On the night of the opera ball

The ballroom is full, but the hotels are almost empty

As every year, the stalls at the Opera Ball are full, but the hotels are poorly booked. Are savings being made?(Bild: Starpix / picturedesk.com)

The whole world is a guest at the Opera Ball. Or is it? In the city's luxury hotels, you don't notice much of this, as a round-up by the "Krone" makes clear. But why is that?

The Vienna Opera Ball is the highlight of the ball season. For those who attend, money is no object - or is it? A week before the social spectacle, we put out a call to the Ringstrasse hotels to see if there were any rooms available for February 8 and 9.

Lo and behold, there are still plenty of rooms available in the best hotels in Vienna. Not only that, but we were also offered suites. Why is that? Has the Opera Ball simply become too expensive for many people?

Fewer guests have booked at the Grand Ferdinand this year.(Bild: Johanna Bauer / Lumikki Photography)

Change of mind at short notice
"Pre-bookings for the Opera Ball night are lower this year than in previous years," confirms Angelika Ponecz, Hotel Director at the Grand Ferdinand. In conversations with hotel guests, she has heard that some had intended to buy tickets but changed their minds at short notice. "Perhaps the balls as a whole have become too expensive," speculates the director.

Are the suites and rooms in luxury hotels becoming too expensive for more and more guests?(Bild: Reinhard HOLL)

She could be right. A ticket for the Opera Ball alone costs 385 euros. A seat at a table starts at 110 euros. If you add in the cost of food, drinks and a cab, you end up with the price of a city break. But it's not just the Opera Ball that is expensive. Tickets for the Kaffeesiederball cost 150 euros, for the Juristenball 180 euros.

Pre-booking for the Opera Ball Night is worse this year than in previous years. Not only in the hotel, but also in the restaurant.

Angelika Ponecz, Hoteldirektorin im Grand Ferdinand

Bild: Florian Weltzer Hotel und Restaurants

Few ball guests in hotels
The Grand Hotel offers its own "Alles Walzer" packages for ball guests. This includes an overnight stay for two people, breakfast and a 5-course dinner. Cost: 750 euros - without ball tickets, of course. According to General Manager Oliver Geyer, the hotel is not fully booked and the booking situation is similar to last year. "You don't notice much of the balls in our room occupancy."

Tables still available in restaurants too
The Vienna Chamber of Commerce also confirms that dance events are generally not a big draw for the hotel industry. "Most ball guests come from the surrounding area and don't need a hotel," explains a spokesperson. However, it is astonishing that, in contrast to previous years, tables are still available in the restaurant at the Grand Ferdinand for the Opera Ball night.