The new Leonardo Smart Vienna Airport brings together sustainable wooden architecture, functional design and an intelligent hospitality concept
Berlin/Vienna, 25 June 2026. The new Leonardo Smart brand is celebrating its première following the acquisition and opening of the Leonardo Smart Vienna Airport. The hotel is the first to operate under this new brand concept and establishes an important strategic milestone for Leonardo Hotels Central Europe. The opening also strengthens the group’s presence in Austria because it now grows the Leonardo portfolio to five hotels in Vienna and to a total of nine hotels and two master apartments across the country as a whole.
The building has been constructed by the Vienna-based project developer Mamma Group in a record time of only 13 months. The hotel’s 510 rooms make it the largest in the world to be erected entirely in wood and the fourth largest hotel in Austria overall.
The official opening was celebrated today at a formal event attended by Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Governor of Lower Austria, Stephan Löwel, Chief Operations Officer DACH at Leonardo Hotels Central Europe, Katharina Fraissl, Cluster General Manager Austria at Leonardo Hotels Central Europe, Günther Ofner, CEO of Flughafen Wien AG, Wolfgang Scheibenpflug, Head of Real Estate and Site Management at Flughafen Wien AG and Herbert Pinzolits, owner and CEO of the Mamma Group.
Smart stay. Seamless travel.
The new build hotel and its 510 rooms represent a contemporary hospitality concept characterised by high degree of functionality that ensures a smooth stay. Smart technology and sophisticated amenities combine to create a future-oriented travel experience. The building, which has been awarded a Gold Certificate by the Austrian Society for Sustainable Real Estate (ÖGNI) and by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB), uses resource-conserving architecture and blends natural materials with clear, intuitive design and proven Leonardo comfort.
The main focus is on a modern guest experience which involves digital services and spaces which are both open and versatile. The open lobby acts an inviting central meeting point for work, networking or relaxation. A 24-hour self-check-in facilitates fast and autonomous arrivals and departures.
The rooms feature a linear design and are equipped with everything guests need for a pleasant stay, including a desk, a flat-screen TV, fast Wi-Fi and a bathroom complete with a hair-dryer and cosmetic mirror. A substantial breakfast buffet ensures an energetic start to the day, and the stylish hotel bar provides a welcoming venue at which to unwind with a refreshing drink. Family-friendly game tables, luggage lockers, a pantry kitchen and a 24-hour mini market are all available, and guests are also able to access a gym area with wooden exercise equipment.
The hotel will be headed up by General Manager Thomas Neubauer, who can look back on many years of experience in the international hotel sector. His professional leadership career has included stints at Schloss Fuschl, the Adina Apartment Hotels and the Palais Hansen Kempinski Vienna.
The Leonardo Smart Vienna Airport is situated just a few minutes from the terminal of Vienna-Schwechat Airport and is well connected to central Vienna and to the city’s cultural attractions. A 24-hour airport shuttle stops right outside the door every 20 minutes to offer travellers a straightforward and rapid transit service from the hotel to the terminals and vice-versa.
A brand launch which also sends out a signalling effect for the location
Yoram Biton, Managing Director of Leonardo Hotels Central Europe, was keen to underline the importance of the hotel and the new brand: “The opening of Leonardo Smart Vienna Airport marks far more than just another new addition to our portfolio – it constitutes a new chapter in the history of Leonardo Hotels. Leonardo Smart maintains a robust focus on the needs of travellers who value comfort, functionality and uncomplicated stays. The location at Vienna Airport offers conditions which are ideal for presenting the brand to an international audience and for making its strengths tangible. We are delighted to have implemented this project successfully together with our partners.”
Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Governor of Lower Austria, said: “This new hotel stands for many of the things that make Lower Austria a force – entrepreneurial courage, innovative power and confidence in the future. Its 510 rooms bolster us as a tourist destination and deliver added value for the region. At the same time, we have also witnessed the building of the largest hotel in the world to use ecological timber. This is a beacon project which impressively demonstrates that economic success and sustainability go hand in hand and which clearly signals Lower Austria’s strength as a tourism and economic location.”
Günther Ofner, CEO of Flughafen Wien AG, explained: “This new hotel enhances the quality of the location and creates new jobs. AirportCity has been undergoing dynamic growth for years and has established itself as an independent business district. For this reason, additional hotel capacities are essential in order to meet the increasing demand and to generate new development opportunities. The fact that Leonardo Hotels has opted for this location confirms the successful course that AirportCity has embarked upon and boosts its international competitiveness. Today at Vienna Airport, we are pleased to mark the opening of the largest hotel in Lower Austria and also of the world’s largest timber construction hotel.”
Herbert Pinzolits, CEO of the Mamma Group, stated: “After a turbulent year, I am pleased that our hotel has now found both an experienced operator with an attractive international brand and a new owner. We are proud that our hotel has made a significant visible contribution to the development of Vienna-Schwechat Airport and would like to thank our partners for the trust they have shown.”
Vienna-Schwechat Airport and would like to thank our partners for the trust they have shown.”
Wolfgang Scheibenpflug, Head of Real Estate and Site Management at Flughafen Wien AG, added: “Everything that companies, travellers and guests need should be available at a single location and in a perfectly networked form. This is exactly what AirportCity at Vienna Airport offers. Many companies are already taking advantage of these benefits, and the new Leonardo Smart Vienna Airport will bring the necessary overnight capacity. I am therefore delighted with the opening today and would like to express my thanks to all partners involved for the successful execution of this project.”
Stephan Löwel, Chief Operations Officer DACH Leonardo Hotels Central Europe, commented: “Leonardo Smart Vienna Airport is consistently geared to the needs of modern travellers – especially air travellers and airline crews who expect flexible services and smooth procedures. Our highly digitised approach, which encompasses self-check-in and self-service offerings available at any time, such as the 24-hour mini-market, creates maximum independence and efficiency for our guests. At the same time, we are bringing many years of experience in the operation of airport hotels to the table. We know exactly what matters – fast processes, reliability and a proposition that works around the clock.”
Picture credits
© Flughafen Wien
f.l.t.r.: Thomas Neubauer (General Manager Leonardo Smart Vienna Airport), Günther Ofner (Vorstand der Flughafen Wien AG), Herbert Pinzolits (Eigentümer und CEO Mamma Group), Johanna Mikl-Leitner (Landeshauptfrau von Niederösterreich), Katharina Fraissl (Cluster General Manager Austria Leonardo Hotels Central Europe), Stephan Löwel (Chief Operations Officer DACH Leonardo Hotels Central Europe), Wolfgang Scheibenpflug (Geschäftsbereichsleiter Immobilien- und Standortmanagement Flughafen Wien AG)
