Good Budget Hotel - Rude Lady Syndrome Strikes Again!

Having heard so much about Berlin and especially getting good reviews from 3 close friends about the Hotel Agon, I was really looking forward to staying there.

Myself and 14 others were celebrating a forthcoming marriage and had decided that Berlin and the ideally situated Hotel Agon were the perfect places.

Upon our arrival, everything went extremely smoothly. The young man who checked us all in was very helpful and diligent; he also gave us a free map and helped direct us to local facilities and the actual Berlin Beer Festival site.

Our rooms were as advertised: clean and spacious. The beds are very comfortable and nobody in our party had anything negative to say about their sleep and the general condition of the rooms.

The continental breakfasts were superb - the hotel staff putting on a quality platter and large quantity of breads, fresh cheeses, cooked meats, cereals, juices, hot drinks and fruit.

Over breakfast on the Saturday morning I detected an undercurrent of dissatisfaction [which then became blatant rudeness] from an older female member of the breakfast staff being directed to our party - none of us had acted improperly so I just ignored her general state of dissatisfaction with 'something' and carried on with breakfast.

Being part of a large group of Englishmen visiting the Beer Festival [and in the light of English football hooligan generalizations] we made extra effort to be respectful to the hotel workers, fellow visitors and especially clearing away bottles and glasses after drinking at the hotel bar.

Sunday morning: all the members of the party checked out without any problems - we left quietly after leaving our luggage in a secure room. "The Groom" had been ill for the last few weeks and actually ended up missing most of the weekend having been too weak to participate. We returned around 2pm to collect our luggage for our flight home and The Groom desperately needed to use the bathroom. The younger lady on the reception refused us. The Groom was now in desperate need so we asked the older [rude] breakfast lady (now behind reception), whom refused him. She contuned to gesticulate and became almost manic in her refusal to let him use the toilet. Eventually, after some major discussion, an older gentleman whom we had all got on well with during our stay agreed to let the Groom and any of us use the bathroom. The breakfast lady continued to go manic and then directed her dissatisfaction to the older gentleman who just stood there a little bewildered and confused by not only our frustration but the actions of the breakfast lady.

Having travelled extensively around the world - both for business and social purposes - this experience has left a sour taste in my mouth. This breakfast lady IS the rudest member of hotel staff i have ever met.

We treated everybody and everything at the Hotel Agon with deep respect. I was planning on returning to Berlin to discover it more - right now, I cannot see that happening. And if I do decide to, then, it certainly won't be to the Hotel Agon.

Perfect

This hotel was just what I was looking for. Very good value for money.

I got the impression from the photos on the hotel's website that the rooms would be a little kitchier, but instead they were very modern. Rooms were definitely spacious and very clean.

Breakfast buffet was amazing.

Great place, spoilt by the woman on reception

Great Hotel, well placed and fairly easy to find - head for the TV Tower, and it's near there. Rooms are very generously sized and clean. Stayed there before 2 years ago, so knew what to expect.

Handy for public transport to all of Berlin, including the two main airports.

Spoilt for my stay by the woman on reception who had a ten minute argument with me on arrival. I had booked the first night for 5 people, the second night for 7, and the last two nights for me alone. Despite specifying very carefully what I wanted, they'd made an error, but eventually managed to sort it out. The stay was good and uneventful until the day after my friends returned to the UK. On arrival back at the hotel that day, the same woman on reception accused me of having two of my friends stay over for an extra night, even telling me she'd seen me leave with them at two that afternoon. Another ten minute argument ensued, she made it quite clear she thought I was a liar, and certainly didn't apologise. I had a credit card receipt for my meal, and some digital photos taken at around that time to prove I was some distance away at that time if necessary.

Apart from her, all the staff were great, and friendly, even when I staggered in at half past three in the morning!

Overall thoroughly recommended, but keep on the right side of the staff.

Fantastic Value

We have just spent four days at this hotel. On arrival my heart sank the outside looks very depressing but once inside you are greeeted by friendly staff who are very helpful. Our rooms were spotless large and even the single rooms contained two beds! Breakfast was brilliant so much choice and we found that we never needed lunch!

The hotel is only 10 mins walk to Alexanderplatz which we loved

We would love to stay here again as it is great value for money. We stayed here with two teenagers who did not want to come home.

Nice budget hotel

The Agon am Alexanderplatz is in fact a former east German (DDR/soviet) block!

All rooms got a new bath, so they are nice standard.

We got a singleroom with 2 beds on the 3th floor. There was a mini kitchen but no kitchenstuff at all, nor a refrigurator (kind of pitty if you would like to make a cup of tea/coffe or keep some goodies cool). Else it was fine and clean and with good space!

The main reason why my wife choose the hotel was off cause the price, its position and the fact it was incl. breakfast. We paid £35/46 euro per night (special 3 day offer). Breakfast was straight continental standard, enought to choose from incl. cereal, but the coffe was not the best I tasted. You surely can ask for tea or enjoy the 4 kinds of juice they have!

I liked they had a computer for internet in the basement near the reception, so you could check your email or other stuff (it was free to use :-)

Its a okay hotel for travel - Alexanderplatz is just 10 minutes walk away, or for the lazy ones just take the tram M5/M6 which stoppes straight infront of the Hotel (Mollstrasse).

Great Location , Good clean comfortable hotel Extremely cheap!

Great location. From Alexanderplatz S Bahn take M1,2,3,4,or 5 one stop to the Hotel. Saves a longish walk with luggage. Bus 200 , great for sightseeing , also stops just across from the hotel. Hotel looks a bit bleak outside but pleasant reception with free access to Internet. Staff friendly and helpful. Place(free) to store luggage before check -in and after checking out. Only 2 lifts so sometimes quite a wait. Corridors have strip lighting that comes on as you pass and linoleum floors so not great impression. However once inside, the rooms are a pleasant surprise. Very clean, large and airy: one wall is all window leading onto a balcony with views of Alexanderplatz. Bathroom clean and great shower, towels changed daily. Heating was easily adjustable. One thing to note: although it was described as a double room (matrimoniale) it was actually a twin room with two very large single beds with individual quilts and sheets. Easy enough to push together but still 2 beds! The other rooms on our floor were the exact same arrangement. There was a completely new kitchenette area built in to the room with 2 electric cooking plates. No utensils or plates supplied but if staying for longer you could easily buy cheap coffee pot etc. No fridge but as it was minus 2° outside we just put wine on the balconey for a half hour to cool.

Breakfast was good , exactly same as that we had in Jolly Hotel in Amsterdam paying loads more.

We'd definitely recommend this hotel to anyone who wants not to spend a lot, but likes comfort. We booked through Hotel and got an offer of 3 nights for the price of 2 : Euro 153 Total !!!

You get what you pay for

The review from our friend in Cardiff is good and a true reflection of this hotel, which is on the East side of the city. If you want somewhere that is basic, clean yet cheap then the Agon is the place for you. If you want 5* treatment then go elsewhere. The hotel is ideally placed for the Tram system, stop outside on Moll Strsse and the M5/M6 take you into Alexanderplatz Station (Ten minute walk). From the station you can get anywhere in the city. Staff were very nice and helpful, breakfast was cereal & cold meat buffet and sufficient. There are a couple of restaurants nearby. An excellent hotel and ideal location for the budget traveller. I would stay here again. Great value.

Fantastic value

The Agon is situated in the former eastern side of Berlin, which accounts for the 70s Soviet architecture of the hotel and surrounding buildings. However, although it may not be pretty on the eye, it certainly gives you an impression of the Berlin of say 20 years ago.

Inside, the hotel looks very cold, stark and regimented. However, the staff are all lovely, friendly and attentive people. And everything is splotlessly clean. We paid £25 a night for our room, which is an amazing deal, especially considering the size of it - it was more like an apartment than a hotel room. The bed was large and comfy, all the linen clean and replaced every day, we had a mini kitchen, and the bathroom was top notch.

But probably the best thing about our room, and the hotel in general, is that it had fantastic views of the enormous Television Tower, which stands tall in the middle of Alexanderplatz suqare. There was nothing better than going out on the balcony of our room in the early morning and seeing that sight.

In terms of transport links, the station is a very short walk away, and most lines go through Alexanderplatz station.

I would highly recommend this to most people, as long as you're not expecting 21st century Western luxury, but instead a slice of kitch 70s Communism.

Large room, shame about the lino...

We stayed at the Agon for 3 nights in November 2004. It is not a beautiful edifice (unless you like Communist tower blocks) nor luxurious on the inside - the corridors were reminiscent of a student hall of residence with lino floors and fluorescent lighting. However, on the plus side the room was extremely large for a city centre hotel - it could have done with more furniture to fill it. The shower was excellent. The buffet breakfast was diverse and popular. Get down there early to get the chocolate croissants. The hotel has a very good location only 5 mintues walk from Alexanderplatz. For the lazy there is a tram stop outside the hotel with trams linking to the main S-Bahn and U-Bahn station. Be warned that the trams start early and finish late. For the price we paid (GBP 35 per night) it was good value for money.