Ruby Lissi
Founded in 2013, and comprising eight hotels, the Ruby group offers what it describes as “a contemporary, affordable form of luxury for modern, cost- and style-conscious customers”.
There are seventeen more hotels on the way, either under construction or in the planning phase. And although the global pandemic has put something of a spike in the hospitality industry, the forward-thinking Ruby is already announcing expansion plans for Venice’s Ruby Lissi.
Located in Vienna’s historic 1st district, the Lissi opened in 2017 – the group’s third property in that most romantic of cities, after the launch of nearby Ruby Sofie and Ruby Marie. The expansion, to be completed by late-2021, includes 64 new guest and RESIDENT rooms, a lounge, and two-storey bar with a roof terrace. The new RESIDENT rooms at Ruby Lissi will be more spacious and come with a bigger wardrobe, a small fridge and a coffee machine – perfect for longer stays. RESIDENT room guests will also have access to a kitchen and lounge on the top floor. It’s all part of a larger expansion plan by Ruby, and follows the chain’s recent announcement of two new properties; the Geneva and Stuttgart, opening in 2022 and 2023 respectively.
“Vienna was the starting signal for Ruby - our first hotel in the famous Sophiensaele theatre opened here,” says Ruby founder and CEO Michael Struck. “For this very reason, I’m delighted that we can further grow our Vienna offering by expanding Ruby Lissi… We want the new Ruby Bar with its roof terrace to blend seamlessly into the buzz of the first district, which we hope will create a new favorite place for many locals."
Situated within an 18th century former monastery, the Lissi’s interiors are designed to reflect a bygone age, with vintage furniture, real wood wall panelling, quilted headboards, sumptuous velvet sofas and other detailing inspired by 19th century travel. The travel theme was inspired by Empress Elisabeth of Austria, who regularly travelled by train to keep her vast empire together. The Lissi is in line with Ruby’s ‘Lean Luxury’ philosophy: a top location, high-quality fittings, and outstanding design – and all at a competitive price. The hotel chain says it achieves this by “rigorously cutting out the superfluous and focusing on the essential”.
Naturally, the Lissi has taken the future of travel in a post-pandemic world very seriously. "There is no question that the COVID-19 pandemic will change travel as we know it,” says Struck. “As it becomes increasingly clear that social distancing is here to stay, hotels with a high degree of automation and intelligent use of technology are predicted to come out in front. Ruby Hotels' 'Lean Luxury' model makes use of just that, providing travellers with a safe, luxurious and unique hotel experience at an affordable price point.”
Ruby properties, says Struck, are planned, built and organised differently from conventional hotels, designed in a “very modular way” to centralise and automate processes behind the scenes wherever possible. “This means we can run our hotels on lower staff levels than many of our peers. Plus, we can give our guests the option: How much interaction do you want. The human touch is important to us all. But in times like these, it is good to have the option to minimise social contact.”
As an example, Ruby Hotels use tablets that reduce a self-check-in system to under a minute – and instead of going through the check-out process, guests receive an invoice via email at the end of their stay. Meanwhile, the guests can get anything they need from the hotel galley kitchens and vending machines, thus avoiding more contact. While large open bars, movie lounges, private yoga rooms and rooftop chill-out spaces have replaced spa and gym facilities, which as Struck says, “allows guests to relax and unwind in a safer way."
Nightly rates at Ruby Lissi, Vienna start from €89 per night for a Nest Room, including breakfast.