Where to stay in Germany's largest and most stylish city
This trendy German city has long attracted bright young things in search of a more bohemian lifestyle – and if you’re planning a visit, these are the best hotels in Berlin.
Up there with the likes of Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Florence, Berlin is one of the best city break destinations in Europe. With return flights from as little as £80 and frequent services from airlines including easyJet, Ryanair and British Airways, Berlin offers an excellent escape, whether you have a weekend to spare, or more.
Cultural breaks here should, of course, feature a street-art tour, since Berlin is famous for its graffiti and vibrant murals. Then there’s the 18th-century Brandenburg Gate, a symbol of Berlin’s reunification. It’s also a perfect place to enjoy some live music, whether at the Berliner Philharmonie or even from the comfort of your hotel, if you’ve booked a stay at Oriana.
For something grand, Hotel de Rome is one of the most luxurious hotels in the city – there’s a rooftop terrace with a view, an Italian restaurant in homage to its namesake and a swimming pool in the former jewel vaults.
Just as opulent is Regent, right next to Berlin’s concert hall and with dazzling interiors: lots of marble, chandeliers and plush sofas. Or check in to SO/Berlin Das Stue, a fashionable hotel with a three-storey library, dapper staff and period details.
Here are some of our favourite Berlin hotels for a cultural city break this year.
(Hotel de Rome)
Set on the Mitte district’s buzzy Friedrichstrasse, Hotel AMO by Amano has a prime Berlin locale. There’s a restaurant specialising in Levantine cuisine and a lively bar that’s the perfect place to call in at first. The area has lots of buzzy restaurants and bars to discover, if you prefer to venture out.
The decor in the rooms features tall teal headboards, wooden floors and pendant lights, with high windows letting in lots of natural light in some.
(Sebastian Heil)
It may be a motel, but Motel One Berlin-Hackescher is nonetheless a fine if simple place to stay in Berlin, located, as its name suggests, close to Hackescher Markt.
As well as a central setting, the motel offers contemporary design, a lounge bar and a breakfast buffet to set you up for a day of sightseeing. Other attractions nearby include Alexanderplatz and the TV Tower, and there are lots of shops, cafés and bars helpfully on your doorstep, too.
(Courtesy of the hotel)
You’re in safe hands at a Rocco Forte hotel. The luxury group’s Berlin outpost, Hotel de Rome, is set in what was once the headquarters of the Dresdner Bank. The 19th-century building has been brought up to date with a cocktail terrace up on the roof; and the jewel vault now houses a swimming pool. As a nod to its namesake, it has an Italian restaurant.
The hotel is on Bebelplatz, a public square in Mitte, one of Berlin’s most sought-after neighbourhoods.
(Courtesy of the hotel)
You’ll find nhow Berlin to the east of the city, in Friedrichshain and on the banks of the River Spree. It’s a little away from the city centre, but everything is within easy reach from this more local part of town.
The nine-storey building has a striking exterior, with its unmissable cantilevered architecture and the interiors don’t shy away either, with splashes of pink at every turn. The social hub of a hotel has a terrace by the banks of the river, a stage and even a recording studio.
(Courtesy of the hotel)
A grand hotel in the heart of Berlin, Oriana also has its own concert space, where guests can enjoy a programme of jazz, pop and global music from the comfort of their hotel. It’s in the Kreuzberg part of the city.
At the restaurant, guests can enjoy a feast of Peking duck, carved tableside. If you like cocktails, you’ll love the creative concoctions on offer at the bar; it has an impressive selection of single malts, too.
(Courtesy of the hotel)
It’s inevitable in trendy Berlin that the fashionable bar is set high and one of the city’s most stylish stays is SO/Berlin Das Stue. Here, the staff wear uniforms designed by Dutch fashion brand Viktor & Rolf, there’s a menagerie of leather animals and seats created by the acclaimed designer Patricia Urquiola.
There are plenty of tomes by cult publisher Taschen to flick through in the hotel’s three-storey library. Period details at this hotel in Berlin’s embassy district include original parquet floors and wood-panelling.
(Courtesy of the hotel)
If you’re hoping to check in to a hotel in Berlin that’s historic and grand, Regent is a sound choice: it has marble walls and floors, crystal chandeliers, gilded mirrors and fringed ottomans, for a start. The restaurant, designed to evoke a 19th-century Berlin salon, is just as dazzling. In summer, there’s an outdoor bar on the courtyard.
Its setting, near Gendarmenmarkt Square, means you’ll be surrounded by more opulence, whether you choose to visit the neighbouring Konzerthaus concert hall or the 18th-century cathedrals.
(Courtesy of the hotel)
Start your day right at Hotel Oderberger in Berlin, where the three-storey restaurant has its own waffle bar. It’s set in a former thermal-power station in the town baths on Oderberger Strasse, with industrial accents and high ceilings as relics.
The stand-out part of this Berlin hotel, however, is undoubtedly its grand indoor pool, lined by archways and with a vaulted ceiling – and luckily for guests, you can book it out for a private midnight swim and spell in the sauna.
(Booking.com)
For a Berlin hotel that’s more of an (admittedly hip) hostel, Generator Berlin Mitte is the Berlin stay for you. It’s near Alexanderplatz in Mitte, set in what were once two 19th-century office buildings. The hotel has a terrace, courtyard and various sociable spaces where you can meet your fellow guests.
If you don’t fancy a dorm, there are private rooms available, with simple but comfortable decor. Sights of note nearby include Hackescher Markt and Kunsthaus Tacheles.
(Booking.com)
Part of the expanding Ennismore empire (which includes the Hoxton group and Scotland’s ultimate luxury hotel, Gleneagles), 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin is as playful and fun as its name suggests. From the rooftop bar, you’ll be able to spy the city’s zoo, which is located just next-door.
Fittingly, the design includes oversize butterflies, leaf motifs, exposed concrete, colourful tiles and portraits of bees. If you’ve overdone it on the sightseeing, have a snooze in the hammock that’s helpfully hanging in some of the suites.
(Booking.com)The best hotels in Berlin, including city centre, boutique hotels, luxury and sightseeing hotels. Here's where to stay in Berlin.