While the city is known for its old­-world charm, travellers he speaks to are still taken aback by its beauty, said Jean-­Paul Dantil, general manager at the Ritz­ Carlton Vienna.

“They are really always astounded just by how beautiful the city really is. Many are also surprised how easy it is to walk around here, how great the public transportation is and that traffic isn't bad at all considering that it's a capital,” Dantil said.

He said at the hotel, about half of the guests are in town for business reasons, many of them diplomats, high­-ranking government officials and consultants who shake hands at international meetings of power players, such as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. OPEC has been running its worldwide operations from Vienna since 1965.