Hotel Ibis Wien Mariahilf

A favorite for visiting conventioneers, the massive 341-room Hotel Ibis Wien Mariahilf isn't the most rarified hotel experience in Vienna, but it does the trick. Towering over the four-lane Mariahilfer Gürtel, the Ibis stands across from the beautiful Maria vom Siege Church. It's about a five-minute walk to the shops of Mariahilferstrasse and the Westbahnhof train station.

Save for the busy bedspreads, rooms are plain Jane, chain hotel formulaic. Floors facing the Gürtel have hermetically-sealed windows to keep out the noise, and some rooms on upper floors also have a view of Maria vom Siege. Bathrooms, though narrow, look sleeker than the bedrooms.

The hotel is quite self-contained, thanks to the sheer size, with a restaurant and large lobby seating area. With quirky touches like bowls of candy and a stand-up Internet terminal in the lobby, you could almost forgive the lack of personality elsewhere. Almost.