Great hotel

We stayed for 8 nights at the Clarion Hotel in October. This is the second time we've stayed at this hotel and it is still a very good value. The rooms are exceptionally spacious and quiet, the buffet breakfast is one of the best we've encountered in Europe and the staff is professional and helpful. The only negative thing I have to say about it is that it's location isn't very exciting. However, it is only a 10 minute walk to the nearest UBahn stop and the department store KaDeWe. The extremely useful number 100 bus which stops right across the street takes you to Mitte or along the Ku'Damm in just minutes.

Excellent location and comfort

This is a large hotel. Very large. But they were able to offer us a very quite room which we needed. My partner and I like to sightsee (heavily) during the day, and dine/drink/party by night. This hotel was perfect for us. The room was large, quite (interior view), and comfortable. For gay travelers, the location is very convenient to the village as well as the metro station. It was great starting each day with a good night sleep, tour all day, return to the hotel for a beer in the sports bar, nap, and go out to a great night on the town. The service was good and we had not problems communicating. We did have one issue where reception gave us incorrect metro directions and cost us a few lost hours of travel. Otherwise, they were attentive and welcoming. The only real issue we had with this hotel was the shower temperature. Hot water was not in low supply. The shower would be set to a comfortable temperature but get scalding hot. THis made it difficult to take a nice hot shower without burning yourself. So we took many baths. The rooms were spacious and clean. TV's were a little small but we weren't there to watch TV. Overall, this was a great choice.

Lovely Hotel But ..

We stayed here for 4 days at the beginning of August and on the whole it was an excellent hotel. However, on booking, we specifically asked for 1 double room and 1 twin. Even allowing for the German tendency for two single beds pushed together being classed as a double, they got it wrong. Both rooms had two single beds separated by a bedside table. The air conditioning unit in the bedroom was a nice touch, and the buffet breakfast was excellent, although it was difficult to get a table each morning due to the number of guests the hotel caters for. On one morning we ended up perched on bar stools in the smoking area. We couldn't understand a hotel of that size having a bar that was closed at the peak period, meaning we had to head towards Ku'damm each evening (although it isn't far and the 100 bus stops right outside). Oh, and don't count on a long soak in the bath after a hard day's sightseeing - the water quickly drained away! However, we really enjoyed our stay, and the staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful, checking train connections for us. I would recommend this hotel and would stay there again without hesitation.

Ok, not great

The hotel definitely has some nice rooms, but also has some not so nice rooms. While I was staying there, it went through an owner change and became a Clarion. Don't know if that will improve it or not. Rooms facing the street are not as nice as those facing the inner courtyard. Some have pretty small uncomfortable beds, and a kitchen, which I did not need. I quickly changed to a bigger room with better bed and no kitchen. Also, some only have a shower, while others have a big tub. Try to get a tub. The location is ok across from the Tiergarten, but apparently there are some areas surrounding the hotel that you wouldn't want to walk through at night. You might want a more centrally located hotel.

Room for improvement

The location and standard of the rooms are quite good. That the Globe Restaurant is closed throughout the summer is inexcusable for an hotel of this classification. The alternative Sommergarten menu consisted of limited starters and desserts and only 4 main course items. The Piano Bar was understaffed, a fact which was very noticeable during a period of very wet weather when the bar was full and there was only 3 people to deal with the drinks and serve the food which could not be eaten outside. They coped very well and were always pleasant in spite of being run off their feet. We would return to this hotel.

Road side rooms are noisy

Rooms are basic for a 4 star hotel. Very large hotel - 700 rooms. Situation is bordered on 3 sides by busy roads. Traffic noise all night. Ask for a room at the back which overlooks a nice courtyard garden if you prefer quiet. Easy walking distance to nearest U-bahn station Nollendorfplatz, to shopping street with major stores and to Tiergaten. Sightseeing Tour bus stops outside but we took walking tour which starts at Zoological Gardens station (about 20 min walk from hotel). Top tip - Great value day transport ticket available for groups up to 5 people (does not have to be a family) only 14 euros for zones AB or 15 euros for zones ABC which covers whole integrated transport system.

Great value

Hotel Berlin is a 4 star hotel situated on Lutzowplatz 17, 10785 Berlin. This is a fairly quiet and very safe area about 10 mins walk to the main shopping street, Kurfurstendamm, and big department store, KaDeWe, in what was West Berlin. There are bars & restaurants only 5 mins walk. The hotel is very large and the service and welcome you get is very efficient and friendly. We had booked a triple room which was huge, tastefully decorated and had opening windows as well as air con. The bed linen was white and crisp and towels were lovely and soft. The standard of cleanliness was very high and we felt the carpets were clean enough to walk on without slippers! The public areas of the hotel were also very clean and well decorated. The breakfast buffet was very substantial with a wide variety of cold meats, breads, cheeses, cererals etc etc as well has hot items such as eggs and bacon. A great standard of hotel and great value for money and we would have no hesitation staying there again.

Big hotel, but friendly with it

We chose the four star Hotel Berlin on Lutzowplatz as it was well within walking distance of a lot of the places we wanted to visit and was handy for the railway station. It is in the Tiergarten area.

The hotel itself is a modern building with 701 rooms. The rooms are spacious and classically decorated. Ours offered views across the park. There is a health-club, although we were too busy to visit it. We did have the hot buffet breakfast one morning which had a huge array or choice. There is a gift shop selling souvenirs, post cards etc. The reception staff are very friendly and glad to assist with any questions about how to get to the "must sees". We did notice that there were quite a few tour groups staying there, so you can assume by that that the standard is pretty high.

We visited in August 2004 and enjoyed a few drinks in the biergarten in the evenings. They also serve light snacks out there too.

We would certainly go back to this hotel again and would recommend it.

Adequate hotel in adequate area

I guess the best way to describe this hotel is adequate. Nothing fancy or particulary outstanding. It was comfortable and clean. My complaints were it's location (have to walk several blocks to get to a decent area of the city) and it's location as one of the furthest hotels away from the ICC Convention Center.

Also, to charge 3,50 euro for a petite Coke Light from the bar is a bit ridiculous.

We enjoyed the buffet breakfast offered each morning and the front desk staff was friendly and accommodating.