Advertisement

Berlin hotels: The best places to stay for budget and luxury breaks

The roof terrace at the Hotel de Rome: Hotel de Rome
The roof terrace at the Hotel de Rome: Hotel de Rome

With its hedonistic nightlife, cutting-edge culture and reasonable prices, Berlin ticks many boxes for a brilliant city break.

Over the past decade, the number of hotels in the German capital has doubled and the options are as varied and dynamic as the city itself.

So where to bed down in Berlin? Here are some of the most stylish and great-value digs in town.

The Independent's hotel reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and book, but we never allow this to affect our coverage.

Best for nightlife: nhow Berlin

Neighbourhood: Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg

The colourful interior of nhow Berlin is as bright as the city itself (nhow Berlin)
The colourful interior of nhow Berlin is as bright as the city itself (nhow Berlin)

With a cantilevered structure jutting out over the River Spree, this 304-room hotel is walking distance to the bars and clubs of Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain (just pray you get past the doormen at Watergate and Berghain). The Karim Rashid-designed property is an explosion of candy colours and sinuous shapes, with round-the-clock room service offering guitars and decks for late-night jam sessions and DJ sets. There’s a riverside terrace for sunset cocktails, saunas to sweat out the previous evening’s excess, and 5pm check-out on Sundays.

Doubles from €95, room only
nhow-berlin.com

Check Availability
Check Availability

Best for live music: Orania.Berlin

Neighbourhood: Kreuzberg

Music lovers are well served at the Orania.Berlin (Orania.Berlin)
Music lovers are well served at the Orania.Berlin (Orania.Berlin)

A block down from one of Berlin’s most famous punk clubs, this boutique hotel brings something different to edgy east Kreuzberg – namely, a sophisticated ground-floor lounge with live jazz, craft cocktails and contemporary cuisine from Michelin-starred chef Philipp Vogel. In an Art Nouveau building that once hosted cabaret shows, the hotel’s 41 rooms feature warm reds and golds, oak floors, hand-knotted rugs and supremely comfortable beds, and come with free tickets to the jazz and classical concerts held in the top-floor salon.

Doubles from €200, B&B
orania.berlin

Check Availability
Check Availability

Best for history: Hotel Adlon Kempinski

Neighbourhood: Unter den Linden, Mitte

The regal staircase at the Hotel Adlon Kempinski (Hotel Adlon Kempinski)
The regal staircase at the Hotel Adlon Kempinski (Hotel Adlon Kempinski)

Overlooking the Brandenburg Gate, this grande dame has been a favourite of many: from Albert Einstein to a baby-dangling Michael Jackson. Opened in 1907, the hotel survived the Second World War, only to be accidentally torched by Soviet soldiers raiding the wine cellar. Rebuilt in 1997, the current incarnation features a two-Michelin-starred restaurant, three-level spa and 385 rooms decorated in elegant style – think rich silks and mahogany furniture. Major sights such as the Reichstag building and the Holocaust Memorial are only a short stroll away.

Doubles from €290, room only
kempinski.com

Check Availability
Check Availability

Best for budget: Motel One Berlin-Alexanderplatz

Neighbourhood: Alexanderplatz, Mitte

Short on change? The Motel One Berlin-Alexanderplatz is an ideal choice for the Berlin-bound (Motel One Berlin-Alexanderplatz)
Short on change? The Motel One Berlin-Alexanderplatz is an ideal choice for the Berlin-bound (Motel One Berlin-Alexanderplatz)

Making its debut in December 2017, this 708-room hotel is the 10th Berlin outpost from the design-led German chain. Located in the city centre, close to the main train station, the buzzy lobby-lounge channels Berlin’s creative vibe with street art murals and colourful Moroso armchairs. Rooms are cosy and comfortable, with double or queen beds dressed in Egyptian cotton linen and tech that includes rain showers. Sign up for the hotel loyalty programme and score a free breakfast and late check-out on Sundays.

Double rooms from €89, room only
motel-one.com

Check Availability
Check Availability

Best for modern luxury: SO Berlin Das Stue

Neighbourhood: Tiergarten

The sprawling Stue suites have freestanding silver tubs for the ultimate in relaxation (SO Berlin Das Stue)
The sprawling Stue suites have freestanding silver tubs for the ultimate in relaxation (SO Berlin Das Stue)

On the edge of the leafy Tiergarten – the Berlin equivalent of London's Hyde Park – this 78-room hotel was once home to the Danish embassy in the city centre. Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola’s playful, public spaces mix animal sculptures with colourful bespoke furnishings and black-and-white fashion photography. Rooms come with high ceilings, Arne Jacobsen Egg chairs and high-end entertainment systems, while sprawling Stue suites have freestanding silver tubs. Downstairs, there is a Michelin-starred restaurant by Catalan chef Paco Pérez and a Susanne Kaufmann spa with botanical-based treatments.

Double rooms from €240, B&B
das-stue.com

Check Availability
Check Availability

Best for shopping: 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin

Neighbourhood: Charlottenburg

After a day of retail therapy, take a load off in the hammocks at 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin (Stephan Lemke)
After a day of retail therapy, take a load off in the hammocks at 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin (Stephan Lemke)

A 10-minute walk from the Kurfürstendamm shopping strip and adjacent to the hip Bikini Mall, this 149-room hotel is perfectly placed for a little retail therapy. A lobby lounge strung with hammocks and bikes suspended from the ceiling create a funky vibe – rounded out by a buzzy rooftop bar, ninth-floor sauna with views of the Berlin Zoo’s ape enclosure, and free MINI Coopers to borrow. Choose from Urban rooms overlooking the bomb-shattered Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, or Jungle rooms facing the zoo and Tiergarten park.

Doubles from €140, room only
25hours-hotels.com

Check Availability
Check Availability

Best for romance: Provocateur

Neighbourhood: Wilmersdorf

Provocateur is the perfect destination for a romantic weekend away (Provocateur)
Provocateur is the perfect destination for a romantic weekend away (Provocateur)

A five-minute stroll from Ku’Damm, Provocateur is the kind of hotel where you order a bottle of champagne and hang the ‘do not disturb’ sign. Opened in January 2017, the 58 rooms are shamelessly sensual, with lipstick-red or rich teal hues, plush velvet and a bedside switch that dims the lights, plays sultry tunes and beams sexy video art on the wall. You may never feel the urge to leave – though there’s an equally seductive cocktail bar and acclaimed French-Chinese restaurant downstairs.

Double rooms from €119, room only
provocateur-hotel.com

Check Availability
Check Availability

Best for wellness: Hotel de Rome

Neighbourhood: Bebelplatz, Berlin Mitte

After pounding pavements, relax in the extensive spa at Hotel de Rome (Hotel de Rome)
After pounding pavements, relax in the extensive spa at Hotel de Rome (Hotel de Rome)

A stone’s throw from the State Opera house, this Rocco Forte hotel is housed in a 19th-century former bank. The old vault has been converted into an 8,600-square-foot subterranean spa where you can splash in a gold mosaic-tiled pool, schedule a shiatsu massage and hit up the Finnish sauna. Most of the 145 rooms are chic and contemporary, with king-size beds and huge bathrooms, while four historic suites feature wood panelling, parquet floors and the odd bit of Second World War shrapnel damage.

Doubles from €280, room only
roccofortehotels.com

Check Availability
Check Availability

Best for old-school glamour: Hotel Zoo

Neighbourhood: Charlottenburg

The dramatic reception area at Hotel Zoo (Hotel Zoo)
The dramatic reception area at Hotel Zoo (Hotel Zoo)

Originally opened in 1911, in a prime location on Ku’Damm, Hotel Zoo became the official hotel for the Berlin International Film Festival in the 1950s, welcoming stars like Grace Kelly and Sophia Loren. Renovated in 2014 by Hollywood designers Dayna Lee and Ted Berner, the 144-room hotel marries contemporary whimsy with old-school flair. Rooms have high ceilings, hardwood floors, glass-walled rain showers and plush Maison Martin Margiela towels, while the see-and-be-seen Grace Bar offers top-notch cocktails and DJs on the weekend.

Double rooms from €190, room only
hotelzoo.de

Check Availability
Check Availability

Best for architecture: Hotel Oderberger

Neighbourhood: Prenzlauer Berg

The 65-foot-long indoor pool is the ultimate aquatic luxury (Martin Nicholas Kunz/Hotel Oderberger)
The 65-foot-long indoor pool is the ultimate aquatic luxury (Martin Nicholas Kunz/Hotel Oderberger)

Formerly a 19th-century public bathhouse, this neo-Renaissance building was transformed into a 75-room boutique hotel in 2016. Original features, such as tiles and doors, are layered with modern furniture and contemporary art; old bathing cabins have been turned into bedrooms, while the former boiler room is now a modern German restaurant with 50-foot ceilings. But the hotel’s most striking feature is undoubtedly the 65-foot-long indoor pool in a cathedral-like hall. After a dip, wander down to Mauerpark for the Sunday market and open-air karaoke.

Doubles from €140, B&B
hotel-oderberger.berlin

Check Availability
Check Availability

Best for families: Brilliant Apartments

Neighbourhood: Prenzlauer Berg

Mid-century style at Brilliant Apartments (Courtesy Brilliant Apartments)
Mid-century style at Brilliant Apartments (Courtesy Brilliant Apartments)

In a 19th-century townhouse on one of Berlin’s most beautiful café-lined streets, these 14 apartments mix style (mid-century furniture, eclectic wallpaper) and practicality (good-sized kitchens, washing machines). Ranging from studios to two-bedroom pads, some have balconies, baths and extra beds, and there’s a quiet courtyard out back. Walk to Mauerpark and MACHMit! Museum for Children, while Mount Mitte’s ropes course and the Natural History Museum are a short tram-ride away. For older kids, the Berlin Wall Memorial is 15 minutes on foot.

One-bed apartments from €109
brilliant-apartments.de

Best for boho vibes: Lulu Guldsmeden

Neighbourhood: Tiergarten

Lulu Guldsmeden has a swing in the loft (Courtesy Guldsmeden Hotels)
Lulu Guldsmeden has a swing in the loft (Courtesy Guldsmeden Hotels)

Part of a quirky Danish chain, this 81-room hotel on lively Potsdamer Strasse is big on laidback charm. High ceilinged-rooms blend sleek Scandi style with bright Balinese accents; most come with four-poster beds, but it's worth paying for the extra space of a suite or a loft (complete with your own swing). Downstairs, there’s a moodily lit bar and restaurant serving Nordic-inspired organic cuisine, and a plant-filled courtyard. Rent a bike to explore the city, or stroll five minutes to the nearest U-Bahn station.

Doubles from €90, room only
guldsmedenhotels.com/berlin

Best for foodies: The Mandala Hotel

Neighbourhood: Potsdamer Platz

Mandala has a two Michelin star restaurant (Courtesy Design Hotels)
Mandala has a two Michelin star restaurant (Courtesy Design Hotels)

For a high-end treat, check into The Mandala on Potsdamer Platz. It has everything you want in a five-star hotel: sleek and stylish rooms, a serious spa and a celebrated restaurant. Overlooking a bamboo garden on the fifth floor, the vibe at two Michelin-starred Restaurant Facil is upscale but relaxed, with artfully plated dishes like mullet in beurre blanc and venison with pickled pumpkin. It’s a 15-minute walk to the Brandenburg Gate, while KaDaWe’s upmarket food hall is four stops on the U-Bahn.

Doubles from €136, room only
themandala.de/en