Berlin - Where to stay and what to do
 

My friend and I are going to Berlin in a few weeks for 3 days (she gets there on a Fri morning and I join her on the Friday night). I will be getting a train from Frankfurt and was wondering where is the best area to stay in to be based near the major sites...any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks!

My sister and I stayed in the Agon Opera on the Kurfurstendamm in December. It is a 2* basic hotel but was excellent value for money, We paid E80 bed and breakfast for 2 people. The room was huge with large double glaced windows the full length of the room overlooking the Kurfurstendamm. Perhapes not the most central location but Berlin is a very big city. There was a bus stop just outside the hotel and it took us to all the major attractions. Make sure you get a Welcome to Berlin ticket which is available at the airport or newsagents/tobaconists.

Loved Berlin and have a good trip

Priceline often provides great deals if you are willing to take a little risk. Two popular, well-located hotels that often turn up cheaply are the Westin Grand and the Marriott. (I was very happy with the location and convenience of the Westin.) See betterbidding.com .

If I could choose anywhere, I would personally like to stay at the Radisson SAS by Museum Island. That's an excellent location and it looks like a beautiful, new hotel.

For other deals, look at these sites:
http://www.hrs.de
http://www.hotels.de

Believe me, you do NOT have to stay in Mitte (which is where a LOT of people will tell you that you "have" to stay) to have the "major sites" be accessible. The city has one of the very best and most comprehensive U-Bahn/S-Bahn networks anywhere.

I have yet to see a "LOT" of people, or anyone for that matter, claiming it's a necessity to stay in Mitte. I did find it very convenient, however.

Intrepid1, spot on. Within reason, make sure your hetel is near a railway station (U-Bahnhof or S-Banhof). Get a day ticket for the public transport system and you can reach anywhere in Berlin in about half an hour or less. Having said that, I stayed at the Westin Grand and if you can get a deal that fits your budget, go for it