Nondescript chain hotels abound in Linz, but you’ll also find some charming pensions and modestly priced boutique-chic hotels. Tourist Information Linz offers a free accommodation booking service, but only face-to-face and not over the phone.
Isa Stein is the brainchild of the Spitz Hotel’s futuristic design. The wow factor is there from the moment you enter the lobby, decked out with pod-shaped stools, sphere lighting and a wall screening clips from the Prix Ars Electronica.
The scent of fresh-cut flowers hits you upon entering this ever-so-posh hotel. One of the top addresses in Linz, its historical feel is accentuated by archways, stuccowork and period furniture. Ask for one of the back rooms with a balcony.
This modern HI hostel is 1.5km from the centre. The rooms won’t win any design awards, but the above-par facilities include a tennis court and common room.
Set in a 17th-century inn, this family-run place just off Hauptplatz is a superb deal, with cosy rooms, a beer garden and a vaulted tavern serving Austrian staples and monastic brews.
Within staggering distance of the sights, this canary-yellow hostel has a sociable vibe and leafy garden. The spacious dorms all have lockers, fridges and showers.
Escape to the country at this tree-shaded site, where you can wake up with a swim in Pichlingersee lake. There is a playground, kitchen and a restaurant serving Portuguese food. Hop on bus 2051 from the Hauptbahnhof.
Few places can beat this guesthouse for price and centrality. Rooms aren’t flash but they’re comfortable, with wooden floors, sofas and loads of space. There’s a restaurant and beer garden downstairs.
Anton Bruckner tops the list of famous past guests at this grand 16th-century hotel with plush touches like marble floors, chandeliers and gold drapes. Its 25 Biedermeier-style rooms are individually furnished.
The birthplace of acclaimed tenor Richard Tauber, this 15th-century hotel is run by the friendly Nell family.
Don’t be put off by the ’70s wallpaper in the corridors at this simple pension, the high-ceilinged rooms are quiet, spacious and a bargain, given the central location.
Occupying an art-nouveau apartment block, Landgraf is just steps from Ars Electronica and the Danube. Rooms are modern and massive, though furnishings are spartan and bathrooms on the poky side of small.
Sidling up to the Neuer Dom, this glass-and-concrete design hotel reveals light, streamlined interiors. Wind down with a view at the rooftop spa.
So do you fancy sleeping in a medieval castle guarded by a knight in shining armour? No, well how about in a hay-wagon bed in the countryside? Or, perhaps, in the Kama Sutra room complete with four-poster and imaginative Indian art? Fun .
Hidden down a backstreet in central Linz, Kolping has bright, spotless rooms and attentive service. Breakfast is among the best in town with cooked options, homemade cakes and a squeeze-your-own organic juice bar.
Sitting between the city and open fields, this revamped uni hotel has simple, comfy rooms and a big indoor pool. Take tram 1 or 2 to Schumpeterstrasse and walk five minutes.
