Radisson SAS Hotel Berlin, Berlin

...included for hotel guests.)

Would I recommend this hotel? Well for couples or friends visiting Berlin for a sight-seeing weekend............go on.......give yourselves a treat.

Just a note: this hotel is in the throes of being "re-branded" as the Radisson Blu Berlin.   ... more

From the moment we emerged from the revolving door into the lobby of the hotel we knew we were staying somewhere just a little bit different.

I stood for a moment, watching people having a coffee in the lounge area, others perched at the bar sipping late afternoon drinks then my eyes drifted to the stunning focal point of the large lobby area - the 25 metre high cylindrical aquarium. An observation lift was gliding almost imperceptably upwards within the core of the structure. Beautifully coloured fish of varying sizes swam seemingly unaware of the people watching them - from both "inside" and outside the aquarium. That was the moment when it dawned on me - just what was the striking characteristic of this hotel - the calm. The hotel seemed to be full of life and yet so peaceful and calming - such a contrast with the bustling city streets.

Situated on Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse in the Mitte district of Berlin, this hotel is superbly situated for sightseeing. The River Spree runs to one side of the hotel and if you leave from the main door and turn right you are just a few metres away from a boarding point for sight-seeing boat trips. You will also be facing the Cathedral (Dom) with its baroque style dome and stunning architecture. Very close at hand is Museum Island and the National Gallery. Continue in this direction and you will be strolling down "Unter den Linden" . This will lead you to the Brandenburg gate - just about 15 - 20 minutes stroll from the hotel. If you were to turn left from the hotel entrance you would reach Alexanderplatz and the TV tower within minutes

So what does the hotel offer inside? Well, I have to say that if you are hoping for a taste of traditional German decor style you won't find it here. This is a city centre, very modern hotel and frankly, once inside your room you could be in any major city in the world. That said, the rooms are sufficiently spacious for a short stay - light and airy and yet the furnishings give a feeling of warmth and comfort (and boy, do you need this in December when the wind blows - no-one warned me Berlin could feel so cold!) All the features of a 5-star hotel are there - the trouser press, the hairdryer, the safe, the mini-bar, the tea/coffee making equipment - all of which I would describe as "adequate" rather than outstanding. The flat screen TV and the free WiFi are helpful. The bathroom is quite stylish and clinically clean. (One feature of interest for us was a telephone handset attached to the wall within reach of anyone sitting on the lavatory. This, of course, can provide hours of amusement for those of us with a less refined sense of humour.) The only real negative I could find about the room was the bed. Instead of having a kingsize bed we had two singles pushed together - and not with a very strong fixture at that. Many a time I turned over in the night to find the gap widening! Such a pity, as the bed was otherwise supremely confortable with lovely crisp white linen.

Facilities offered at the hotel include solarium, fitness studio, sauna and small swimming pool - none of which we had time to try unfortunately. Conference facilities are also available.

We ate a buffet breakfast in the Atrium Lounge area and were overwhelmed with choice. Cold buffet, hot buffet, and "healthy options". There were loaves of the most beautiful bread to cut for yourself and also a choice of rolls, croissants, pastries and crispbreads. Staff flitted between the tables to take extra orders. The quality and presentation of the breakast menu was excellent.

The hotel has two restaurants - HEat offering a wide range of international dishes and Noodle Kitchen offering Asian specialities such as Singapore noodles and Sushi. We were booked to eat at other restaurants in the city with my husband's business associates so we did not get the opportunity to try these. Both looked attractive though I have a fancy the bill would have been sizeable from either of these eateries. There are plenty of bars, cafes and restaurants within easy walking distance of the hotel so there is no need to be tied to these "in-house" options.

The service. Ah yes, the service. Shall we say the staff did their job in a fairly polite fashion. (The only time we had a problem to be solved - the plastic card which acts as your room key and also lift operating key just refused to work. The young gentleman at reception did eventually agree to change it but it took some work convincing him it was faulty in the first place. He just kept peering at us in disbelief and with something close to pity as if we were incapable of using the device properly.) We did not want big hugs every time we walked in the entrance but a little more cheeriness would have been welcome.

So - the crunch - the price. Well, as with most large city hotels there are a range of prices depending on room type and which part of the week - or year- you want to stay. Here's an example of the cost: if you book for this weekend coming for Saturday night and Sunday night you can have a standard room for £178. (Thats the total for two people for two nights but does not include breakfast.) Its not cheap but for the comfort and superbly convenient location I think it could be considered reasonable value. (Little side point here - the cost of using the observation lift in the aqaurium is not included for hotel guests.)

Would I recommend this hotel? Well for couples or friends visiting Berlin for a sight-seeing weekend............go on.......give yourselves a treat.

Just a note: this hotel is in the throes of being "re-branded" as the Radisson Blu Berlin.  

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