His father, the confectioner Franz Sacher (1816–1907), had become famous for his Sachertorte, which he allegedly created for a reception given by Austrian State Chancellor Klemens von Metternich in 1832.

However, after World War I, Anna Sacher upheld the upper-class reputation of the hotel and denied service to guests of non-aristocratic descent while granting generous credit to impoverished aristocrats.

The Hotel Sacher in Vienna added another floor with a spacious spa area on its roof in 2005/06, which caused a stir with historic preservationists.

Being close to the opera house, Hotel Sacher has also been popular among artists such as Herbert von Karajan, Leonard Bernstein, Leo Slezak, Plácido Domingo, José Carreras, and Rudolf Nureyev.

Appearing as herself, she plays a fictional role in the events of June/July 1914 in Vienna, aiding the book's hero the Duke de Richleau at several points.

[citation needed] The 2016 Austrian historical drama television series Das Sacher revolved around fictional events in the hotel.