Berlin Travel Guide - Page 4
Hotel Reviews / Berlin Hotel Reviews / Denny Lee / → All Tags
Denny Lee Wants His Mini Bar Full, Dammit!
The Hotel de Rome, which despite the name is in Berlin, has all the trappings of a top-notch downtown hotel. The building is a converted bank, with the vault now turned swimming pool. Rooms are super-huge with price tags to match. And the bathroom is full of schmancy products and heated towel racks.
But that didn't do the trick for Denny Lee, who recently checked in for a New York Times article. Maybe it was the lack of WiFi, or the insane $26 a day fee for wired internet that got him miffed. Or it could've been the dicey service:
An empty minibar shouldn't require three follow-up visits and a dozen apologies delivered with sheepish grins. More regrets came when breakfast (omelet and coffee for 16 euros) arrived 15 minutes past the promised time of 7 a.m. The front desk, to its credit, removed it from the bill without prompting, but not before issuing another apology.
Rooms at the Hotel de Rome start at $555. $555? Pass the Jack Daniels Denny.
Cubicle Dreamin' / Berlin Hotels / Odd Hotels / → All Tags
Cubicle Dreamin': I Want the Chicken Curry Room
Cubicle Dreamin' is a feature in which we ask the hotel mavens to take some time out of their busy work day, surf the Internet, and tell us what hotel they wish they could beam themselves to right that very second--all on the slave driving companies dime, of course. Oh, like these people aren't surfing aimlessly anyway--at least now their purposeless clicking will be cobbled together into useful hotel stories--we hope. Have a destination hotel you are just dying to leave your cube for? Send the story our way.
In this episode, Hotel Maven AmandaK let's us know where she would go for an unusual hotel experience. Enjoy.
Sometimes I like to dream of life in the lap of luxury, but other times what I really want is a totally creative inspiration hit. That's why the Propeller Island City Lodge in funky Berlin appeals to me. It only has around 30 rooms but each of them is a weird work of art ... so I guess I'll need at least 30 nights there to really check it out properly.
Or maybe a few less. Some of the rooms don't appeal to me, but might to you: There's a coffin room (it's possible to sleep with the lids closed); an upside-down room, where all the furniture's nailed to the ceiling and you sleep in a bed/box nailed to the ceiling; and a prison cell, although everyone describes it as being very comfortable.
But the rooms I'd really like to book into include the diamond-shaped mirror room (bring a partner for kaleidoscopic fun), the chicken curry room (named for the color scheme, and with a bed to be found in the floor under a garage door) or the castle room, where each piece of furniture is a small house, your bed's the castle and you sleep up high, king of the village! While some of these rooms might induce strange dreams, I'm happy to take the risk.
Related Stories:
· Propeller Island City Lodge reviews [TripAdvisor]
· Hotel's Symbolic Guest Room [HotelChatter]
Art Hotels / Odd Hotels / Berlin Hotel Reviews / → All Tags
A Hotel's 'Symbolic' Guest Room
And we thought spending a night in the dizzying black and white rooms at the Night Hotel were bad enough. But now we find the Symbol Room at the Propeller Island City Lodge in Berlin.
Actually, all of the 31 rooms here are pretty crazy. Funny Town has descriptions and pictures of all them, from the Orange room to the Castle room (which pairs with the Dwarves room), to the Mirror room (heh, heh) to Grandma's room and to the Table room, where your bed and desk are atop a giant table.
Each room was created by artist Lars Stroschen and the hotel asks that you remember that while you are staying there, you are living in a piece of art. Therefore, be careful of what you touch:
But however some of the materials are a lot more sensitive than usual: the plexiglas is getting easyly scratches, the same it is with or the dark and intense wall-colours when you slide your bags upon them - only to take two examples.
That is the nature of these materials and you cannot change it - except you make a boring hotel. If you are becoming guest of the for Propeller Island City Lodge we like to ask you to keep this difference in mind and to move with some care within that artwork.
So if you break it, you just might have to buy it.
Hotel Deals / Ritz-Carlton Hotels / Berlin Hotels / → All Tags
Putting on the Ritz in a Berlin Winter
We seem to be having an international day here so we are going to continue on over to Germany. If you're staying at the Ritz-Carlton in Berlin and enjoying the excellent restaurant, spa, pool and lounge facilities, it might be almost irrelevant that you could also go outside and be within short walking distance of half of what's worth seeing in Berlin, like the Reichstag, the Sony Center and Potsdamer Platz.
And if you're thinking of spending the Christmas or New Year season there, it's all food, wine and merriment right within the hotel walls.
The hotel has two packages going on right now. The first is "Winter Magic" which is $250 per couple per night and includes accommodation in a superior double plus buffet breakfast, more than enough to warm you up if you decide to brave the outdoor winter chill. This deal is good through Jan. 7.
Or you might prefer the "Grand Night at the Ritz-Carlton" package which is a little pricier at $800 per person, and valid from December 30 to January 1. For your "Grand Night" you actually get two nights' accommodation, a ticket to the Grand Ball for New Year's Eve, constant rounds of champagne, a four-course dinner, a late-night buffet on NYE and breakfast each day. Or you can opt to have the hotel brunch instead if you're having trouble getting the eyes open after the NYE Ball.
Related Stories:
· On the Eighth Day God Created the Ritz Carlton Bed [HotelChatter]
· Ritz Carlton Berlin reviews [TripAdvisor]
Berlin Hotel Reviews / Germany Hotel Reviews / Women Friendly Hotels / → All Tags
Women Only in Berlin
Sorry guys, this one's not for your eyes (and that's not a ploy to get you interested).
Sometimes hotels are just for women. In Berlin there's more than one women-only hotel, and your experience can be good. In particular, the almost hostel-priced Intermezzo Hotel for Women isn't fancy, but has a lot of pluses. Location is the first bonus: in the heart of the center of old East Berlin, walking distance to Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, the Holocaust Memorial or the Postdamer Platz, and still near public transport like the subway (U-bahn line 2) and the tram (S-Bahn).
Berlin's generally a safe city for tourists anyway, but sometimes its size and constant day-or-night buzz can be a bit unsettling for women traveling alone, and that's why we rate these hotels highly. Intermezzo features relatively basic rooms--definitely no luxury--but with the extra touches that make you realise it's made by and for women. Cotton face-wipes, for example, replace the mini-bar scotch bottles, and more useful cupboard space is built in. And everything has this special quietness, cleanliness and fresh smell about it that's sometimes even missing at a 5-star.
Simple but good--sounds a bit like a healthy breakfast cereal.
Related Stories:
·
Intermezzo Hotel for Women Reviews [TripAdvisor]
· Frauenhotel Artemisia Berlin Reviews [TripAdvisor]
· Achtung, Men Verboten! [Jaunted]
bad rate / Berlin hotels / → All Tags
Bad Rate :: Back to the 80s at The Grand Hotel Esplanade
[Ed. Note: This is the Bad Rate in our Good Rate/Bad Rate feature. This screenshot was taken on Sept. 11, 2006 for the days of Sept. 22 and 23. As always, rates are subject to change. Enjoy.]
Instead of a good rate Pop Art package at the Art'otel in Berlin, how about staying in a place that just looks like it's stuck in the 1980's? If you want dated decor and an inconvenient location, take a local bus to the Grand Hotel Esplanade in Berlin.
One of Mark Twain's letters he wrote while traveling in Europe goes on a rant about how most places with the word "grand" in their name are anything but, except when it comes to the bill. We think he would snort in appreciation at the $340 euro ($425) 2-night weekend tab at the Grand Hotel Esplanade, not including breakfast. (If you do want breakfast, that would be an extra $50 per day for a couple.)
Berlin is known for its hip, minimalist hotels, for rooms where you don't really have to fear about bumping into anything in the middle of the night since there's hardly any furniture. The
Esplanade gets the second part right: there are no true double beds, only twins pushed together, covered by two separate duvets.
They seemed to have missed the target on the minimalist decorating though. Shooting for retro, they just end up looking tired, if these reviews are any indication:
· "The wellness area looks a bit like a 1980s YMCA"
· "The decoration is somewhat dated"
·"It's like a mix between 80's Wall Street and Miami Vice"
· "Breakfast is served in the "orangery" which is a room decorated with tens of orange plastic trees"
If you want to pay a lot and get a little (in decor that is), there are more contemporary options in hip Berlin.
Related Stories:
· Berlin Grand Esplanade reviews [TripAdvisor]
· Good Rate :: Art'otel Berlin City Center West [HotelChatter]
Good rate / Berlin hotels / boutique hotels / → All Tags
Good Rate :: Art'otel Berlin City Center West
[Ed. Note: Welcome to our Good Rate/Bad Rate feature where we look at hotel prices in the same city and decide which is better worth your hard-earned benjamins. The rates below were available on Sept. 12, 2006 and are subject to change.]
At Art'otel Berlin City Center West, you can sleep, eat, and and travel through Berlin while staying stylish, at about $172 double per night. A dedicated Warhol exhibition displayed throughout the hotel features over 221 artworks by and of Andy Warhol, including pictures taken by Christopher Makos. We'll need a translator to figure out what it means to be "close to the kurfürstendamm, gedächtniskirche, zoologischer garden, and kaufhaus des westens," but we'll assume that's a good thing.
The "Pop Art Package," is suitable for framing and is good through the end of the year. For EUR 259 (US $324), you get the following:
* Two nights accommodation
* Buffet breakfast for two both days
* One candle-lit dinner, including a bottle of sparkling house wine, for two on day of arrival
* Two Welcome Cards, which include free transportation (metro, tram, train and bus) for two days
* Pop Art surprise in the room
We're not sure about that last item. A can of Campbell's tomato soup maybe? Regardless, we love the idea of a nice hotel that actually encourages public transportation instead of predictably replying to subway requests with the stock answer, "You should just take a taxi."
Want to stay more than two nights? An extra night without amenities can be added on from EUR 99.00 (US $125) for double occupancy.
For a hotel with "art" in its name, the hotel's web site is surprisingly ugly, plus it's oddly short on photos larger than a thumbnail. They have a best online rate guarantee, but you might want to check some other sites to get more of an idea what the place looks like before booking. Expect lots of minimalist decor, plenty of amenities, wi-fi, and "architecture from dipl. ing. helge sypereck."
Related Stories:
· Art'otel Berlin reviews [TripAdvisor]
Berlin Hotel Reviews / Westin Hotels / → All Tags
Westin Berlin Tries to Wipe Away Traces of Communism with Heavenly Beds
It's kind of hard to fathom that there's a Westin Hotel in Berlin. But one frequent guest assures that the place is modernized and that some rooms have been entirely renovated, despite the building having been built in the "Eastern Germany Days."
I was here many times before and have seen all kind of rooms (make sure, you get an renovated one with Heavenly Bed!). Due to my SPG Platinum Status, this time I had a corner suite with a great view, but it was a old interior... Try the breakfast, its fantastic, but expensive (€25). Beside the location the best thing is the atrium lobby ... very old fashioned, but a great spot!
Indeed, the hotel gets pretty stellar reviews with the location, off Unter den Linden and Friedrichstrasse, being the first thing mentioned. As with all old hotels, beware the small rooms especially the ones built during Communist days.
Related Stories:
· Westin Grand Berlin [TripAdvisor]
Berlin Hotel Reviews / → All Tags
Bleibtreu's Big Apple Inspiration
Staying true to Berliner form, the Bleibtreu is very cool, hip, and stylish. Located in the center of Berlin and surrounded by the poshest of boutiques, the hotel keeps up with the pace of the city with its original but functional design.
Rooms are loaded with the necessities including WiFi and the all-so-indulgent remote lighting so you can set it to your pleasure. The design of the rooms will not let you forget that you've chosen a cool boutique hotel as well. They've gone so far as to have their furniture specially made not only just for them, but also to be ecologically-friendly which we presume is a notch better than environmentally-friendly.
GenArt Pulse recently recommended the place and added that not only is the lighting set to your desires but it also has happy lights for those dismal winter days in Berlin and comfort foods.
With just 60 rooms, this slick guest house offers the usual high end fare plus furniture designed especially for the hotel and made in accordance with ecological standards. Bleibtreu also offers a "New York Deli" full of bagels, heroes and other fattening Big Apple fare.
The reviews are in for this place and they're great. Rooms start at 129 euros and again, with free WiFi, we're thinking that's better than we'll ever do in the real Big Apple.
Related Stories:
· Schnell Schnell onto Berlin [GenArt Pulse]
· Bleibtreu Hotel Reviews [TripAdvisor]
Cool Hotels / → All Tags
Lux 11: Cooler Than You
Could Berlin be any more hip and minimalist? Smack dab in the middle of the Mitte district (think a counterpart to NYC's Meat Packing District) is the Lux 11 Hotel, a perfect example of Berliner style: simple but luxurious and cooler than cool.
The best feature may be the chance to live like a local. The rooms are more like apartments than hotel rooms with plasma TVs, WiFi, kitchenettes and of course, more minimalist chic. You can even pick a floor plan from the boutique hotel's website.
Another restaurant lounge within the hotel should be finished soon but for the meantime guests can indulge in the signature Aveda Salon.
With rooms around 115 euros/night for a "smart room" and considering all the in-room amenities, a nice long jaunt in Germany's capital sounds not only uber-cool, but uber-realistic.
Related Stories:
· Lux 11: New and Stylish Boutique Hotel [Enter Berlin]
· Lux 11 reviews [HotelChatter]
Hotel Technology / → All Tags
Suite Gear: Hotel Adlon Kempinski
No longer worry about hotel safety, just check into Berlin's Hotel Adlon Kempinski.
Located at the feet of Brandenburg Gate in the middle of Berlin, the hotel was constructed in 1907 with the support of Kaiser Wilhelm II. It impressed the Kaiser, and now it impresses anyone with a bounty on their head.
Staying in the hotel's newly refurbished Presidential Suite, also means privacy from paparazzi: the suite has two private elevators with direct access to an underground garage. As for those who worry about being bombed anywhere they hide (ahem, Osama), this suite has been designed to withstand outside attack with bulletproof windows, doors and walls.
But it doesn't stop there. Dick Cheney would admire the room's own security hub with video monitoring, power supply, and telecommunications system with secure DECT handsets. The hotel's general manager notes
The need for security and the expectations regarding equipment levels have grown tangibly, and we are meeting that challenge.
Could this be the start of the latest trend?
Related Stories:
· The safest hotel room in the world? [The Times]
· How To Have A Safe Stay [Hotel Chatter]
Hotel Heaven / → All Tags
"On the Eighth Day God Created the Ritz Carlton Bed"
We always pay close attention when we get hotel tips from folks in the UK. Maybe it is because we read their tips with an accent, so they just sound smarter.
In any event, this Brit's review of the Ritz Carlton Berlin started with high praise for the bedding, then broke into an all out hotel recommendation:
Simply phenomenal. Don't let the overt opulence of marble chandeliers and some of the worst paintings in the history of art deter you! Time Out was not inaccurate when they described RC Berlin as 'Versailles meets Vegas.' My wife and I were lucky enough to spend a week here being gloriously pampered in the Club Lounge on the 10th floor. We had the holiday of a lifetime. Ritz Carlton is the epitome of customer service.
The hotel is alive and has a buzz to it that reflects the whole shock of the new that symbolises the reclaimed no man's land of Potzdamer Platz.
Sure the Ritz is gonna cost you, but if you are looking for a stay that would make Liberace proud, sounds like this is your place.
Related Stories:
· Ritz Carlton Berlin Reviews [TripAdvisor]
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