Hi Dax,

Sorry for the late reply. Like a lot of other hotel chains, Sol Melia lets you build up "points" by becoming a member. And even without points, you get a few perks (like one free breakfast if you bring a guest -- it's a business hotel). You can register without even booking and automatically get 3000 points or something. I assume after my Berlin stay I will get more points, and at some point, I can upgrade to a suite for the cost of a standard, get a free night, etc.

fall06,

even if the reduced rate is not available, you might consider to check the website (available in English language) of

http://www.hrs.de

I have regularly noticed the Sol Media to be offered at EUR 100.-. That would still be substantial savings.

Today I got an email that Sol Melia is giving away 1000 free hotel rooms in Berlin until October 15. So take a look again.

Thanks, I got the same e-mail. It's a contest, and you can only win one night at a time, and I need 3.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions. We are going to stick to our reservation even though it sounds crazy since we probably could cancel and rebook at a lower rate. We just hate screwups and complications with our hotel reservations on business trips.

Although it looks like we'll be swimming in a sea of empty room at the Berlin Melia (or else with a crowd of 1,000 winners)!

Updating for Melia Berlin:

It's a great hotel in terms of location, service and quality. It is a couple of blocks away from the museum island (Pergamon, Bode,Dom etc). Jewish temple (Oranienburgstr), Unter den Linden and a block away from Friedrichstr train station.

I was fortunate to be upgraded to the largest executive room in the "Level" floor. The humongous room is shaped like a fan overlooking the river, Reichstag glass dome & Friedrichstrasse. The club level staff is so great and extremely attentive, vey well trained and well staffed throughout the day. They constantly mulled around asking if I need something else every few minutes or if everything is to my liking when I'm in the lounge. Ground floor staff was just average from reception to concierge, a bit stressed from the hotel high volume of guests. I'm glad I was upgraded where the staff was calm & cheerful. Breakfast buffet was just OK but I can't complain since their super large club lounge (3 separate sections) is open till 10:30 at night supplying dessert,fruits,drinks,wine & beers all day. They have a great cigar & brandy/cognac room where many guests gather in the evenings. Nice cuban cigar selection within a wide price range. It's a nice place to meet other guests from all over the world.

Hi,

I wanted to mention that my standard room also had a view clear to the Reichstag Dome, as well as full view of the Spree, and I found the breakfast buffet terrific, and I'm not pushover when it comes to breakfasts. Part of my affection for the buffet was its wide selection of Spanish meats, smoked fish, olives and cheeses, which made up for the blandness of the German food I was otherwise eating the rest of the day. There was also a line cook willing to cook up fresh omelets. There were wonderful Spanish jams and honeys, and many different types of bread. There were also steam tables with hot sausages, potatoes, scrambled eggs, etc. and a very wide selecion of yoghurts (not in tubs), cereals, fruit salads and whole fruits.

The cost was 20e, but if you sign up online to be a MAS member, you can take a guest to breakfast for free. Thus, for the two of us, the breakfast worked 10e per person.

In addition to being within walking distance of major museums, the hotel is located adjacent to both the Berliner Ensemble and the cabaret theater of the Admiralspalast. Energetic walkers can make it to major historic "market" districts of Berlin.

fall06:
Glad you had a good experience. I really enjoyed the hotel location. Friedrichstrasse is a theatre row which continues with more venues north of the hotel including the Friedrichstadtpalast. I was planning to see the play at the Distel theatre nextdoor to the Admiral Palast but never could get out of dinner on time every single night.

It's only right that your 20 euro breakfast buffet was much better than what I got for free. As the adage says "You get what you pay for". We certainly didn't have any line cook making omelets. Still, we did get everything else you mentioned but with smaller selections (3-4 bland kinds in each category).

I owe a big Thanks to you & Willtravel for the 73 euro rate. The Mirchi restaurant looked very attractive but unfortunately I don't like curry so I ended up eating at the Lutter & Wegner on Oranienburgstr across the street. Had a great talk with the sommelier at the L&W who directed me to the right wine shops in Berlin Mitte. There is another successful dirt cheap Indian restaurant next to Friedrichstadpalast.

DAX, I'm glad to hear you had a good time at the Melia Berlin. I checked the rates for a possible stay next August, and saw a fully cancellable rate of 70 Euros per night, all-in. That is excellent, I think, for such a nice, well-located hotel.

WillTravel.

If the booking is cancellable at that rate, why not grab it now?

If you do stay at the Melia, the best meal I had in the neighborhood was at Ganymede, right across the river, practically in front of the Berliner Ensemble's theater. I didn't care for my meal of wiener schnitzel at Lutter&Wegner, but that is because it was my first wiener schnitzel and I guess I just don't like the dish. I tried their appetizer sampler and only liked about half of it. Worst of all, however, it took FOREVER for my food to arrive, and it was just annoying, since the place was not packed.

I'm sorry I didn't know about that Indian restaurant nearby. Near the end of our stay, some German friends offered to take us to dinner, and I actually requested Indian food. I think I sort of threw them, because they ended up taking us to a place in the western part of the city they themselves had never been to before. They must have asked other peope for a recommendation. They paid for the taxi - and I'm afraid the food wasn't that good.

Still, it gave me a chance to see something of western Berlin, and should I go back to Berlin, I would like to see more of it. Seeing both halves is quite interesting.

By the way, when I was walking back late at night along the banks of the Spree toward the hotel, I saw a fox trotting along a Berlin sidewalk! So much of Berlin is either parks or undeveloped empty lots, I guess it makes a passable habitat.