Grand Hotel Wien celebrates its 10th anniversary

23rd June 2004

The Grand Hotel Wien was reopened in 1994. The 10th anniversary will be celebrated this year with a Champagne Pavilion in front of the Vienna State Opera and an exclusive gala dinner.

The Grand Hotel Wien which has existed since 1870 was reopened by the former owners All Nippon Airways (ANA) as a luxury hotel On June 15th 1994. Prior to its reopening it the building was used for a variety of purposes for 36 years. The 10th anniversary will be celebrated this year in a big manner. "The Grand Hotel Wien was the first hotel on the Viennese "Ringstraß". Prominent people from political and social circles met and resided in its walls. This year we will celebrate the 10th anniversary in a glamorous way", says Georg Weinländer, General Manager, proudly.

Champagne Pavilion in front of the Vienna State Opera

The event will take off with a Champagne Pavilion in front of the Vienna State Opera (Herbert-von-Karajan-Platz), which will be open for the public from June 8th until June 12th 2004 11.00 a.m. to 9.00 p.m. A glass of Billecart-Salmon Champagne and two pieces of sushi from the Japanese restaurant Unkai at the Grand Hotel Wien can be enjoyed for the charity price of EUR 5,. All profits will be donated to cancer research for children. Rosa Spitzauer, Head of Contributions and PR Department of the research institute for children suffering cancer talks about the Champagne Pavilion: "We are delighted that the Grand Hotel Wien celebrates its 10th anniversary and at the same time takes this as an occasion to support another Viennese institution, the St. Anna cancer research institute for children. We appreciate this exemplary help"

10th Anniversary Diamonds Night - gala evening on June 16th, 2004

The second highlight will be the gala evening on June 16th at the ballroom of the Grand Hotel Wien. Sheikh Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber, Chairman and CEO of JJW Hotels & Resorts and owner of the Grand Hotel Wien since October 2002, invites personally.

The history of the Grand Hotel

The Grand Hotel Wien was opened in 1870 as the first Grand Hotel in Vienna and the first hotel on the Viennese "Ringstraße". It already set modern standards at that time. Between 1958 and 1979 the building was used as the headquarter of the international atomic energy agency (IAEA). In 1989 the Japanese airline company ANA bought the property. The traditional facade was renovated but kept in its original style, the rooms and lounges were newly furnished and all technology was updated. The result was a symbiosis of tradition and modern hotel accoutrement. On June 15th, 1994 - exactly 10 years ago - the opening of the luxury hotel took place

On August 1st, 2002 JJW Hotels & Resorts acquired the hotel from the Japanese airline All Nippon Airways (ANA). The glorious house on the "Ringstraße", which accommodated aristocracy, diplomacy, international business world and cultures since its opening 134 years ago and which was once the home of Johann Strauss, became the flagship of Sheikh Mohamed's hotel group. It is now a member of "The Leading Hotels of the World".

For further information and photo service please contact:

Céline Brigg
Communications & PR Manager
Phone: +43 1/515 80-761 or
E-mail: cbrigg@grandhotelwien.com