Berlin, Hotel Berlin Review

“It is fair to say that Hotel Berlin is not the...”

Written on: 29/04/2007 by eponymous6 (7 reviews written)

Good Points
Luxurious accomodation.
Elaborate meals, especially at breakfast time.
A unique hotel experience.

Bad Points
Pricey.
Architectural style is pass and may not be to everyone's taste.

General Comments
It is fair to say that Hotel Berlin is not the conventional place for foreign city breakers to stay. In fact, I was told by hotel staff that 70% of it's annual clientele are middle-class, middle aged German couples and a further 20% are either businessmen or corporate parties. I guess then, that I was a bit of an anomaly staying there and just about the only English speaker staying at the time, much to the dismay of my fellow, grandiose guests. The scenario became even more incongruous at breakfast and meal times, where stuffy and well-dressed German couples would stare scornfully at me, the only scruffy, laissez-faire tourist there. The Hotel Berlin experience is unique in many respects and represents a microcosm of Berlin culture, far more so than other hotels in Berlin in my opinion. The hotel itself is a bit of a relic of Berlin's confused periods of transition; the exterior is bleak and utilitarian, evoking the Communist era of old and yet the lobby exudes an art deco extravagance and Capitalistic opulence. It is precisely this contrast that epitomises Berlin's diversity and it is this diversity that the intrepid traveller may wish to experience by staying at this Hotel.