What do we have here, a stylish hotel in Vienna’s Prater district? Well, yes, but it’s so much more than that as well. The Magdas Grand Hotel in the Austrian capital collaborated with charity organisation Caritas, and AllesWirdGut Architects in order to realize this structure which truly redefines hospitality. Essentially it is a hotel with 78 beautifully decorated rooms for city travelers, tourists and overnight trippers, but it also houses some of Vienna’s refugees, who traveled to Austria for very different reasons and who are escaping war, persecution or even torture in their home countries. Twenty five such people have been living in the Magdas since late 2014, many of whom are also employed by the hotel and using it as a temporary solution where they can integrate into Austrian society, learning the language and customs. The hotel is not just a place to stay, but a social business and a meeting place where people can come face to face with different cultures and people. It was converted at a cost of €1.5 million – much of which was raised through crowdfunding – from a 1960s retirement home into a very cool place to stay, with decoration combining simplicity, elegance, and vintage chic thanks to a clever use of existing pieces and found objects as well as some things from the Caritas thrift store. The neighbours at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna have also helped out with the decoration, so there’s a very arty vibe going on within the Magda Hotel’s walls. Check out more or book yourself in on the Hotel’s website.
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