TRAVELSIG

Agreed- perhaps the best capital city in Europe at the moment.

TRAVELSIG

My opinion is that the RC Berlin feels more like a Las Vegas hotel than a Berlin hotel personally....

kamel123

Couldn't agree more. Complete with fake marble columns in the lobby and carpets with nauseating patterns. In the same vein, I would not stay at the Adlon. The lobby tends to be replete with gawking tourists enjoying overpriced coffee. From the outside, it's a very well made replica of the original Adlon that was destroyed in WWII. From the inside, it feels artificial and reminds me of Dubai (although it's of course more understated).

I second the positive experiences that other posters have mentioned regarding the Rocco Forte Hotel de Rome.* It has a great location, good service, and design that has some sense of place.

My second preference is the Grand Hyatt. The location at Potsdamer Platz, in the middle of a quite artificial shopping/office district is not ideal, but it is convenient. I especially like the contemporary room design. Also great bar.

For a very different experience, I like to stay at Schlosshotel im Grunewald. It's an old villa in a leafy residential area. A long time ago, it was a Ritz Carlton property, now it is a member of Relais & Chateaux. It is a bit out of the way, but I like the personalized service (just ~50 rooms), and it has a quite authentic old world feel.

Next time I was considering to stay at this place that has recently opened: http://www.das-stue.com/ . I don't know if it's exactly luxury, but it has created quite a splash in local media. Room rates are on par with the other options. Anyone has staid there?

* Although I don't like to remember the experience when I had booked an entry level room, where there was not enough space for a nightstand and they put the desk directly next to the bed. When I reached for the alarm clock in the morning I hit my head on the desk heavily. Not exactly great room design.

TRAVELSIG

This at one point was also a Regent hotel and thus marketed through Four Seasons. I agree it is a really great place and does really feel like luxury- the location is just a bit out of the way.

The old Kempinski in West Berlin while very dated as a property has very good service and I like the little pool in the basement- I have stayed here a few times when I have work close by and I cannot fault anything except the physical property.

ngfan

+1 on all accounts ^

robyng

I'm a little weird. I try to keep track of the careers of chefs whose meals I've enjoyed. Even if I won't possibly ever dine with them again. If you catch up with and dine with Chef Kellermann again - please let me/us know.

As for Marriott ruining the RC Berlin - what do you mean?

I know what I as a smoker mean when it comes to most Marriott properties. I don't understand what the big deal is about having 1 or 2 smoking floors in a larger city property. But it's private property - and the owners are free to deal with it as they care to IMO. I OTOH am free never to book a Marriott property again (and never will - unless I don't have a choice).

But how did Marriott ruin things in terms of the RC Berlin in your opinion? Robyn

vuittonsofstyle

Marriott own Ritz-Carlton these days. I have watched the group decline slowly ever since Marriott took them over. Cost cutting is rampant and there is no longer any real understanding of what high-end means, especially in the food arena, where a once world-class Ritz-Carlton now merely delivers fast food or something remarkably similar. That's what I meant.

robyng

Got it. So it's pretty much a chain-wide thing as opposed to a property-specific thing. Guess I'm not missing anything because I want smoking rooms. Robyn

robyng

It seemed more like "sports/family central" to us - especially on the club floor the first day of our stay (since we arrived at the end of a big "football" weekend - and there were many sports fans/families in residence). And then it morph'd into "high level government central" at the end of the weekend - because the G8 (am pretty sure it was the G8 - not the G20) was in town. And people like Condoleeza Rice were staying at the RC. So we had one day of football sweatshirts - and then 6 days of the diplomatic red carpet at the entrance . An unusual but enjoyable stay.

FWIW - I have little experience with properties in Las Vegas (only 1 stay in the last 20 years - about 10-15 years ago at the Bellagio). A place like the Bellagio is HUGE. 3000+ rooms. Ritz Carlton Berlin has about 300. I think the properties are very different . Robyn

offerendum

Indeed

MikeFromTokyo

The comparison to Las Vegas was probably in reference to the gaudy decor of R-C Berlin as opposed to the size of the hotel.

TRAVELSIG

Correct.

That and the surrounding area feels quite artificial.

robyng

I didn't find the RC (especially the room/club facility/restaurants) especially gaudy in terms of decor. To be sure - it wasn't "Old English" . But there was nothing offensive IMO.

As for the surrounding area - I don't know what you mean by "artificial". "Artificial" isn't the same as new IMO. And a lot of stuff in this area is new because most of the old stuff was reduced to rubble in WW II and/or neglected during the "Cold War" because it's in or very close to what used to be East Berlin. I in particular found the reconstruction in Potsdamer Platz pretty interesting:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potsdamer_Platz

When we were there in 2007 - there was still lots of vacant land within a short walk of the hotel (mostly on the old "East Berlin" side). But I suspect it's being put to use little by little as Berlin hits its post-reunification stride.

Empty land like this in the middle of a big bustling city is a contemporary architect's dream. One can fiddle with new design forms - new concepts of living/working/commuting - new ideas in terms of energy conservation - and similar. Without having to worry about preserving anything about a building that was obsolete 200 years ago (perhaps there's a place for those buildings - and I'm sure there are people who love them - but I personally am a lot more interested in the present and the future than the past).

Also note that many tourist attractions - like the Reichstag and surrounding area - Symphony Hall - the Holocaust Memorial - etc. - are all within easy walking distance of the hotel (1 km or less). It is perhaps not well known - but Berlin today is rapidly becoming a center for Jewish tourism (due to things like the Holocaust Memorial - the Jewish Museum - etc.).

So now only did I like the hotel. I liked its location too . Robyn

kamel123

I am glad you enjoyed the hotel as well as the surrounding area.

Just to add some explanation as to why I would not stay there (sorry, it is not my intention to sound harsh, just to provide some hopefully helpful clarification):

When I choose a hotel in a European city, I tend to select either 1) a place with true tradition (e.g., furnished with authentic antiques) and some connection to the city (for example, that locals use for weddings or other special events), or 2) something all-out modern.

The R-C Berlin is neither. The interior design is like any other R-C. It could be located pretty much anywhere and has no connection to Berlin whatsoever. I guess in Europe there is an abundance of authentic old world type of places, so that any attempt to build something new in a traditional style (as R-C does) would be considered the very definition of artificial by many people. Especially if it involves building massive columns with gold-painted capitals.

In Berlin there is simply no hotel with a long tradition, because as you rightly remark, a lot has been destroyed in WWII. However, I find that the Rocco Forte Hotel de Rome is an excellent example of a hotel that marries up-to-date amenities and service with some sense of tradition: It's in an old bank building, and in the first floor rooms, many of the pre-war elements (such as wood paneling) have been meticulously restored.

And at the risk of getting off topic: Regarding the Potsdamer Platz area - yes, it is conveniently located to many interesting things to see. On the other hand, the area is quite widely regarded as an unfortunate example of post-reunification urban development gone wrong. It is an accumulation of offices, uninteresting malls with chain stores, and uninteresting chain restaurants. For example, there is not a single good place to eat in walking distance (outside the hotels).

MikeFromTokyo

I agree. With the exception of Phulay Bay, I am not a fan of the decors of most Ritz-Carlton properties, which tend to range from bad to nauseating. Admittedly I have not been to R-C Vienna, which does not look bad.

I agree re Hotel de Rome. I also think that even the Grand Hyatt Berlin is a better option than the Ritz-Carlton.