In a city the size of Berlin, Paris,London, Moscow etc
using Google will t give you a great deal on information, but not the personal view of traveler( here) who stayed in a place and may ( ot not ) share your preferences.

danon,

No disagreement at all.
That's why I hardly ever recommend hotels.
But only comment on location, accessibility, etc.
As long as you know what you want, there are usually more than enough choices in all categories - from quirky boutique to well-established major chains.

Anyway, the hippest place in town still is Soho House.
And you cannot stay there unless they accept you as a member. But then you can hope for a swim with George Clooney or Brad Pitt - well, not always :-)

thanks for the tip..lol
I am soooo not hip enough for the hotel and PB.

Das Stue would be my money no object pick...

<i>Das Stue would be my money no object pick...</i>

Holy smokes that's a lovely building. Bookmarking for someday/some way.

The aforementioned Soho House looks fab too - all eau de nil and freestanding baths!

Das Stue and Soho House are fine examples of what I call "stand-alone" accomodations.
They are both very fine places to stay - assuming it of the Stue, and knowing it of Soho House.
But the immediate neighborhood is a bit weird in both cases.

Das Stue is an outlier in the corner of Berlin's central park and the Zoo - nothing around but the nice Cafe am Neuen See.
It's perfect for people who want a getaway style accomodation and do not mind to take a taxi every time they want to go elsewhere (not even a bus stop nearby).

Soho House is located right on a ghastly major intersection, not far from Alexanderplatz.
The House features also a eatery/concept store/fusion whatsoever on the ground floor which is also accessible for non-members.
Interestingly, the bars and restaurants in the House (i.e. members-only area) are not even excessively expensive. They know how to mix cocktails and longdrinks - and the usual suspects like G&T or Mojito cost around €12.
And, no, I am not hip enough to be a member (well, I would be but I don't want to pay the fee), but a good friend of mine is. So I get inside as her guest.

Not too far away, you have the Grand Berlin - a pretty fab restaurant/bar/club. Which also follows the "chic in ruins" mantra of Mitte.

In fact, since few of the recent newcomers of fab accomodations and eateries can live without an added twist or narrative, it makes the Holiday Inn the true non-conformist's first choice. Just kidding.

Well, now that I no longer have use of a friend's appartment in Berlin, I stay in 5* hotels, because Berlin is the only place where I can afford to.Mind you, given the current £-€ exchange rate, this may change :(.
I don't know for sure, but I think that das Stue and Bikini 25 are far more expensive than the Hilton and Radisson Blu.

For a really cool hotel in Berlin check out this one:

http://www.propeller-island.de/english/2/5/

Click on EOOMS.

Some boutique hotels:

http://www.hotel-q.com/en/#/the-hotel.html

https://www.dormero.de/en/hotel-berlin-kudamm/

IMO the best hotel in Berlin, also boutique-style, is this one:

https://www.roccofortehotels.com/hot...hotel-de-rome/

However expensive.

Thank you everyone for very helpful feedback. I will respond more in depth later as I have much to say.

So based on Cowboy's comments, the Waldorf is a no. Adina was booked. I am leaning towards Hilton(500e+) over the courtyard mitte (334e) Prices are for 2 rooms. The block walk to Gendarmarket from Courtyard Mitte is fine, but how does the Hilton compare to Courtyard Mitte on proximity of public transport (We will arrive and depart from the main train station and will do a side trip to Potsdam)? Also, are both locations good for bicycling?

We only have 3 days in Berlin so saving time by being in close proximity to the sights and the train station is a plus.

I am a bit puzzled by the rates. Must be a busy week in Berlin, usually hotel rates are lower.

I would not rule out the Waldorf Astoria. It is a brand new luxury hotel, right in center of West-Berlin. There are some sights in close proximity, especially the Gedächtsniskirche. Bahnhof Zoo is just across the street, which is a major hub for public transport. E.g. the S-Bahn to Mitte takes just 8 minutes, and it runs every few minutes. From a public transport view, this is an excellent location.

Also, the famous shopping street Ku'damm right in front of the hotel, many restaurants and bars nearby.

If the rate is good I see no reason why not taking it.

Second, the Courtyard. This is a lower class hotel, and rates are accordingly. The direct surroundings are bland. Walking distance to the Gendarmenmarkt is 1 km, that is quite a bit. There is a U-Bahn station about 400 meters from the Courtyard, but it is just one line, so for most destinations, you will have to change trains.

Thirdly, the Hilton. It is a nice business hotel with a pool right on the Gendarmenmarkt, with a U-Bahn station directly at the front door. When I stayed there last time, the rooms had been modernized. They say "best location in town" and this is certainly true. Shopping, restaurants, major attractions, everything is nearby; and the Gendarmenmarkt is Berlin's most beautiful square (however, only a fraction of the hotel rooms have a view of the square and they charge higher rates for these rooms). Excellent executive floor with a complimentary full-stocked bar and small meals.

Agree with traveler...

Traveller-the rate for Courtyard is 167e per room per night and we need 2 rooms hence 334e/nt friends and family discount and Waldorf is 575e for two connecting rooms per night which includes breakfast, wifi, 85e food, bev or spa credit, upgrade if avail, early/late check in/out.

Your recs of Hilton Gendarmenmarkt and Marriott Potsdamer are about the same price as Waldorf, but sounds like better location for walking to some sights on our list.

Was I WRONG about the Platzl location, Baby? Trust me: you will enjoy being near Potsdamer Platz. GO for it!

Hilton is in a better location than Marriott, IMO..

I can't get the maritim proarte website to switch to English so I can ck availability. Any tips? I am oot and using my cell. I select English at the bottom of the page
And nothing changes

take a look at Melia...a few minutes north of mp and much nicer

>> I can't get the maritim proarte website <<

Why don't you use a booking engine like tripadvisor or www.hrs.com? Then a list of available hotels will be displayed with rates.

The Maritim Proarte has a pool and is located very close to Friedrichstraße station, so has excellent public transport connections. Across the street, there is the Eurostars Hotel which might also be an option for you.

This is why I always suggest booking.com You can compare prices in any currency, see all hotels by their position on a map, see rates specific to your travel dates and available rooms - all on the same page. Tons of photos of each hotel plus customer reviews, ordered by most recent with scores for value, housekeeping, facilities etc

Ps Booking.com also has an app which is easier to use than the desktop site on a mobile device.