Berlin Hotel Advice
 

I am debating between the Brandenberger Hof, Melia Mitte, Westin Grand, or Savoy Hotel.

If anyone has been to Berlin recently which would you recommend among the four?

Thanks,

I have only stayed at Melia ( in July) and liked it a lot. We have booked it again for Sept. I think it is cheaper than the other hotels on your list.

of the hotels you list Brandenb<b>u</b>rger Hof is arguably the best hotel. It is in a nice off-Ku'damm location in the centre of West Berlin. It offers a remarkably good restaurant.

The Savoy is the other West-Berlin based hotel among your choices and I would rank it behind Brandenburger Hof - especially on location. While not bad, the Brandenburger Hof's location in a slightly upscale leafy side street appeals more to me than the Savoy's on busy Kantstr.

The Melia and the Westin are just a few blocks apart on Friedrichstr. with the Melia being much newer than the Westin (which dates back to late GDR times, but has been renovated since). It may not be one of the best Westins around, but is closer to lovely Gendarmenmarkt, albeit being so close to the Melia that's not such a deciding factor. The Melia is modern and usually gets rave reviews here, although I would prefer other choices in that price bracket. If it were cheaper than the Westin, I'd probably prefer it over the Westin.

Out of your choices, a lot would depend on whether you want to stay in West Berlin or East Berlin. In the West, my preference would be the Brandenburger Hof, in the East, it's a toss-up between the Melia and the Westin, with possibly the Melia having an edge.

Thank you ever so much for your most detailed informative response..much appreciated as need to make decision. As a first time Berlin visitor tho very seasoned traveler, would you recommend being in west or east Berlin?
Again Thanks so much

I liked the east ;Melia's location - walking distance to so many sights ( and U-bahn and S-Bahn next door) is one of the major reasons we are going back ( and the price is great).
Ku'damm in the centre of West Berlin did not do much for me .

These hotels belong to totally different classes.

The Melia is a soulless 3-star chain hotel.

The Brandenburger Hof is a 5-star boutique hotel with lots of atmosphere. It is the favourite of many travellers (I do not go there because it has no pool).

The Westin Grand is the former Grand Hotel. It was the pride of the German Democratic Republic which accomodated heads of state and other high-rank visitors in this hotel. It still has some GDR-nostalgic charm. 4.5 stars.

Sorry, have never stayed at the Savoy.

travelsusan,

Berlin is a sprawling city with dozens of neighborhoods and, in my opinion, no true center. It is more than just east and west. It might pay off to familiarize yourself with the main neighborhoods where you are considering staying. Check out this old thread for some overview:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-of-berlin.cfm

There will be lots of opinions on which neighborhood, so it will come down to what you personally prefer.

"Melia is a soulless 3-star chain hotel."

Not true.
Melia is a 4 star hotel right on the river with ( from some rooms) a lovely view. I don't look for a "soul" in a hotel just for several nights - good location, close to transport, good service and a comfortable room will do.
In the city that has so much to offer, the number of bars, restaurants and exercise rooms IN the hotel is not of any interest to me .
The cost does matter to some travelers.

Meliá Berlin - 4-Sterne-Hotel in Berlin.

Das Meliá Berlin ist ein 4-Sterne-Hotel mitten im Herzen der Berlin und am Ufer der Spree gelegen. Information, Lageplan, Buchung und Fotos.
www.meliaberlin.com/ - Germany - Cached - Similar


Even if one does not like the hotel, no need to fib about it.

Danon, I do not understand why you are so offensive.

National hotel rating systems are not entirely trustworthy. The German star rating system is made by DEHOGA, the German hotel business association. German star ratings are generally one star highy than independent international rating systems.

I personally find the rating sytem of Hotwire quite convincing. According to this system, 3 stars are typical for Holiday Inn, Radisson, DoubleTree. Melia falls exactly in this category.

According to Hotwire, Leading Hotels of the World and Preferred are in the 5-star category. This is the category of the Brandenburger Hof.

4.5 stars is a little lower, and this is appropriate for the Westin Grand, just because the rooms are on the small side.

It is not the case that I do not like the Melia. If you are on a budget and if you want a hotel just for sleeping, the Melia might be a good choice, because the location is o.k. and it is an American-style hotel in Berlin and it often offers good rates (have you ever thought why?).

I want to give the best advice to OP. And the other mentioned hotels are just in a higher category. I quote what Hotwire says:

* Elegantly-furnished guestrooms
* VIP amenities
* Award-winning dining
* Stylish cocktail lounge
* A high staff-to-guest ratio
* Other unique touches found only at the finest hotels

That is certainly true for the Brandenburger Hof and, with some restrictions (smallish rooms), for the Westin Grand.

I am not familiar with DEHOGA, but Hotwire? - a discount hotel booking outfit that does not even provide the name of the hotel before you pay?
Does then Radisson Blue in Berlin falls in the same category?

Although I don't care for location, Brandenburger Hof is by far more elegant hotel, but it is also double the price of Melia . ( Melia is a Spanish chain - not American)
We travel to Europe 2-3 times a year ( from Canada) and stay 10-15 day each time on our dime i.e. not payed by a company.
We are not budget travelers, but paying 250-300 euros a night plus transportation, etc, is just not feasible.
As much as one would like to fly first class and stay at the Ritz , I suspect the average person on Fodors is not in that category.

Of the hotels you mentioned, I have only stayed at the Westin Grand. The hotel itself was beautiful and in excellent condition. My room was a nice size and lovely too. I usually eat a large breakfast when traveling, and their breakfast buffet had great variety. I especially enjoyed the wonderful location -- walking distance from the Brandenberg Gate, Reichstag, Gendarmentmarkt, shopping on Friedrichstrasse, etc. I would definitely stay there again.

This is Thingorjus. I have been posting on this travel board for 10+ years..

I am quoted in multiple Fodor's Guides.

And one thing that I have noticed is that Echnaton, for whatever reason, posts fallacies on this travel site.

The Melia is a 4-star hotel. It is BRAND NEW. The bathrooms have heated floors. There is a flat-screen TV and refridgerator in every room. The rooms are spacious and there is PLENTY of closet space.

The hotel is right on the Spree and down the road from Museum Island. The Friedrichstrasse Bahnhof is across the street. You can easily walk to the Brandenburg Gate, Gendarmarkt, Potsdamer Platz, and Reichstag Building from the hotel.

What is not to like about this hotel? I really can't understand why Echnaton takes people to task for choosing this hotel.

It boarders on psychosis.

Thin

ROFL!!

Just read the part about the Sol Melia being an American-style chain!!!!!!!!!!!

Everyone knows that Melia is a Spanish chain. The hotel's restaurant serves Spanish food. There is nothing remotely American about the chain.

ROFL!!

You should have your own comedy show, Echnaton.

Thin

We are fairly particular when choosing a hotel and quite enjoyed our four night stay at the Melia. Our room was large, very fresh and appealing in decor and had a wonderful bath with both a large tub and walk in shower. We upgraded to the Level and enjoyed the extra services that provided. Location was excellent and staff professional and helpful.

I have also stayed at the Westin Grand and liked it but have booked the Melia again for my return trip this year. I appreciate value for my money and the Melia delivers this with a splash of style.

Thanks so much for all your replies...much appreciated as make a decision

The ME is a great hotel - perfect location if you want shopping, sightseeing and a real feel for the busy Mitte district - Westin Grand if you want high luxury (but surprisingly well priced for a 5* - Brandenburger Hof is beautiful, boutique, intimate service & FANTASTIC breakfast - and the Savoy I dont know. These are all good.. http://en.escapio.com/germany-berlin-mitte-hotels trust me!

NONE of them! Stay at the Grand Hyatt on Potsdammer Platz...closer to everything worth being close to IMO..now, have fun with all this. BTW..have you LOOKED at the reviews on TA about any of these hotels and BTW...why did you pick these in the first place? Might be helpful to know that rather than wondering what your priorities are.

The Potsdamer Platz is very sterile. There is nothing wrong with it, but the GH is situated amongst Dunkin' Donuts, Subway, and a shopping mall. It is great for the U-bahn connections, however.

I don't agree that the GH is any closer to the Brandenburger Tor or the Reichstag Building than the Melia.

The Melia is certainly closer to Museum Island.



Thin

I don't know Hyatt, but Postdammer Plaz would not be my choice of the location .

We had originally booked the Hyatt at Potsdamer Platz before switching to the Melia. When we visited the Sony Center and walked the area, we were very happy we had chosen the Melia.

Thin uses the word "sterile" to describe the area and I agree. It has a more business feel to it and the streets were really quiet at night, even in Advent season. We very much enjoyed the interesting areas around the Melia as well as the energy of the streets at all times of the day and well into the evening.

Well, the great thing about the Melia is that if you walk along the Spree next to the hotel and wander over the bridge behind the Bode Museum, you can easily explore the Prenzlauer Berg area which is much more interesting than the Potsdamer Platz.

Thin

Just wanted to let you know, did stay at the Westin Grand. The location was fabulous. When walked to find a place to eat there was the Brandenberger Gate and the lovely main street. Just a little further was the Reichstag. Not a lot of ambiance but a great location.