donnae_b

Will be my first time in Berlin. What area of Berlin would be the best to stay to be closest to the heart of the city?

hsv

Interestingly, Berlin having once been a divided city, until today it has kept two hearts.

For lodging, I would think that you have basically three options:

Staying in <b>Mitte</b>, which is currently the most popular tourist destination. Unter den Linden Blvd is a very nice shopping street adjacent to the Brandenburg Gate. The Gendarmenmarkt Square is a beautiful one sporting the German and French Dome cathedrals and Museum Island features some fantastic exhibitions. Hackesche Hoefe are an interestingly revived shopping and lounging area closer to the slightly non-descript or even Stalinist- monstrous Alexanderplatz.
For hotels you might want to look into the newly built (and very nice looking) Radisson SAS on Karl-Liebknecht-Str., right next to Museum Island; the Westin Grand, the GDR's former Grand Hotel for Western visitors willing to spend serious Deutsch Marks in the East and the Hilton on Gendarmenmarkt. Germany's falgship hotel Kempinski Adlon right opposite the Brandenburg Gate, of course would be an option, too, if money isn't an issue.

Staying in <b>Charlottenburg</b>, the former West Berlin Center around Kurfuerstendamm (Ku'damm). This is an area that has lost some of its appeal to tourists, but more and more Berliners are moving back into the lively area where they feel less bothered by tourists. Lots of nice restaurants, pubs and bars, too. The vibe is very original Berlin if you catch my drift. Nice hotels would be the Swissotel, the Interconti and the Dorint Sofitel Schweizerhof, all of theese bigger properties. The Bristol Kempinski is still not bad, having once been West Berlin's premier hotel, but its glory is fading a bit now that rivals have sprung up especially in Mitte.

Staying on or near <b>Potsdamer Platz</b>. Potsdamer Platz is a new neighborhood close to Brandenburg Gate and basically wedged in between the former West (Charlottenburg/Tiergarten) and former East (Mitte) centers of town. It used to be in the middle of the death strip separating the two cities.
The modern architecture is worthwhile seeing and there are quite a few cinemas and some very nice hotels (e.g. the Grand Hyatt, just voted Germany's best ambiance hotel and widely considered the best Hyatt worldwide); the Marriott and the Madison Suites). The surroundings are a bit artificial, though. I still like the location because it enables you to take short hops by train into the different centers.

lincasanova

for new, clean reliable lodging near potsdamer platz i stayed at the holiday inn anhalter bahnhof.
good location and excellent price last may.
try www.gtahotels.com as they often include taxes and breakfast with their offers.

lincasanova

hsv, forget to tell you i really enjoyed your well worded description of the areas.

p.s. we also stayed at the bristol kempinksi with good rate last spring.the neighborhood was very pleasant.

hsv

lincasanova,

thanks for the compliment!

I, on the other hand, worded my description of the Kempinski Bristol possibly a bit too strongly. This is still a very good hotel. It just isn't the best in town anymore, but certainly still enjoyable and in a great location in Charlottenburg.

kopp

hsv,

Just came upon this post, and your description of the various areas is much appreciated and helpful. Thanks!

Re the Tiergarten-Mitte area, do you have any info about the Golden Tulip Park Consul Hotel? Am curently booked at Holiday Inn Express (can't remember which area that's in) but this GT has prices very comparable. I've looked at tripadvisor but it has no reviews on the GT.

Thank you.

aeiger

Hi
We returned from Berlin in Oct. We stayed by the Anthaler Bahnhof at the Movenpick Berlin. It'sin the renovated Siemans Bldg and is 4*. We booked from the Movenpick 800#. In additionwhen we arrived we were upgraded to a Jr. Suite. Breakfast is included and it was the best buffet we had during our stay in Germany. Check out Tripadvisor.com for hotel reviews.
We were within walking distance to Pottsdammer Platz, Brandenburg gate etc. If you stay in that area there is a really good Italian restaurant right across from the Anthaler Bahnhof.

hsv

kopp,

I do not know the Golden Tulip Park Consul. But I looked up its location and guess I would not encourage you to stay there. It seems to be a bit out of the way from the thick of things around the Kurfuerstendamm/ Savigny Platz area of Charlottenburg. It is also not near the attractive areas around Unter den Linden/ Friedrichstr./ Hackesche Hoefe in Mitte.

I also haven't come across the H.I. Express, which is located near the Anhalter Bahnhof, though. Basically the same area as the (very nice looking) Moevenpick Hotel suggested by aeiger.
I am sorry to be a disappointment in this, but I am not that familiar with the area, but IMHO the Moevenpick is as far as I wanted to be away from Potsdamer Platz. The H.I. has got very favourable reviews by a couple of posters here, though, if I recall correctly, so you might be fine there.

If you want to compare hotel prices, http://www.hrs.de
is a good option.

If the decision has to be made between the Park Consul and the H.I. Express, I would opt for the H.I. Express.

lincasanova

the holiday inn is about two blocks further from pots. pltz. than the station itself., thus than the group of hotels across from the station.

it is a very easy walk. and there is a bus that stops nearby to take you the one or two stops to potsdmr. pltz. I would go back again if I had a good rate, no questions.But this is not a quaint european hotel. the neighborhood is very good and safe.

scrb

Looking at some apart. rentals in what is suppose to be Mitte.

Here are some cross streets and links. Any feedback would be appreciated:



Bissingzeile / L&uuml;tzowstr.

http://www.stadtplandienst.de/map.as...;Abschicken=GO


Bergstr. / Invalidenstr.

http://www.stadtplandienst.de/map.as...;Abschicken=GO

Charlottenstrasse

http://www.stadtplandienst.de/map.as...25368&amp;num=


Engeldamm / K&ouml;penicker Str.

http://www.stadtplandienst.de/map.as...;Abschicken=GO


Leipziger Str. / Seydelstr.

http://www.stadtplandienst.de/map.as...;Abschicken=GO



Linienstr. / Rosa-Luxemburg-Str.

http://www.stadtplandienst.de/map.as...rid=dedatlas10

tower

donna...one more enthusiastic vote for the Kempinski on the corner of Ku'dam and Fassenenstrasse in Charlottenberg. We stayed there last falll for the very reason mentioned above...it's a bit off the red hot tourist track....Mitte, etc. We stayed in the Ku'dam area in '93 when Berlin was just coming very much a world class destination...but now, it is! You'll enjoy it immensely...be sure to include a day in Potsdam (less than 30 minute S-Bahn trip).

Two excellent upscale restaurants near the Kempiinski...the Otenthal and the Via Condotti...concierge will direct you.

Stu T.

FauxSteMarie

Wherever you stay, you will love Berlin!

I did a home exchange there a few years ago and went everywhere on public transportation because I did not have a car (except when my exchangers hooked me up with friends to take me to the sites outside Berlin--Potsdamn, Wansee, etc.). I was surprised by how green it is. There are trees all over and you can take a nice boat ride on the River Spee (both touris boats and longer journeys).

tower

FauxStM:
I'm sure Wansee affected you much the same way it afects most visitors to the &quot;mansion&quot;...almost in a surreal way.

To think that 15 human beings sat around the conference table (the room was being renovated when we were there last October) after a sumptuous cocktail lunch and quietly, matter-of-fact-ly issued a massive death warrant for millions of other human beings.

Rent the movie some time. Chilling to the Nth degree.

Stu T.