Originally Posted by
RichardInSF
Today, although I am staying at the MO from where I am making this entry, I went over and looked at a few rooms at the Charles. Depending on rates, I'd say it's definitely worth considering. I looked at a deluxe room at about 40 sqmt (one class above the minimum room) and an executive suite somewhere in the range of 60-80 sq mt.
Of course I could not judge service levels but the rooms were quite decent and appeared to be well-designed.
Location: the Charles is a few minutes walk from the Hauptbahnhof, the MO about 7 minutes walk from Marienplatz. If you are using the train, the Charles is very convenient but the neighborhood is definitely not as interesting and diverse as the Marienplatz area. From the airport, there is not much time difference to either.
Style: the MO is more "old world," the Charles more modern. The Charles has only been open 2 1/2 years.
Consortia: Both are Virtuoso but I believe only the MO is FHR.
Internet: Both charge an arm and a leg. The MO is E25 a day, the Charles E20.
For me it would be tempting to try the Charles next time. The executive suite I saw looked worth paying extra for, quite nice.
Also I did have the lunch included with Virtuoso (which the desk clerk said might be changing to a dinner, that would be cool) here at the MO and it was very good -- the hotel restaurant has a Michelin star.
When I stayed at The Charles, I was really impressed with the service and the rustic Italian food in the Davvero restaurant, which is a beautiful restaurant that changes in atmosphere from day to evening, so feels quite different. Breakfast was excellent, too, as was the little spa (including indoor pool), which has The Organic Pharmacy products.
I like the fact that all the corridors have windows that look onto the internal courtyard, which is like a Japanese garden.
Bathrooms work very well indeed, beds are comfortable, too. The Executive Suites, like #717, are very light, with great views, and I also quite like the Junior Suites, which have those swivel TVs that you can see from the bed or the sitting room area.
The Presidential - Montforte Suite, #806, is one of the nicest of its ilk and with a big balcony that has the best views of the city.
Unlike The MO (which I love), The Charles has a spa, although its location is obviously not as good as the MO.