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Hotels in Berlin
Berlin is the scene of frequent international trade fairs, conferences, and festivals, and during these times, vacancies in the city will be hard to find. The greatest concentration of hotels, from the cheapest digs to the most expensive, lies in the center near the Kurfürstendamm (Ku'Damm), the main boulevard of western Berlin. Most good-value pensions and small hotels are in the western part of the city; note that many such accommodations are in older buildings where plumbing is rarely state-of-the-art.
The business convention crowd still anchors primarily in the west, as do the hordes of summer visitors on whirlwind tours of Europe. Eastern Berlin often attracts Germans from other parts of the country who want a glimpse of the Berlin that was shut away behind the Wall for so long. The eastern sector still doesn't have the visitor structure and facilities of the west, although several first-class and deluxe hotels have opened there, notably the Grand, Adlon, and Hilton.
Travelers can also head for hotels in Grunewald, close to nature in the Grunewald Forest, or Charlottenburg, near Olympic Park. If you like biking, jogging, and breathing fresh air and don't mind the commute into central Berlin for shopping and attractions, you'll enjoy both these areas.
Finding a hotel room in Berlin is easy, as prices are lower than in other major European cities. But, you’ll save precious time by booking a hotel before you arrive, and you’ll usually save money, too, by going through a web discounter. Note The prices listed in this chapter are undiscounted rack rates; unless a big event is happening in town, you’ll likely be able to get lower prices than those listed here.
If you arrive in Berlin without a hotel room, you can go to the BERLIN infostore at Hauptbahnhof, Tegel Airport, or Kranzler Eck, where the staff will help you find a hotel room in your price range. You can also book hotels by calling tel. 030/25-00-25 or by going online at www.visitberlin.de.
Tegel Airport is only 20 minutes from Berlin by taxi, but if you have a very early departure or late arrival, and want the added security of an airport hotel, you can check into Mercure Airport Hotel Berlin Tegel, Kurt-Schumacher-Damm 202, 13405 Orsteil-Reinickendorf (www.mercure.com; tel. 030/41060; fax 030/4106700). Doubles are medium size and furnished in standard motel-chain format. There's also a restaurant on-site, plus a free shuttle service that runs back and forth between the hotel and the airport. American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, and Visa are accepted.
Rental Apartments in Berlin
Both airbnb.com and vrbo.com are good for short-term apartment rentals in Berlin. Deals are sometimes remarkably inexpensive.
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18 Results
- Hotel
Arco Hotel
A four-story, turn-of-the-century building, on a quiet street near the Ku’Damm, houses this comfortable, small hotel. Rooms are reasonably large and have high, light-giving windows and modern furniture. The private bathrooms (showers, no tubs) are on the diminutive side, however. One…$Western Berlin
- Hotel
Arcotel Velvet
Smack-dab in the middle of Mitte’s most vibrant, round-the-clock area, the Arcotel Velvet is modern, exciting, and inviting—and you can find some terrific deals on the website. The building’s glass façade and the floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall windows in the rooms create a sense…$$Mitte & Eastern Berlin - Hotel
Baxpax Downtown Hostel Hotel
Nothing fancy here: The rooms have been simply designed and furnished and there’s a cafe and a roof terrace for relaxing and meeting fellow backpackers and explorers. But if your goal is a really inexpensive place to stay in Berlin, this clean, friendly hostel/hotel in Mitte should…$Mitte & Eastern Berlin - Hotel
Bleibtreu Hotel
Chic, central, contemporary digs near the Ku’Damm? Head to this trend-conscious boutique hotel that emphasizes healthy comfort (no chemicals are used for cleaning and the natural fabrics used are hypoallergenic). The rooms aren’t particularly large but they’re artfully designed and…$$Western Berlin - Hotel
Brandenburger Hof
Think Bauhaus, baby! This unique hotel takes its design cues from that 1920s German design school, which was famous for its streamlined chrome-and-leather furniture and form-equals-function aesthetic. And happily, it combines those now-classic forms with everything necessary for…$$$Western Berlin - Hotel
Circus Hotel
For a virtuous, and highly “green” stay, head to this modestly priced, youth-oriented boutique hotel. Everything possible here is recycled, most of the lamps have energy-saving bulbs, and there’s no A/C (but there is heat in the winter). Local artists have put up installations in…$Mitte & Eastern Berlin - Hotel
Das Stue
Enter the stately former Danish embassy tucked next to the Berlin Zoo, and the first thing you'll see is the gaping mouth of a crocodile head in front of a grand, museum-like staircase. It's that combination of playfulness and elegance that the design hotel Das Stue strives for…$$$Tiergarten - Hotel
Honigmond Garden Hotel
Yes, there’s a garden here and romantics will fall in love with its creeping vines, potted plants and trees. This 19th-century hotel’s gracious, high-ceilinged rooms are also a period-pieces of pleasure, with hardwood floors, stucco walls, antiques, and even some canopied four-poster…$$Mitte & Eastern Berlin - Hotel
Hotel Artemisia
If you are a woman looking for a safe, affordable hotel, this women-only establishment in Wilmersdorf should fit the bill. Located on the top floors of a large apartment building, Artemisia is comfortable and refreshingly free of frou-frou. The rooms are large, light, and simply…$Western Berlin - Hotel
Hotel Domus
Set in an unusually pretty section of Wilmersdorf, down the street from St. Ludwig’s Church and within walking distance of the Ku’Damm, this modern, frill-free, and newly renovated hotel has a calm, appealing simplicity. The rooms, which face an inner courtyard or the street, are…$Western Berlin - Hotel
Hotel i31
Berlin does boutique hotels well because it doesn't take itself too seriously. Three big jugs of fresh, free Haribo gummy treats tempt guests round the clock at the front desk—the perfect German treat to fuel those late nights—and upstairs, rooms (most of which face a large,…$In Berlin-Mitte - Hotel
Hotel Villa Kastania
This 4-star hotel is just a 10-minute drive from the Kurfürstendamm shopping street and one underground stop from the ICC Messe convention center. It offers free spa facilities and a garden terrace.The non-smoking Hotel Villa Kastaniav lies just a 5-minute walk from…around town - Hotel
Hotel-Pension Elegia
This modest, well-run pension in Charlottenburg is one of the best deals in western Berlin, and its location couldn’t be more convenient to the cafe-restaurant-shopping streets around Savignyplatz and the Ku’Damm. The 12 rooms, all on the second floor of a turn-of-the-century…$Western Berlin - Hotel
Hotel-Pension Funk
The former home of silent-movie star Asta Nielsen is a flashback to an earlier era. Rooms and public spaces are old-fashioned and comfortable, replete with original features such as Art Nouveau windows, plasterwork ceilings, and the kind of sturdy, made-to-last furnishings that once…$Western Berlin - Hotel
Lux 11
This unusual design hotel in the hip heart of Mitte, offers centrally located digs that reflect the “new” Berlin. It’s casual and trendy at the same time, with comfy, low-to-the-floor sofas and coffee tables, room dividers with flat-screen TVs, and wonderfully comfortable beds with…$$Mitte & Eastern Berlin - Hotel
Ostel Hostel
If you’re curious about life in the now-defunct GDR (that is, former Communist East Berlin), here’s your chance to indulge in what Berliners call Ostalgia, a kind of kitschy nostalgia for Soviet culture (without the Stasi spying on you and better food). This tower-block hotel wafts…$Mitte & Eastern Berlin - Hotel
Pension Nürnberger Eck
An atmospheric pension on the second floor of a building near the Europa Center, the Nürnberger Eck features high-ceilinged rooms with heavy doors that open off a long, dark hallway. Although the eight rooms are stylistically something of a mishmash—with patterned wallpaper, Oriental…$Western Berlin - Hotel
The Mandala Hotel
The Mandala, which opened on Potsdamer Platz in 1999, is a stand-out among Berlin’s many new hotels. It is dedicated to calm, and in a big, busy city like Berlin, that’s a winning concept. You can chill out with a cocktail at the chic Qui lounge, dine on-site without missing out at…$$$Mitte & Eastern Berlin
