PHOTO: Stephan Lemke for 25hours Hotels

Fodor's Expert Review 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin

Budapester Str. 40, Berlin, Berlin, 10787, Germany See on Map

Opened in 2014, this stylish property set in a renovated 1950s high-rise building is the symbol of West Berlin's dynamic revitalization. The hotel offers great views of both the zoo and the impressive ruins of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. Rooms may be small, but offer all the amenities of an upscale hotel; the wild, urban jungle-themed design and highly popular roof-top Monkey Bar attract a mostly young, international clientele. The upscale Mediterranean-meets-German restaurant Neni offers a spectacular view of West Berlin's skyline and beyond.

room

Rooms are on the small side but feature air-conditioning, free Wi-Fi, mood lighting, Bluetooth speakers and mod, brightly colored furnishings. It’s really all about the views, though: Splurge on the “Jungle” rooms, which face the zoo and Tiergarten park; the “Urban” rooms (which can be noisy) look out onto busy Breitscheidplatz and the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church.

Some Jungle rooms have hammocks, where you can laze in front of floor-to-ceiling windows and admire the bucolic park and zoo views.

Photo: Jungle M / Stephan Lemke for 25hours Hotels

Photo: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ???????????????????? ???????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????? ????????̈???????????????? ! ???????????????????????? ???? ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #25hourshotel #25hoursbikinihotel #25hourshotelbikiniberlin #25h #bärlin #berlin #ber #sxf #txl #cgn #cologne #germany #berlinigers #berlinstagram #hotel #designhotel #awesome #epic #rooftopview #travelling #lifestyle #travelblogger #dopedesigns #bikiniberlin #zoologischergarten #prenzlauerberg #neukölln #mindblown #lifeisbeautiful #pictureoftheday ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ •special thanks to @25hourshotels •

bathroom

Bathrooms are spacious, given the size of the rooms, and sleekly designed in black and gray tones. There are rainshowers in all; some larger rooms have bathtubs.

Photo: Stephan Lemke for 25hours Hotels

lobby

The third-floor lobby is a quirky open-plan space with exposed concrete and pipes, plenty of low-slung furniture, plants galore, plus an on-site bakery that’s ideal for a quick, locally roasted coffee and fresh pastries.

Photo: Stephan Lemke for 25hours Hotels

dining

Along with the all-day in-house bakery, there is the casual 10^th-floor restaurant Neni, which excels at Mediterranean dishes with a dash of German and Austrian influences.

Photo: NENI Berlin / Stephan Lemke for 25hours Hotels

drinking

One of Berlin’s buzziest bars, the rooftop Monkey Bar offers well-made cocktails on the huge wraparound terrace or inside the windowed bar with panoramic views of the city and the zoo below.

Photo: Monkey Bar / Stephan Lemke for 25hours Hotels

LOCATION

Getting Around

Located next to the Bikini Berlin shopping complex off Breitscheidplatz and across from the Berlin Zoo, the hotel is close to the U- and S-Bahn Zoologischer Garten stop.

Restaurants

Sample a range of trendy, affordable cuisine at the food court next door at the hip concept mall Bikini Berlin (2-minute walk). For upscale dining, try Glass (13-minute walk) with cutting-edge, multi-course tasting menus.

Bars

Darwin’s Lab (3-minute walk) in the adjacent Bikini Berlin mall is an ideal spot for cocktails, especially in warm weather, thanks to its sprawling terrace. If you fancy all-night drinking and dancing, head to The Pearl (9-minute walk), one of the city’s top clubs.

WHY WE LIKE IT

Chic, playful interiors, a buzzy rooftop bar and fun perks like a free Mini Cooper rental make this hotel a top choice for the trendy, design-conscious set. Its proximity to the concept mall Bikini Berlin and the Berlin Zoo makes it ideal for exploring the trendy West Berlin area.