, it is clear that Vienna and the Marriott Hotel form a promising symbiosis that contributes to the city's thriving tourism sector.