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Thread: Berlin - any hotel tips?

  1. #1
    Master
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    Berlin - any hotel tips?

    Hello chaps.

    I'm going to book a trip to Berlin with my lad, he's a proper war buff, so it'll be 3-4 days of doing Third Reich/Cold War tours! An associate has said look around the Freidrichstrasse for accomodation.

    I have no doubt many of you have visited, so I'm just after tips, tours etc to factor in. As for food, he's 14, so a staple diet of burgers & the like will be on the cards! Also any decent, but cheap hotels? Hopefully we'll just be in & out of the room, so anything decadent would be wasted.

    Thanks as always

    Adam

  2. #2
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    I would recommend Clipper City apartments. A stones throw from Friedrichstrasse and Unter den Linden. We stay there every time we visit Berlin (which is often). Westin Grand is also decent but vfm is not as good at basic level.

  3. #3
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    I stayed in Hotel Novotel Berlin Mitte. It was lovely, central and close to a metro station should you need to wander out.
    I remember it was fairly inexpensive for what it was

  4. #4
    Grand Master Raffe's Avatar
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    Berlin ist dirt cheap when it comes to hotels (unless you visit during Berlinade or Fashion Week). I had a superb deal at the Kudamm Sofitel a few weeks ago, but if you are looking for cheaper (but still very decent quality), I can recommend the Novum Style Hotel Centrum. Also good location and decent connections via buses. They also have family rooms.
    Someone who lies about the little things will lie about the big things too.

  5. #5
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    I last stayed at the Scandic Potsdamer Platz and The Dude before that, both nice places and not too expensive

    Ian

  6. #6
    Grand Master Raffe's Avatar
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    Best burgers in Berlin by a country mile: http://www.rebelroom.berlin/
    Someone who lies about the little things will lie about the big things too.

  7. #7
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    I normally stay in stay in Mitte, either hotel Armano or its sister one Mani round the corner.

    Great place, I recommend some the walking tours that RV near the Brandenburg gate starbucks.

  8. #8
    The H10 in the Ku’damm area was fine when I last visited- very cheap when booked with flight with BA.

  9. #9
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    https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUs...er-Berlin.html

    Well worth the journey - it’s a rough and ready place but burger heaven :)

  10. #10
    We went last November for a long week end and stayed in a MotelOne by the Berlin Mall or as all taxi drivers call it Mall Berlin get it the wrong way round they don’t seem to know where it is? Excellent hotels and closet to everything, Mitte is the place to look. On google maps just go for anything near Checkpoint Charley or the Memorial to the Murded Jews. Couple of good things to to do.
    1. Sunday morning have a buffet breakfast in the TV Tower
    2. Book a meal in their parliament restaurant you get to look around and jump the queue. But take your passport.
    3. Buss tours good if weather nice and roof off
    4or a trabant tour with you driving.

  11. #11
    Craftsman Bluemoon7's Avatar
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    Hotel Angleterre on Friedrichstrausse. Stayed there a couple of times. Lovely place and a few hundred yards away from some really historical places.

  12. #12
    Craftsman HookedSeven's Avatar
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    I stayed in Berlin many times between 2009-2013 and always ended up in the Plaza Hotel just off Kudamm (on Knesebeckstrasse). It suited my needs well as I wanted super cheap but clean, and I always arrived by car from the West so the Kudamm area made sense. Kudamm itself a nice place in the evenings with plenty of places to eat, but perhaps a bit boring and not the cool side of Berlin.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by adam164 View Post
    An associate has said look around the Freidrichstrasse for accomodation.
    Solid advice. I stayed at the 'Eurostars Berlin' on Friedrichstr. 99, in Mitte.

    Pleasant without being expensive, but more importantly just a few mins walk from an S-Bahn/U-Bahn station - Berlin is huge, so you'll likely be needing public transport anyway to get around. That said, the hotel is very central and almost equidistant to the Reichstag, Potsdamer Platz, Brandeburg Tor, Holocaust Memorials, 'Museum Island', Hackescher Markt, Fernsehturm etc. etc. Although a rail travel pass will be better for all those, unless you really like walking - but if you do fancy walking, this spot is like the 'hub' in a wheel, with most places 15mins walk in any direction.

    There's one of the 'Blockhouse' chain restaurant nearby on the same street, which serves all the basic burger, steak & veg food you're talking about, plus the nearby Freidrichstrasse train station - like all stations in Germany it seems - has a proliferation of casual eating outlets.

    Aside from everything mentioned above, go to the abandoned Templehofer Airport - scene of the airlifts and a fun, expansive space to roam around.

    As mentioned, the Reichstag tour is a must & free, but you'll need your passport & a prior online booking.

    For the Berlin Wall, the best remaining bit is the 1,316m long East Side Gallery.

    The Fernsehturm offers incredible views.

    Berlin is brilliant.

    Edit: There's (quite deliberately) nothing there to see now except a nondescript car park with a single small sign, but look up where the Fuhrerbunker was. Nothing much to see, but worth a look if near the Brandenburg Tor.
    Last edited by Stringer; 15th August 2019 at 17:37. Reason: Additional

  14. #14
    Master sean's Avatar
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    Stayed here for a long weekend: Pullman Hotel Berlin Schweizerhof. Very nice and was easy to get to.

    Loved Berlin, one of my very, very favourite cities. Enjoy the trip OP!

  15. #15
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    Take cash. They are not a card payment kind of society.

    Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

  16. #16
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    We stayed at the Adina Apartment Hotel, Hackescher Markt a few years ago and it was very pleasant and central, right near the station so handy for public transport.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by duffy78 View Post
    Take cash. They are not a card payment kind of society.

    Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
    They’re better than they used to be....however paying on credit card can be a problem at retailers even if they do take card.

    Important consideration if you use a cheap fx credit card like Halifax clarity

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sean89 View Post
    They’re better than they used to be....however paying on credit card can be a problem at retailers even if they do take card.

    Important consideration if you use a cheap fx credit card like Halifax clarity
    We found restaurants to be the worst.

    Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

  19. #19
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    Radisson Blu

  20. #20
    Grand Master Rod's Avatar
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    I had a great stay at the Hotel Berlin Berlin.

  21. #21
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    I can recommend the Holiday Inn Express Berlin City Centre. Though it's a little bit out of the way.

    Start of my (otherwise 5 star) review on TripAdvisor "Berlin City Centre my backside! If relativity applies then, yes, it's closer to Berlin City Centre than my house. Just."

    And their response "I'm happy that you like our rooms, our breakfast, our free wifi and our central location."

  22. #22
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    I've stayed in the Sofitel Kurfürstendamm several times and I'd recommend it. Nice hotel, reasonable rates and close to public transport.

    I'd highly recommend doing a tour with Berlin Unterwelten. They're an association of historians who give tours of various bunkers around Berlin, many accessed through those big non descript brass doors you see in many U Bahn stations. We did two tours with them and they were fascinating.

    If you or your son have any interest in cars, then a trip to Classic Remise is a must - http://remise.de/Classic-Remise-Berl...sh-summary.php

  23. #23
    Craftsman Bluemoon7's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stringer View Post
    Solid advice. I stayed at the 'Eurostars Berlin' on Friedrichstr. 99, in Mitte.

    Pleasant without being expensive, but more importantly just a few mins walk from an S-Bahn/U-Bahn station - Berlin is huge, so you'll likely be needing public transport anyway to get around. That said, the hotel is very central and almost equidistant to the Reichstag, Potsdamer Platz, Brandeburg Tor, Holocaust Memorials, 'Museum Island', Hackescher Markt, Fernsehturm etc. etc. Although a rail travel pass will be better for all those, unless you really like walking - but if you do fancy walking, this spot is like the 'hub' in a wheel, with most places 15mins walk in any direction.

    There's one of the 'Blockhouse' chain restaurant nearby on the same street, which serves all the basic burger, steak & veg food you're talking about, plus the nearby Freidrichstrasse train station - like all stations in Germany it seems - has a proliferation of casual eating outlets.

    Aside from everything mentioned above, go to the abandoned Templehofer Airport - scene of the airlifts and a fun, expansive space to roam around.

    As mentioned, the Reichstag tour is a must & free, but you'll need your passport & a prior online booking.

    For the Berlin Wall, the best remaining bit is the 1,316m long East Side Gallery.

    The Fernsehturm offers incredible views.

    Berlin is brilliant.

    Edit: There's (quite deliberately) nothing there to see now except a nondescript car park with a single small sign, but look up where the Fuhrerbunker was. Nothing much to see, but worth a look if near the Brandenburg Tor.
    There is a restaurant on top of the Reichstag that is lovely. You have to book well in advance though and you go through a small door within the Reichstag to get in. Great views and lovely food. Had to dress up a bit from my usual scruffy self but worth it as it was a lovely experience.

  24. #24
    Can’t give advice on hotels but can say what a place! Enjoy!

  25. #25
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    I have stayed in the Novum Ravenna in Steglitz and it was perfectly good and very reasonable.


    Sent from my calculator using a lawnmower.

  26. #26
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    Stayed a couple of times at Das Stue - highly recommended

  27. #27
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    Thanks for all the advice, fellas. Finally booked the Hotel Berlin on Freidrichstrasse. Seemed quite central for the things we'll be doing. Now to book the walking tours, the Trabant safari, Allied museum etc etc. I spoil that boy!!

  28. #28
    Fat Bike Tours are great. Just looked on their website and they do a WW2 themed ride, although we did a general tour. Great way to get around a fascinating city as a tourist: so I'd suggest doing it early on if you can. Really get a feel for the layout of the place.

  29. #29
    Grand Master Raffe's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SammyS View Post
    Lots of great hotels in Berlin. Not sure of your budget. The Hotel Adlon is the most famous and the best but also the Regent, Das Stue, Hotel de Rome as well are top notch. But again not sure on your budget either. So better use hotel booking sites and read reviews to find what matches your needs.
    Makes sense to suggest the four most expensive hotels in town when the OP asked for budget suggestions.

    Are you just namedropping because you suffer from a micro-p. or were you too lazy to read the original post before you answered? And by the way, the OP wrote in the post above yours that he has booked a hotel a few weeks ago already.



    Quote Originally Posted by adam164 View Post
    Also any decent, but cheap hotels? Hopefully we'll just be in & out of the room, so anything decadent would be wasted.
    Someone who lies about the little things will lie about the big things too.

  30. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by Raffe View Post
    Best burgers in Berlin by a country mile: http://www.rebelroom.berlin/
    We have just booked Berlin as a little getaway in September. This has duly been added to my list of places to eat. I love a good burger.

  31. #31
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    Berlin a wonderful place to go, I spent 2 great years there and enjoyed every minute .


    Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app

  32. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by aa388 View Post
    Berlin a wonderful place to go, I spent 2 great years there and enjoyed every minute .


    Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app
    Any other recos beyond the threads here, then please let me know. Can’t wait - the history and the food will be great.

  33. #33
    Master vRSG60's Avatar
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    Ibis Budget on Anhalter Str. 5 mins from Checkpoint Charlie.


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  34. #34
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    I imagine The Radisson Blu is closed for a while!

  35. #35
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    If you like pizza then go to Da Vincis, thank me later 😁

  36. #36
    Quote Originally Posted by simoscribbler View Post
    Fat Bike Tours are great. Just looked on their website and they do a WW2 themed ride, although we did a general tour. Great way to get around a fascinating city as a tourist: so I'd suggest doing it early on if you can. Really get a feel for the layout of the place.
    We did the WW2 fat bike day tour and it was probably the most inciteful history i have ever done. Our American tour guide was excellent and his in-depth knowledge of WW2 was second to none. Well recommend to anyone!

  37. #37
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    Burger and pizza sorted then!

    Love to do a bike tour, but my wife can’t ride a bike. Well she can, and has, but has a lower back problem that flares up if she does. On foot it is then!

  38. #38
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    Waking / Ubahn tours meet outside the Starbucks by the Brandenburg gate. They are cheap and a great way to see stuff. The red tour was really interesting to get the Russian perspective.

  39. #39
    Grand Master RustyBin5's Avatar
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    Superb city - the Hilton Hampton Alexanderplatz is superb value and has an awesome breakfast!



    Awesome city. Have fun

  40. #40
    Grand Master RustyBin5's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by adam164 View Post
    Thanks for all the advice, fellas. Finally booked the Hotel Berlin on Freidrichstrasse. Seemed quite central for the things we'll be doing. Now to book the walking tours, the Trabant safari, Allied museum etc etc. I spoil that boy!!
    Look up the computer game museum. We could hardly get my son out of there lol. Every conceivable system is there to play on including working arcade cabinet machines. Very cool and very nostalgic

    https://www.computerspielemuseum.de/1210_Home.htm


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