The Ring sparkles with five new stars: Brilliant opening of "The Ring", Vienna's Casual Luxury Hotel

November 7th, 2007

On the evening of November 6, 2007 the new Viennese 5-star hotel “The Ring” was openened personally by its owner, Sheik Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber in the presence of numerous prominent guests. 250 guests participated, from Austria as well as from abroad, among others the Director of the Vienna State Opera Ioan Hollender, the president of the Chamber of Commerce Brigitte Jank, Director of Belvedere Museum Agness Husslein, author Elfie Donelly, film producer Karl Spiehs, the pop band “No Angels”, actress Marion Mitterhammer, designer Atil Kutoglu, actress Susanne Wuest and many more. The house-worming party was produced deliberately casual in style of a “Back Stage Party”. Guests were all excited about the new building and its luxurious ambience on Vienna’s Ring-Boulevard.

After a building period of 13 months the hotel “The Ring”, Vienna’s Casual Luxury Hotel was opened on November 6, 2007. 250 opening guests assembled in the open at 19.00 on the “turquoise carpet” in front of the building and awaited the ceremonious opening with a cocktail reception. Exactly at 19.30 two men lowered themselves on a rope from the roof of the building during a spectacular fireworks production and passed the house-key to hotel-owner Sheik Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber and the Managing Director Karim Jalloul. Finally the house was being unlocked, lighting turned on and the guests could enter.

At first the groundfloor lobby with its wide fire place as an eyecatcher was presented, followed by the restaurant “at eight” and the bar “Drings”. Artist Hans Dietrich has designed particularly for this evening a somewhat different guest-book. On a large picture, specially designed by him, the contours of the hands of the guests and their signatures were immortalized.

Rooms and suites could be visited on all floors. Some of them allowed a look “Back Stage” into an occupied room.

An X-Ordinary room represented the “Music Room”. A musician played together with a saxophonist according to individual wishes, while guests made themselves comfortable in this room.     

A room party particularly to the taste of female guests was celebrated in the “Ladies Room”. A tub filled with ice served as champagne-bar. On the plasma-TV-screen in the room “Sex and the City” could be watched, while top fashion and jewellery were presented to the ladies. Designer Andreas Eberharter, known under his brand name “And I”, presented his collection “Shimmer”, already shown in New York, now available in internationally accredited fashion stores. Fashion expert Edith A’gai, an Austrian-Hungarian designer presented her “a little black dress” collection.

In parallel gents enjoyed themselves with tabletop football at the beer bar and watching sports-TV in the “men’s room”.

Albert Gesellmann, frequently awarded Austrian wine producer, invited guests to a taste-tour through the small but exquisitely equipped wine cellar, where more than 700 fine bottles are being stored.  But there where also further prominent Austrian wine producers present: Willy Bruendlmayer offered his outstanding sparkling wine as aperitif and colleaque Martin Pasler poured his excellent white wines.

The real gem of the hotel, the “Ring Suite”, 120 sqms large, was shown, too. Guests were enchanted by the staggering flair of this suite, with its ceiling-stucco (officially protected as part of an historical building), the balcony directly over the Ring Boulevard and the luxurious furniture. During this presentation Whisky-cocktails were offered and singer Jengis entertained the guests.  

The spa and wellness area presented a particular highlight. In the sauna with direct view to the beautiful “Karls”-Church guests could foresee their future with the help of a fortune teller. In the treatment room head-, spine- and footreflex massages were offered. In the fitness section an herb-expert served various sorts of teas and snacks and explained the effect of the different plants.

Guests celebrated till late at night with Vodka-drinks in the bar “Drings” and delicacies from the aroma cuisine of the restaurant “at eight”, acompanied by a DJ and saxophone music . The international guests had then the pleasure to spend the first night in the just opened hotel “The Ring”.

Concept and planning of this openening-event were developed by the experienced Viennese agency “pi-five”. Already at the early stage of planning the extraordinary invitation idea attracted attention: The invitation card was embedded together with “The Ring” ties of friendship into a symbolic box of chocolate. On top there was a picture of the Viennese Ring Boulevard on which representatives of the surrounding buildings welcomed with their signatures the new member of the Ring-family. Already weeks before the opening the facade of the hotel was flood-lit in pistacio colour. Cardboards of prominent “tourists” i.e. Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow or Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft were positioned along the Ring Boulevard,  requesting “Show me the way to The Ring” and finally pointing out ”Follow me to The Ring”.