Imperial Hotel is one of Vienna's most cherished treasures, especially since earning the distinction of being named to Conde Nast Traveler's 2002 Gold List and being named a Conde Nast Traveler 2001 Reader's Choice award winner. Hotel Imperial Vienna's grand 1863 facade and two-story wood-paneled lobby, presided over by a green and cream marble balcony and giant chandelier, immediately impress upon guests that they are staying in a former palace. Groups of elegant matrons visiting the city for opera and shopping, couples on vacation and international business people sit on antique sofas beneath the lobby's classical murals. For a century, this architectural landmark and symbol of hospitality has received the city's most distinguished visitors. An original Wurttemberg palace, inaugurated in 1873 by Emperor Franz Joseph I, the hotel's architectural detailing exemplifies Vienna's own Ringstrasse style