Berlin

The Short Answer

Berlin's best hotels are Hotel Adlon Kempinski, rebuilt in 1997 from the 1907 original beside the Brandenburg Gate; Rocco Forte's Hotel de Rome in a former 1889 Dresdner Bank; and Soho House Berlin in a 1928 Bauhaus-era block. Choose Mitte for the landmarks, City West for quieter Charlottenburg calm.

Which is the best luxury hotel in Berlin?

Hotel Adlon Kempinski. The current building, reopened in 1997, is a faithful reconstruction of the 1907 original that stood beside the Brandenburg Gate until 1945. Its 307 rooms, the Pariser Platz address and a lobby that has hosted heads of state for a century make it Berlin's definitive grand hotel. Book a Brandenburg Gate-view room.

Where should I stay in Berlin?

Mitte puts you among the landmarks: the Adlon, Hotel de Rome and Soho House all sit within walking distance of Museum Island, Unter den Linden and the Gendarmenmarkt. For a quieter stay, City West around Charlottenburg, home to the Waldorf Astoria, Hotel Zoo and Schlosshotel, trades monuments for leafy streets, the KaDeWe department store and the zoo.

Which Berlin hotels are housed in historic buildings?

Berlin's best addresses are adaptive reuse. Hotel de Rome occupies the 1889 former Dresdner Bank headquarters, its old vault now the spa pool; Soho House fills a 1928 Bauhaus-era department store; Das Stue is set in the 1930s former Royal Danish Embassy beside the Tiergarten; and Schlosshotel is a 1911 villa with interiors once designed by Karl Lagerfeld.

What does a luxury hotel in Berlin cost?

Berlin is the most affordable of Europe's major capitals for luxury. Entry rates at the five-star houses typically run lower than Paris or London equivalents, with the Adlon, de Rome and Ritz-Carlton at the top of the market and design hotels such as Sir Savigny, Wilmina and the Mandala offering five-star design for less. Rates climb around major trade fairs and the Berlinale in February.

When is the best time to visit Berlin?

Late spring, May into June, and early autumn in September bring the mildest weather and the city's outdoor life, beer gardens, lake swimming and Tiergarten walks, at its best. February draws the Berlinale film festival and higher rates; deep winter is cold but cheapest. Book ahead around large conventions, when even Berlin's abundant hotel supply tightens.

Which Berlin hotel is best for design lovers?

Wilmina, a former women's prison in Charlottenburg converted by the architects Gruentuch Ernst, is the most original conversion in the city. Soho House and the Telegraphenamt, set in a monumental former imperial telegraph office, follow close behind. For classic opulence rather than minimalism, Schlosshotel's Lagerfeld-era interiors remain singular.