A friend plans to spend a few days in Berlin in mid-March and is looking for inexpensive (up to 120€ per night/single) digs in Berlin. He prefers modern/stylish/trendy to "Old World" or classic. Something like the Style Hotel in Vienna (but cheaper). Any suggestions? Something a little above that price range is fine as he might be able to dig up some special rates for his travel dates, once he knows where to start looking. He's a journalist/actor so would love someplace in a vibrant, artsy neighborhood.
Thanks!

You can often get the Radisson SAS for EUR 120.00.
I keep recommending the place here anyway, as I think it is really good value.
But in this case it might also just fit the bill of your friend. The decor is modern, yet not sterile (apart from the lobby - but at least that gains some attraction from the huge cylindrical aquarium).
Rooms are stylish, there are LCD TVs in every room and the bathroom/WC separation is innovative.
There is a reasonably nice wellness area in the basement, although their pool is too small for the size of the hotel.
The location in Mitte is brilliant IMHO. Hackesche Hoefe is jsut a short walk away. Museum island is a mere 5 minutes stroll. As is the beginning of Unter den Linden.
And incidentally the Style Hotel in Vienna is under Radisson SAS (Rezidor) management, too.

In the western part of Berlin it might be worth looking into Hotel Bleibtreu or Hotel Casa. Both are just off Ku'damm. I have not stayed at either but friends thought both were rather nice, although the Bleibtreu's interior might be a bit IKEA-ish.

http://www.berlin.radissonsas.com/cs.../useSeo--true/

http://www.hotel-casa.de/

http://www.bleibtreu.com/eng/index.htm

Thanks! Alas, the Radisson isn't available for less than 160€ per night for his dates and that's a bit out of his budget. I'll check into your other recs.
The Hotel Berlin is available for 96€ per night...any thoughts on that one?

BTilke,

I stayed in the Grand Espalande last May for US$125 (breakfast included). It was a little worn, but the rooms were very big, artsy, and there is a great bar and restaurant on the property. I would stay again. The Bus #100 stops across the street and is handy to most of the sights in Berlin.

Good luck.

You might also want to take a look at the Arcotel Velvet, part of an Austrian chain and located in Mitte, too, but on the slightly more bohemian Oranienburger Str.

http://at.arcotel.at/document.asp?id=1249

Alternatively, the Moevenpick near Potsdamer Platz usually gets good reviews, although I am not so sure whether I really like its location. It should be rather modern, too.

http://www.moevenpick-hotels.com/hot...cultureLang=en

The highly acclaimed Mandala Hotel right on Potsdamer Platz would offer modern surroundings and ambiance, too and could be available for EUR 120 - 130 if you are looking at weekend dates.
Its sister property on Friedrichstr. is usually slightly cheaper, but also reported as not as upscale as the Potsdamer Platz sibling.

http://www.themandala.de/index_en.htm

The Hotel Berlin is the former Hotel Clarion Berlin (which before being branded as a Clarion about 4 years ago was the Hotel Berlin again).

It is located on Luetzowplatz, opposite the CDU headquarters and in the neighbourhood of the Berlin office of KPMG, if I recall correctly, in a stretch of West Berlin, not far from Potsdamer Platz.

While this might sound central, I don't care for the location. It's a busy corner, but if you rely on public transport there are only buses in the near vicinity.
I don't know the hotel itself (all I know is that the former Hotel Berlin had insolvency issues before being renovated and becoming a Clarion. Why Clarion have abandoned the property or whether they might have been ousted, I don't know.).

Frankly I would opt for something else, if budget allows.

To be honest, I do not care for

MY wife and I stayed at Pension Peters- it probably has a web site. We had a large room with bath at a reasonable cost. Check it out.

HSV - you OK? It looks like something got stuck in your keyboard.

BTilke- just googled the Pension Peters site and they have a nice one. Check it out- I think it is what you are looking for in neighborhood and price...

Just to clarify my last post in light of the preference for a vibrant/artsy neighbourhood (which I had forgotten a bit): Out of the three, the Arcotel would be a better choice than the Potsdamer Platz area hotels of Mandala and Moevenpick.

In the West the area around Savignyplatz is indeed quite nice. I do not know Pension Peters suggested by oberost. The Casa and the Bleibtreu would be within walking distance, too, though.

In the East, Prenzlauer Berg or even Friedrichshain might be appealing (although the latter is rather rough in its charme). Unfortunately, no hotels meeting your criteria presently come to my mind.