Most convenient hotel in Berlin
 

I will be in Berlin in February. I have difficulty walking more than a block or two so I need a hotel that is closest to the major sights. I will take taxis but being close to sights will keep the cost down. Also, we are looking for a 4-5* hotel.

Thanks
CHEWYVUITTON is online now Report Bad or Misplaced Post Edit/Delete Message

I have posted a link to your query in the Disability Travel forum: http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=642437

I think the new Melia Berlin is just about the most convenient possible. It was finished in October 2006, and I can see from their web pages they have made rooms specifically for disabled travelers.

http://www.solmelia.com

The Radisson SAS is also very convenient.

Yes, the new Melia is a good advise....they also have a special now...join Sol Melia and you get Melia Points!!
Also good are the Westin Grand (Friedrich Str./Unter den Linden) and the Hilton at Gendarmen Markt.

I stayed at the Melia Berlin at the end of October, just a few weeks after its opening.

It is indeed a very nice property. The location is very good, as it is just a half block from the Friedrichstrasse S-Bahn/U-Bahn station; in addition, Bus # 147 stops virtually at the door. Taxi connections will be easy to make.

The hotel fronts directly on Friedrichstrasse, along the Spree River. Museum Insel, the Brandenburg Tor and the Reichstag are very close by (my room, on the 5th floor, had a very nice view of the Reichstag's glass dome) :)

The decor is modern in warm, light earth tones and light woods, and the bed was very comfortable. Staff was warm and welcoming, The breakfast buffet was very good (if a tad pricey at 20 Euros) but the variety of foods offered was extensive (egs and hot dishes cooked to order). There is a tapas bar and full restaurant, but I did not try them.

From what I can tell, Melia prices the hotel ccouding to demand - I paid all of Eur. 73 for my room, however, the rate for the very next day was up to Eur. 110.

Beyond the Melia, I have stayed in the other hotels that USAFAN has listed, and they are all good options. For luxury at a price, the Regent (formerly the Four Seasons) is a good option, while the recently-opened Hotel de Rome is not (despite its stellar location).

Non-NonRev
I guess, you are aware, that the Melia is not far from Theater am Schiffbauerdamm. 1928 was the premiere of Dreigroschenoper, Bertolt Brecht/Kurt Weill. Bert Brecht was the longtime director there ...

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theater_am_Schiffbauerdamm

3,000 MAS bonus points when you join MAS REWARDS:

http://www.solmelia.com/solNew/mas/jsp/C_Mas.jsp

OT: Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon will be in Hamburg on July 14, 2007 :cool:

Forget about the Melia. Sorry, but this is not a location where one has to be.

In your shoes, I (as a born Berliner) would chose the

Hilton, Dorint, Hotel de Rome or the Regent,all directly on Gendarmenmarkt (Hilton is my favorite with Gendarmenmarktview)

Westin, directly at the crossroad of Friedrichstraße and Unter den Linden or

Adlon, directly at Brandenburg Gate.

Notwithstanding that it is ALWAYS good to have input from a native resident of an area under discussion, I would point out that the Melia is a mere three blocks from the Westin, on the same street. IMHO it is analogous to saying that,in mid-Manhattan, the Waldorf=Astoria has an ideal location while the Omni Berkshire Place (theree blocks away) is disadvantageously located. But, as always, YMMV.

The point, I think, of offering the option of the Melia is that it provides a very useful ADDITIONAL hotel option in the heart of Mitte (to me and other FT travellers, the most desirable place to stay in the city). Because Sol Melia seems to be offering aggeressive discounts and promotions, and especially when one considers that the dollar seems to be losing value against the euro with each passing day, a perfectly-acceptable hotel that offers the ability to stay in Mitte at reduced prixces should not be dismissed out of hand.

I did know that it ws somewhere in the general area, but I didn't know that it was so close-by - if I had known, I would have gone by (I'm making a note for next time).

You can sign up on the Web - your number will be issued immediately and you can print a temporary card. Your permanent card will arrive in the mail in about a month or so (to the US).

is there an icon for ENVY?? :D

Your advise is a little misleading. Maybe the Melia is not the best choice for CHEWYVUITTON ... the location of the hotels you recommend are a little better. However, for me and others the Melia is fine ... the location is fine, the hotel is brand new and it's only half the price ...

My job brings me often to Berlin, and I have seen many hotels. Believe it or not, one of my favorite is the Moevenpick .. old Siemens headquarter with new stylish design .. for a couple more Euros I always get upgraded to a suite.

I stayed at the Westin in 2004, and at the Mercure den Charité further north in Mitte in 2006. That's when I noticed the Melia, which wasn't quite finished at the time of my visit. The Westin does have a fabulous location and it's beautiful and elegant. However, I think I preferred the modern design of the Mercure rooms, even if that was "only" a 3* hotel. I haven't stayed at the Melia but it seems it has very modern rooms and is a 4* hotel. (Maybe the Westin has renovated its rooms, and I had an unrenovated one, but I wasn't terribly impressed, although it was really cheap on Priceline, so I can't complain.)

The Westin is very close to the Französische Straße U-Bahn stop that is one from Friedrichstrasse and of course it's very convenient for walking to attractions. But I think it could be argued it's more convenient to be closer to Friedrichstrasse station, as the Melia is, where you change U-Bahn and S-Bahn lines and take trains. So far as location goes, it's really a wash, in my opinion. The other advantage of the Melia is its proximity to Oranienburger Tor, with its numerous restaurant options.

Perfectly right, but still not "the place to be". For a Berliner, this is somehow "out of town". Back to comparing Berlin to NYC: If you consider Rockefeller Center to be the "Center of Manhattan", the Hilton (Regent, Dorint, de Rome) would be there, the Westin is where W=A is located and the Melia - well, I believe there is a Hyatt at 42nd street / 3rd Ave....

The Melia is simply in the wrong direction if you understand Gendamenmarkt as the Center of Berlin-Mitte. Oranienburger Straße is nice but maybe not the location to go to for somebody with certain difficulties to walk

I think I grasp your point - that, even though the geographical distances might not be vast, the *perception* of the listed locations is quite different.

I am in full agreement with you that the Gendamenmarkt (not Potsdammer Platz or Ku'dam) is the true center of the united city - on my last trip, in fact, I had originally booked one night at the Westin and one night at the de Rome (I went to CPH in between) - I changed the Westin night over to the Melia when I discovered that it had opened, so that I could try it out.

One conclusion that anyone who looks at the Melia building will draw is that it would have been prohibitively expensive to have built a hotel of that size close to the Gendamenmarkt itself. I of course concur that, for a person with mobility challenges, the Melia is not the best choice. But for someone without mobility constraints (and who will ride the BVG extensively), the Melia, and also the Mercure location mentioned by WillTravel, should at least be kept in mind (especially when rates in the better-situated properties climb).

BTW, good spotting of the Hyatt - (it's at 42nd and Lexington, one very short block from 3rd) ;)

Not to beat a dead horse, but there's no way you can be close to everything in Berlin. So someone with mobility difficulties will likely want to take taxis. I did notice at the Mercure I stayed at that there were a number of people with disabilities (more than I generally see at hotels), who no doubt appreciated the wide hallways and modern design when navigating with their wheelchairs. I can't see the Westin being so user-friendly for wheelchairs, but I suspect the Melia is, being a new hotel (again, I haven't visited, because it wasn't open when I was there).

I think we understood each other: 42nd/Lexington is not 42nd/Broadway and Friedrichstraße/Melia is not Friedrichstraße/Westin:D But I think I will give the Melia a try.

You could be right. The Westin Grand Berlin has some "unusual features":

-It has no garage (the guest's of the DDR government came probably with a driver!?!)
-It has a nice "Berlin Pub", but you can reach the pub only by going on the street and around the corner.

During "Cold War" the hotel was called "Grandhotel Honecker".

In German, but nice photos:
http://www.stern.de/lifestyle/reise/....html?nv=ct_mt

Thank you all so much for your advice. The Westin, Dorint and Hilton are high on my list. The prices are not bad and as you've all said, the location is excellent...close to shops, u-bahn and the #100 bus which sounds like it might be perfect for me...I don't have to climb metro steps. Of course, taxis are a must and being close to sights keeps that cost in line.

Berlin sounds wonderful and I can only hope that the milder winter weather continues. I'll be going in February.

By the way, in NYC by favorite location would be the Plaza Hotel (which is now going to be apartments)...great shops, restaurants, theater and close to the metro.

Thanks again,
June

I am surprised that NYC ist your favorite city with your walking problems. My impression is always that it is totally inconvenient for handicapped people, especially the subway with all its stair and missing escalators:td:

I live in New York and I either drive or take Taxi's to get around. I don't take the subway. You're right, the steps are a big problem.

I just stayed at the Westin last week. The location is excellent for all the major sites.

It is close to the Französische Straße U-Bahn station as someone mentioned. However, it is worth noting that this U-Bahn station (like many others in Berlin) does not have any elevator access.

YES! I love it!
It's cheap (100EUR per night) but my number one!
The design is fantastic and everything is perfect.

Would anyone know if there are any other u bahn stations near the Westin which might have an elevator or escaltor?

I'm thinking that the 100 or 200 bus will be the easiest mode of transportation for me, am I wrong?

The U-Bahn Line # 6 station whose entrance is just outside the Westin's entrance, Franziosestrasse (sp?) does not, as noted above, have either elevator or escalator.

The next U6 station to the south, Stadtmitte, does have an elevator, IIRC, but I don't remember exactly where the elevator entrance is in relation to the Westin. If memory serves, the elevator entrance is situated on a pedestrian island in the mddle of Friedrichstrasse itself.

Three north of the Westin are the Friedrichstrasse S-Bahn (above ground) and U-Bahn (underground) stations. I know for sure that the S-Banh has elevators, as my luggage and I rode in one a couple of months ago :) I don't remember whether the U-Bahn station has elevators.

Corrections to the above is sought and appreciated.

U Friedrichstrasse has an elevator, as well as U Stadtmitte.

One escalator of U Stadtmitte is at Friedrich-/Mohrenstrasse, not far from the Hilton.

Is the Freidrichstrass station far from the Westin?
I really appreciate the information that you guys have. It is extremely helpful for me and greatly reduces my anxiety.

Any restaurant suggestions in the area?

Thanks again.

Not at all...maybe a three minute walk.

The U-Bahn, S-Bahn is about 400 Meters away.

Here is a map http://www.berlin.de/stadtplan/map.asp?size=3x3

The Westin has a pub, the entrance is at Friedrich Str. There are some nice restaurants nearby and at Gendarmen Markt, which is not very far.

Keep in mind: The Westin is a very nice hotel, which was built during "East German Time"....as a palace for the top East Germans, for diplomats, presidents, kings from foreign countries. They all came by chauffeur driven limos (black Volvos). The hotel has no garage ... and I am not sure if it is well equipped for people with disabilities, but it very well could be, I just don't know.
Generally, this area (Mitte) is ideal to discover Berlin. Have a great time.

Sorry, my mistake. This thread is talking about the Westin, and I was talking about the Hilton, a bit confusing for me as these 2 hotels are not far away from each other. The nearest U-Bahn entrance from the Westin with elevator would be U Stadtmitte on the crossing of Friedrichstrasse/Leipziger Strasse, a few blocks away.

Not a palace, it was just a regular hotel, with the average east german not allowed to enter. :)

Thank you very much for that info. Any suggestions for restaurants near the Westin?

The Westin has a very good restaurant and pub, but I don't know about any other restaurants nearby.

Restaurant "Lutter & Wegner"

Charlottenstraße 56 (Gendarmenmarkt)
10117 Berlin
http://www.l-w-bwelin.de
Telefon: 030/2029540
Fax: 030/20295425
==================
Restaurant "Borchardt"

Französische Str. 47
10117 Berlin
Deutschland
http://www.gastart.de/
Telefon : +49 (030) 81 88 62 62
Fax : +49 (030) 81 88 62 49

No! Overrated and overpriced, IMHO :)

Does anyone have experience with the Courtyard by Marriott on Axel-Springer-Strasse? I will be visiting (for the first time) in February and see they have good rates.

Thanks much.

On my last trip, I took the advice of FT member luxury (whose advice is always spot-on) and had dinner at Restaurant Aigner, and it was a very enjoyable meal indeed. Excellent Austrian/German food, nice ambiance, and moderately priced. I highly recommend the duck dish that appears on the "specialities" section of the menu


http://www.aigner-gendarmenmarkt.de/


When you walk out the front door of the Westin, head left - walk one block to Charlottenstrase, then turn right, and walk one more block (you will be walking in front of the facade of the Regent Hotel). Cross the street at the corner, and you are there.

The following website lists the elevator and/or escalator facilities available at many S-Bahn and U-Bahn stations:


http://www.bvg.de/index.php/de/Bvg/Index/folder/552


You will also notice that, by clicking on each station's name, a map of the immediate area is displayed. For example, if you clock on the Französische Straße (U-Bahn U6) link, you will see a nice map of the area immediately around the Westin.

.

Also note: In addition to the above web page, there is a paper version of this guide, and it has the added benefit of a map of the S-Bahn/U-Bahn system marked with the stations that have elevators etc. The map is called the Berlin Mobilitätshelfer - you should be able to get it at a BVG ticket/information office (I looked but could not find it online).

Great! Restaurant Aigner is now on my list...it sounds wonderful.

Thank you so much for that metro website. I have searched for that but couldn't find it. It will be a life saver.

Non-Non Rev,

By any chance would you know how to locate a map of the route for Bus 100?

Thanks

Try this map - go to the web page linked below, then click on the link in the lower right named "Touristenflyer deutsch/englisch mit Karte
(PDF 4699)"


http://www.bvg.de/index.php/en/Bvg/D...in+WelcomeCard



(It's a fairly big file, so be sure to save a copy so that you don't have to download it every time)



Also, these other sites show you the various stops on Line 100 and also show information on which lines can be transferred to at which stations, etc.:


http://www.bvg.de/index.php/de/Bvg/D...sbuslinien+100

(click on Route 100 on the right side)


http://www.fahrinfo-berlin.de/fahrin...91.1169233842&



Lastly, a webpag with some tour ideas (you can certainly mix and choose to suit your needs and interests):

http://www.berlin-tourist-informatio...drei-tagen.pdf

I thought that I looked through everything on that website, guess not. The map is perfect. I was able to zoom in on the center bus routes and print out the map in color. I'm ready to go, now can you do anything to keep the weather mild?

Thank you!:)