DAX, I'm sure my daughter will enjoy the alternative scene. Where did you end up staying in Berlin this time?

When I went to Hamburg on a home exchange, it is remembered for the funniest thing I ever forgot to pack:

No underpants! I made a quick trip to some department store and wandered around looking for the requisite item because I did not know the German word for it. I found some and learned the German word (slip, slippen [plural]}.

Hamburg is a wonderful town with lots to do. You can go out to Wedel on public transportation and watch the boats go up and down the Elbe. When one comes and goes, the national anthem for its country is played (on tape, on tape). There is a restaurant there where you can watch the show and have lunch at the same time.

Will Travel: We stayed mostly at the Marriott last week. Our rooms came with breakfast and a 3 course dinner of our choice for each of us every night. It was a great package as we could have easily consumed more than what we paid for our rooms every night considering the food ranged up to 62 euro per dish.

We moved to the Swissotel towards the end to get a better access to West Berlin. It was a downgrade after the Marriott but we enjoyed the different location. I can appreciate the subtle conveniences of West Berlin. It's one of the best Berlin experience for our family trip. My son just reached the legal drinking age of 16 so he enjoyed being served wine and beer in restaurants without even being carded. The only disappointment was spending the better part of a day exploring Kreuzberg and not finding anything interesting.

I assume you're you leaving for Hamburg & Copenhagen soon. We also enjoyed exploring Copenhagen in the past. I'm sure you are familiar with the easy access to Malmo in Sweden by the Oresund bridge train.

We're not leaving until August - and we're going to Amsterdam, Bucharest, Cologne, Hamburg, Copenhagen, and Berlin (plus any daytrips we might make). Bucharest might seem like an odd choice, but we were lucky enough to get the NWA/KLM mistake fare from Vancouver to Bucharest (via a stopover in Amsterdam) that was posted on Flyertalk, so the flight price is very cheap.

I was interested to hear about the Marriott. I wondered how you liked the Potsdamer Platz location. Because the I've had some flight adjustments already, I'm reluctant to prepay for accommodation in case our schedule changes, so my Berlin hotel choice and hotel location is still open. I was considering a non-Mitte choice this time, though

I'd be interested to read a report on how you like Bucharest later. What kind of deal was discussed on flyer talk?

BERLIN:
We tend to prefer staying in Potsdamerplatz simply because it's in the middle. If you are interested in staying in West Berlin (old Berlin), I would recommend staying at the newer Concorde Hotel (French hotel chain) over the Swissotel. It's a better value & price. It's just across the street from Swissotel with better modern style bedrooms & public rooms. The staff gave me a tour of the rooms & facilities. The Vapiano Italian fast food rents space from the Concorde Hotel.

We like the Marriott room & bed, not to mention the staff is great. There is an S bahn entry right next to the Marriott. The U bahn station & Bus stop (148, 248, 200) are a short walk away. The Sony center & Arkade indoor mall with a giant Italian gelato outlet, Tiergarten, Holocaust Memorial are just a few steps away. Lots of restaurant choices in Pottsdamerplatz.

I second DAX's assessment of the Berlin Marriott. The new Revive beds are indeed comfortable, the hotel is still fairly new and is very quiet, whilst still being located in the thick of things. I have stayed there repeatedly, the last time just a few days ago.

It also sports a small pool, sauna and workout room in the lower basement, which might come in handy after a day of hitting the pavements.

Personally I like the Potsdamer Platz location. While it is still a bit artificial, it is becoming less so over time and I appreciate some of the modern architecture (apart from the Sony Center which I find a bit ostentatious).

Access to Mitte is almost immediate by foot, so I would rather consider it to be a Mitte location than not.

You can easily stroll to Reichstag, Brandenburger Tor and Gendarmenmarkt from the Marriott. The adjacent Tiergarten park is excellent for an early morning or evening run and, as DAX mentioned, a train station connecting you to U- and S-Bahn trains is only a few steps from the hotel, too. The S-Bahn gives you quick access to Friedrichstr. station and by U-Bahn you can either head west to the Zoo area or East to Stadtmitte and Alexanderplatz.

They often offer attractive weekend rates - and with hotel prices in Berlin apparently increasing also have become much more attractive during working days, too.

Another option in this category which I really like is the modernly designed Radisson SAS opposite Museum Island in Mitte, but it has become much harder to book at a reasonable price. With the EUR 195 they are now often asking it would be overpriced IMO.

BTW: DAX, I'd be interested where you got that package deal on the Marriott, which does indeed sound magnificent!

Just stumbled on this thread, and had no idea so much good Berlin info was here! I'd love to hear some details of your family's time in Berlin, DAX, as we are already scheduled for our repeat visit.

To bring this back to Hamburg, it might be in the cards for us this next time around. Lots of good info here.

hsv: Our package was called the family escape package which was available on their website. They removed the offer the day after I booked it but they told me that they are now offering it again at a higher price (90 euro more per room). We had all kinds of fish including exotic Australian fish dishes, kangaroo, ostrich, veal, liver (Berlin style), lobster and other seafood & steaks (12 kinds) at their Midtown restaurant. Their desserts were equally elaborate. If you ever try dining there, I would least recommend their plain boring steaks.

noe: To tell you the truth, we hit only one museum a day at the very most. We all have seen one too many museum/church throughout the years. We usually just enjoy life, eat & drink our way as we absorbed a foreign city. It's the simple comfortable places we found that made us contented besides spending time together as a family in Berlin which was our kids pick of all the cities in Europe.

As far as attractions, we spent over 3 hours at the Bode museum which we enjoyed merely because it had undergone some extensive renovation last year. The building now feels somewhat like the National Kunstmuseum in Vienna. We had wine, cake & latte and a long chat with some Swiss tourists at the museum cafe. The next day we went to Pergamon (been there in 1999) and the flea market on the museum island. Plenty of stops at wine stores, CD & bookstores, car showrooms while my wife & daughter hit the fashion stores. We attended service at the only catholic church in Berlin Mitte. My wife had never seen the Holocaust Memorial so we spent some time there even though the kids have seen it. We explored Prenzlauerberg & Kreuzberg, shopped at Ku'damm & Friedrichstrasse. We flew to Zurich to get together with my two siblings and their families after Berlin. We had just as much fun hanging out in Zurich.

Thanks, DAX for the Berlin report. It's interesting that your children would choose Berlin but after our week there, I can well see why. What an interesting, dynamic, yet comfortable city. Fabulous attractions, but also good street life, and a variety of restaurants and cafes. I'm glad to know that you were disappointed by Kreuzeberg, as we didn't get there and were curious.

Although I am an inveterate museum and church person (my undergraduate degree was in art history), my husband and daughters are much more interested in the sit and soak school of travel, so they are a moderating influence on me. Honestly, if you put my husband in a bookstore he will be happy for hours.

I'm assuming the church you attended was St. Hedwig on Bebelplatz? We were at services there for each of the two weekends we were in Berlin.

I'll be going back to Berlin for another week in September with my husband. The hotel rec.s on this thread will be useful. I did try to reserve the Radisson for this past trip, but it was booked. Does anyone have any experience with the Hilton? I really like the East, but suppose I should consider the West as well.

My 19 year old wants to spend a summer in Berlin with her 21 year old sister. We'll see if that comes to pass!

noe,

it's the elite of posters discussing things here ;-)

I guess the Hilton is alright, but there'd be other options I'd try first. Among them the Marriott on Potsdamer Platz.
If your budget allows it, the Grand Hyatt is fabulous - it is also located on Potsdamer Platz and sports a very elegant modern design, great bathrooms and a rooftop pool and spa with views of Western Berlin and Tiergarten.
Another option I look forward to trying is the brand new Hotel de Rome by Rocco Forte. It is only steps from Gendarmenmarkt bordering St. Hedwig church and the law faculty of Humboldt University on Unter den Linden. The last time in Berlin I only had drinks and an appetizer during a brief business meeting in their lobby, but I did indeed like what I saw. Well worth checking out. Room prices usually are around EUR 250.- I believe.

Another option would be the Mandala Hotel on Potsdamer Platz - an all suite hotel that just underwent (I don't know whether still ongoing) renovations and with which DAX in particular appears to have excellent experiences).

I also like the Aigner Restaurant on the ground floor of the Dorint Sofitel Gendarmenmarkt, a few steps from the Hilton. Looks like a nice enough hotel, too, but their rooms are reportedly not on the big side. In contrast to the very business-like Hilton it also doesn't have a pool, if that is an issue.

DAX, the Northwest deal to Bucharest was a mistake fare for under $300 CAD total, and that for August. So although Bucharest was not a place I had in mind to visit, I was willing to adjust my plans when the deal came up. I got a very good deal at the Intercontinental Bucharest. I'm a bit nervous about the city, actually, but there's a lot I would like to see there.

For my daughter, I think the Marriott dinner would be wasted on her as a vegetarian, although it sounds like something I would like.

WillTravel: $300 CAD Round Trip? That's unbelievable! I'd be happy to fly to Bucharest had I known about the deal, I'm sure it's no longer available. We like flying Northwest/KLM to Amsterdam ever since KLM was taken over by Air France, better food & service. I also like Northwest for flying to Japan because they use a new Airbus 340 with better service & entertainment system. Interestingly we're flying Air Canada this coming August to Munich & Vienna using United mileage.

noe: Yes we were in St Hedwig which architecturally feels more like a protestant church than a catholic church to us. Honestly we weren't that impressed by the Hilton despite it's good location with an U bahn stop right in front. Many years ago we went to see the room choices with smaller windows and cancelled our reservation since Berlin had so many better hotels in the same price range. The lobby felt like a convention hotel, but that's just our brief impression since we didn't actually stay there.

HSV made some very good hotel recommendations. My wife & I were also saying that the next time we go without the kids we should try Hotel de Rome. The very modern Sofitel looks a lot more inviting & interesting than the Hilton but I've never seen the room. I like the Sofitel location for the good restaurants and winebars nearby. Regency too which is probably more comparable to Hotel de Rome. We've stayed there once a long time ago when it was Four Seasons.

My kids favorite hotel actually is the Mandala, they were a bit disappointed that I took them to the Marriott instead. The Mandala is more like a somewhat upscale modern 1 bedroom apartment with a good concierge for the same price as a hotel room. The best units however are the Manager's suite & up (worth the small extra splurge). We also like the easy acess to busses, S + U bahn trains.

Your kids must have learned German to be wanting to summer in Berlin. My kids had 4 years of Saturday German school when they were in elementary school, but now they both have switched to learning French since the middle schools don't offer German in our area.

Yes, hsv, it is kind of like a little party!

Thanks all, for the hotel suggestions. I will check them out for our trip. For some reason I'd rather stay at Gendarmenmarkt/Museuminsel than at Potsdamer Platz or Ku'Damm. We were very close to Potsdamer Platz at the Moevenpick, which was actually quite a nice experience. I could easily return there, but had thought to try further east. We might be able to use points at the Marriott, will just have to check it out.

WillTravel, I was in Romania for 10 days in Sept. Bucharest has some good things going for it, you might be surprised. At the same time, the best parts of Romania for us were in medieval Transylvania (towns and villages) and far north in the Maramures villages. Quite a different experience.

Yes, DAX, my daughters both studied German in high school. My older daughter for 3 years, and the younger for 6 years now, including at college. Unfortunately, their high school is phasing out the German in favor of Mandarin Chinese. Jen is planning to study German in an intensive program this summer and spend a semester in Germany her junior year (and maybe a summer).

Thanks again.

Noe, our school is also phasing out German in favor of Chinese.... My son, who is a freshman, wanted to pick up German, so he is studying it over the summer (and has always done a little ad hoc learning with his father), and will begin in German II. I hope by the time we get to Berlin and Hamburg he will be able to communicate a little!

this post has been great for me. I spent hours trying to find the perfect small hotel in North Mitte, wanting to be near Orianberger Strasse, and then after reading this, I did a 360, and picked the Hyatt! I just couldn't resist the pool, and I really like the looks of the hotel. I was set against even looking at chain hotels, especially American chains (not being anti-American here; just wanted to experience more local color), but we will be coming from a week and a half of small hotels in other countries....

In Hamburg, we will be visiting our former au pair, so it will be great to have a local view there.

skate dancer: Actually if you want to be closer to the Oranienburgstr, I would strongly recommend the new Melia hotel which is located on Friedrichstrasse just a few steps north of the Friedrichstr train station (convenient transport) and you can walk to Oranienburgstr. I just stayed there last October and found it to be great. The huge club level lounge is very much worth it especially if you travel with teenagers. The club level staff is very attentive, they actually serve and attend to your every need. They have a separate cigar & cognac entertainment room, a double large dining room. The bedrooms are very nice, though perhaps just a bit simpler than the Hyatt reflecting the lower price. I love the location as it overlooks the Spree river and puts me closer to Prenzlauerberg. It's a short walk to the Museum island & Oranienburgstr.

We often stayed at the Hyatt and also like it a lot for the pool & terrace but it is actually in the Potsdamerplatz. One negative thing I have to mention is the fact that a couple of times our kids were shocked to see a few older men swimming naked as there's no rule against it. They felt grossed out and stopped swimming there afterwards. The Hyatt club lounge in Berlin & Hamburg are some of the best Hyatt lounges, perhaps the Hamburg one is slightly better. If you're going to Hamburg, the Hamburg Hyatt is the best value Park Hyatt with a great location & facilities, I've stayed there 3 times and really appreciate their excellent service. I'm only staying away from the Hyatts lately because it's boring to stay at the same places everytime.

It seems that many schools in the Bay Area are slowly replacing German with Mandarin classes due to less demand. In our area all 5 highschools have eliminated German in favor of Mandarin or Japanese. They are keeping French & Spanish because they extremely popular. My kids actually learnt German in one of the Saturday German schools which was very cost efffective at $200 per semester. We were able to attend the adult classes while they went to the children classes so it's convenient.

Noe, when I bought the tickets, my daughter was happy to go, but asked we not spend too much time in Romania at the expense of metropolises that are more interesting to her. On a trip by myself, I would probably have chosen an eastern European itinerary based on the tickets I got. We will basically have 1.5 days available for touring in Bucharest and/or a daytrip. A Hard Rock Cafe is opening shortly in Bucharest - that's a definite stop. If she otherwise chooses to spend her time in the hotel while I go out by myself, I can live with that. Several museums and churches in Bucharest look very interesting.

It's great your daughters have so much interest in pursuing German.

In respect to Berlin hotel locations, one advantage I'm thinking of in respect to Potsdamerplatz, is that it's easy to go to English-language cinema around there. On our last trip, we considered it sometimes, but we weren't near an English-language cinema at night when I thought of it.

And my only reason to stay at the Potsdamerplatz is the unlimited access to the best gelato store on the second floor of the Arkade mall. It's open 7 days a week and it's easy to find because you'll find the neverending long line of customers.

Oh, I hope those naked swimmers won't be there! I would be grossed out myself, but I think we're going to stick with the Hyatt. I figure we'll be out and about in different parts of the city anyway, that the exact location won't matter as long as we have transportation access.

DAX, do you recommend any cd stores in particular? That's always what my son wants to do in any city. He likes jazz and heavy metal.

In Hamburg, we are staying with a friend.

skatedancer, there's a large CD store on Friedrichstrasse near the Friedrichstrasse station where my daughter was able to get CDs of some of her favorite Euro bands that apparently few people in North America know about. She was reluctant to go in there, because she thought it was too mainstream-looking to be of any use to her, but she was wrong.

The night before we had looked all up and down Oranienstrasse, in Kreuzberg, unsuccessfuly, because that was supposed to be the cool, alternative area.

I don't remember the name of this large store, but I bet someone knows.

WillTravel is talking about Kultur Kaufhaus by Dussmann on Friedrichstrasse 90, opposite the Maritim ProArte Hotel, I suppose.

The owner, who made his fortune by running a building cleaning company (with quite dubious payment practices and working conditions) is quite obnoxious, but the store for CDs and books is about as good as it gets in Berlin.

http://kulturkaufhaus.shop-asp.de/sh...?aUrl=90008115