Berlin hotels 2023: Best places to stay for budget and luxury breaks

With its hedonistic nightlife, cutting-edge culture and surprisingly reasonable prices, Berlin ticks many boxes for a brilliant city break. It’s as good a choice for history buffs – see what remains of the Berlin Wall and check out ‘Checkpoint Charlie’ – as it is for creatives and anyone keen to soak up a little culture.

Berlin is a city that is constantly evolving, and over the past decade, the number of hotels in the German capital has doubled with options now as varied and dynamic as the city itself. If you’re looking for a luxury stay, the Rocco Forte brand is a great place to start. But the city is also full of timeless classics and independent chains ensuring that every taste and preference is catered for.

Whether you’re stay is long or short, you deserve the best place to bed down in Berlin. And these are some of the most stylish and great-value digs in town.

Neighbourhood: Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg

With a cantilevered structure jutting out over the River Spree, this 304-room hotel is walking distance to the bars and clubs of Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain (just pray you get past the doormen at Watergate and Berghain). The Karim Rashid-designed property is an explosion of candy colours and sinuous shapes, with round-the-clock room service offering guitars and decks for late-night jam sessions and DJ sets. There’s a riverside terrace for sunset cocktails, saunas to sweat out the previous evening’s excess, and 5pm check-out on Sundays.

Neighbourhood: Kreuzberg

A block down from one of Berlin’s most famous punk clubs, this boutique hotel brings something different to edgy east Kreuzberg – namely, a sophisticated ground-floor lounge with live jazz, craft cocktails and contemporary cuisine from Michelin-starred chef Philipp Vogel. In an Art Nouveau building that once hosted cabaret shows, the hotel’s 41 rooms feature warm reds and golds, oak floors, hand-knotted rugs and supremely comfortable beds, and come with free tickets to the jazz and classical concerts held in the top-floor salon.

Neighbourhood: Unter den Linden, Mitte

Overlooking the Brandenburg Gate, this grande dame has been a favourite of many: from Albert Einstein to a baby-dangling Michael Jackson. Opened in 1907, the hotel survived the Second World War, only to be accidentally torched by Soviet soldiers raiding the wine cellar. Rebuilt in 1997, the current incarnation features a two-Michelin-starred restaurant, three-level spa and 385 rooms decorated in elegant style – think rich silks and mahogany furniture. Major sights such as the Reichstag building and the Holocaust Memorial are only a short stroll away.

Neighbourhood: Alexanderplatz, Mitte

Making its debut in December 2017, this 708-room hotel is the 10th Berlin outpost from the design-led German chain. Located in the city centre, close to the main train station, the buzzy lobby-lounge channels Berlin’s creative vibe with street art murals and colourful Moroso armchairs. Rooms are cosy and comfortable, with double or queen beds dressed in Egyptian cotton linen and tech that includes rain showers. Sign up for the hotel loyalty programme and score a free breakfast and late check-out on Sundays.

Neighbourhood: Tiergarten

On the edge of the leafy Tiergarten – the Berlin equivalent of London’s Hyde Park – this 78-room hotel was once home to the Danish embassy in the city centre. Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola’s playful, public spaces mix animal sculptures with colourful bespoke furnishings and black-and-white fashion photography. Rooms come with high ceilings, Arne Jacobsen Egg chairs and high-end entertainment systems, while sprawling Stue suites have freestanding silver tubs. Downstairs, there is a restaurant, cocktail bar and a Susanne Kaufmann spa with botanical-based treatments.

Neighbourhood: Charlottenburg

A 10-minute walk from the Kurfürstendamm shopping strip and adjacent to the hip Bikini Mall, this 149-room hotel is perfectly placed for a little retail therapy. A lobby lounge strung with hammocks and bikes suspended from the ceiling create a funky vibe – rounded out by a buzzy rooftop bar, ninth-floor sauna with views of the Berlin Zoo’s ape enclosure, and free bicycles to borrow and MINI Coopers to test drive. Choose from Urban rooms overlooking the bomb-shattered Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, or Jungle rooms facing the zoo and Tiergarten park.

Neighbourhood: Wilmersdorf

A five-minute stroll from Ku’Damm, Provocateur is the kind of hotel where you order a bottle of champagne and hang the ‘do not disturb’ sign. Opened in January 2017, the 58 rooms are shamelessly sensual, with lipstick-red or rich teal hues, plush velvet and a bedside switch that dims the lights, plays sultry tunes and beams sexy video art on the wall. You may never feel the urge to leave – though there’s an equally seductive cocktail bar and acclaimed French-Chinese restaurant Golden Phoenix downstairs.

Neighbourhood: Bebelplatz, Berlin Mitte

A stone’s throw from the State Opera house, this Rocco Forte hotel is housed in a 19th-century former bank. The old vault has been converted into an 8,600-square-foot subterranean spa where you can splash in a gold mosaic-tiled pool, schedule a shiatsu massage and hit up the Finnish sauna. Most of the 145 rooms are chic and contemporary, with king-size beds and huge bathrooms, while four historic suites feature wood panelling, parquet floors and the odd bit of Second World War shrapnel damage. Bear in mind that some of the cheaper room offers may require you to pay an additional supplement for spa access.

Neighbourhood: Charlottenburg

Originally opened in 1911, in a prime location on Ku’Damm, Hotel Zoo became the official hotel for the Berlin International Film Festival in the 1950s, welcoming stars like Grace Kelly and Sophia Loren. Renovated in 2014 by Hollywood designers Dayna Lee and Ted Berner, the 144-room hotel marries contemporary whimsy with old-school flair. Rooms have high ceilings, hardwood floors, glass-walled rain showers and plush Maison Martin Margiela towels, while the see-and-be-seen Grace Bar offers top-notch cocktails and DJs on the weekend.

Neighbourhood: Prenzlauer Berg

Formerly a 19th-century public bathhouse, this neo-Renaissance building was transformed into a 75-room boutique hotel in 2016. Original features, such as tiles and doors, are layered with modern furniture and contemporary art; old bathing cabins have been turned into bedrooms, while the former boiler room is now a modern German restaurant with 50-foot ceilings. But the hotel’s most striking feature is undoubtedly the 65-foot-long indoor pool in a cathedral-like hall. After a dip, wander down to Mauerpark for the Sunday market and open-air karaoke.

Neighbourhood: Prenzlauer Berg

In a 19th-century townhouse on one of Berlin’s most beautiful café-lined streets, these 14 apartments mix style (mid-century furniture, eclectic wallpaper) and practicality (good-sized kitchens, washing machines). Ranging from studios to two-bedroom pads, some have balconies, baths and extra beds, and there’s a quiet courtyard out back. Walk to Mauerpark and MACHMit! Museum for Children, while Mount Mitte’s ropes course and the Natural History Museum are a short tram-ride away. For older kids, the Berlin Wall Memorial is 15 minutes on foot.

Neighbourhood: Tiergarten

Part of a quirky Danish chain, this 81-room hotel on lively Potsdamer Strasse is big on laidback charm. High ceilinged-rooms blend sleek Scandi style with bright Balinese accents; most come with four-poster beds, but it’s worth paying for the extra space of a suite or a loft (complete with your own swing). Downstairs, there’s a moodily lit bar and restaurant serving Nordic-inspired organic cuisine, and a plant-filled courtyard. Rent a bike to explore the city, or stroll five minutes to the nearest U-Bahn station.

Neighbourhood: Potsdamer Platz

For a high-end treat, check into The Mandala on Potsdamer Platz. It has everything you want in a five-star hotel: sleek and stylish rooms, a serious spa and a celebrated restaurant. Overlooking a bamboo garden on the fifth floor, the vibe at two Michelin-starred Restaurant Facil is upscale but relaxed, with artfully plated dishes like mullet in beurre blanc and venison with pickled pumpkin. It’s a 15-minute walk to the Brandenburg Gate, while KaDaWe’s upmarket food hall is four stops on the U-Bahn.

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