Overnight in Berlin: 5 recommended Hotels (not only) for BCB
© Steve Herud
Bar ohne Namen
Entschlossen verweigert sich Savage, der Bar einen Namen zu geben. Stattdessen sind drei klassische Design-Symbole das Logo der Trinkstätte in Dalston: ein gelbes Quadrat, ein rotes Viereck, ein blauer Kreis. Am meisten wurmt den sympathischen Franzosen dabei, dass es kein Gelbes-Dreieck-Emoji gibt. Das erschwert auf komische Weise die Kommunikation. Der Instagram Account lautet: a_bar_with_shapes-for_a_name und anderenorts tauchen die Begriffe ‘Savage Bar’ oder eben ‚Bauhaus Bar‘ auf.
Für den BCB bringt Savage nun sein Barkonzept mit und mixt für uns mit Unterstützung von Russian Standard Vodka an der perfekten Bar dazu.
Berlin boasts over 700 lodging establishments and just under 150,000 beds. Be they sophisticated or hip, classic or casual – just about every taste and occasion is catered to. We have put together 5 tips for your next visit.
1. Aparthotel with audio bar: Locke at East Side Gallery
This hotel recommendation is still very new: “Locke at East Side Gallery” only opened its doors in autumn 2023. As the name suggests, the hotel is located right by what is probably the most famous graffiti on remnants of the Berlin Wall, with a direct view of the Spree and right in the heart of the trendy districts of Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain. The Locke is not only very practical for a short stay, but also and especially if you are planning to stay in the city a little longer: the 176 studio flats are equipped with a kitchenette and living area, so you can also spend very comfortable “nights in” here. Furthermore, the co-working lounge is a great place to work during the day and enjoy a fantastic coffee from the Bonanza Coffee Roasters. In the evening, the location transforms into a bar: “Anima” is the name of the innovative catering concept, which offers Paper Plane-style drinks and Espresso Martini, organic wines and various small and large dishes along with excellent acoustics and an interior modelled on Japanese “jazz kissas”. Records from the large collection behind the bar are played here, while the customised hi-fi system ensures a mid-range, rich, pleasant sound. A perfect way to end the day – or start a night out in Berlin.
Mühlenstraße 61-63
www.lockeliving.com/de/berlin/locke-at-east-side-gallery
Locke at East Side Gallery
© Nicholas Worley / © Jan-Peter Wulf
2. Look for a cosy hideout: Yggotel Ravn
The Novum Hospitality Group has turned the former “Hotel Franke” in Charlottenburg into the “Yggotel Ravn”. There is a concept behind the cute name: it is all about cosiness in that Danish style, known as “hyggelig” while “Ravn” is the Danish for a raven. The hotel has 100 rooms, a third of which, like the “Locke”, are designed for long-term stays with a fully equipped kitchenette. The subdued, natural colours, which set the tone in the rooms as well as in the lobby area and in the restaurant, are intended to achieve two things above all: deceleration and relaxation. Berlin is exciting and inspiring, but also exhausting, noisy and slightly untidy, to put it diplomatically. A place like the “Yggotel” offers the ideal opportunity to take a deep breath. Turn over again on the box spring bed, enjoy a hearty breakfast – there’s a waffle station and of course Smörrebröd in various flavours – and enjoy the afternoon with coffee, tea and freshly baked cinnamon buns! With pleasure. Cosy, cosy!
Albrecht-Achilles-Straße 57
www.yggotel.com/hotel-berlin-yggotel-ravn
Yggotel Ravn
© Novum Hospitality
3. Like in a greenhouse: Sly
Another new addition on the hotel scene is “sly Berlin”, located directly opposite the large, green Volkspark Friedrichshain. It’s green inside too, because the restaurant and bar are housed in a glass house measuring almost 300 square metres. Under a canopy of numerous exotic plants, guests (as well as non-residents, of course) can savour signature dishes like a corn-fed leg of chicken with shiitake mushrooms, miso cod, teriyaki salmon and cuts from the Robata grill. The bar mixes various house creations with such fun names as ‘Frau Mahlzahn’ (vodka, dragon fruit, Riesling) or ‘Weisser Euter’ (literally White Udder, containing rum, vermouth, grenadine, tonic). There are 150 rooms in total – from a compact 17 square metres to 100 metres of luxury. These are spread across four typical Berlin factory buildings, which have been extensively renovated and linked by courtyards. The co-working space and event rooms are ideal for concentrated work and meetings with colleagues, while the spa with panoramic sauna, steam bath and relaxation room is located at the top of the “sly”.
Petersburger Straße 16
www.sly-berlin.de
Sly
© Nils Hasenau / © Steve Herud
4. Regional – seasonal: Michelberger Hotel
The author of this text already suspected this hotel would be an unusual one when he was sent pictures of the construction site around 15 years ago. A decade and a half later, the “Michelberger Hotel”, built in a former factory, is still there and has not become one bit boring. On the contrary: there’s always something going on here! In the lounge with its deep, spacious seating, hotel guests and Berliners alike meet for coffee during the day and drinks made to the hotel’s own recipe at the bar in the evening. The restaurant is one of the best in the city when it comes to regional, seasonal and organic cuisine and has recently started offering a lunch menu again, which is becoming increasingly rare in Berlin. The restaurant works closely with farmers, hunters and other food artisans and offers a regularly changing three-course menu with a plant-based focus as well as dishes to share. Tip: be sure to try the hotel’s own coconut water and the sourdough bread from its own bakery! 140 individually designed rooms are available to guests here. For those who prefer to escape the hustle and bustle of Berlin, we recommend the “Michelberger Farm” in the Spreewald biosphere reserve, a good hour’s drive south-west of the capital. A true hideaway, which the team has built around an old, lovingly renovated barn – with vegetables from their own, regeneratively farmed farm straight to your plate and plenty of space to relax and enjoy a short holiday.
Warschauer Str. 39-40, 10243 Berlin
www.michelbergerhotel.com
www.michelbergerhotel.com/de/projekte/farm
© Michelberger Hotel / Sigurd Larsen
5. Classy with style: Hotel de Rome
You can hardly spend a more sophisticated night in Berlin than at the “Hotel de Rome” on historic Bebelplatz. The building from 1889, formerly the headquarters of Dresdner Bank, is now a world-class hotel with 145 rooms, including four elegant suites where the bank’s directors once conducted their business. The old in-built wardrobes have been preserved from the pre-war period – as well as many a shrapnel fragment from the war days, silent witnesses of bad times that are undoubtedly part of the capital’s history. The furnishings of the “Hotel de Rome”, however, are ultra-modern and meet every need: in the former bank vault, you can enjoy a sauna, swim and wave in style, while the roof terrace offers a fantastic view of the surrounding sights from the cathedral to the television tower. And of course, there is also plenty on offer here in terms of cuisine. The concept of the hotel restaurant “Chiaro” has just been relaunched and goes back to its Italian roots: Fulvio Pierangelini, patron of the former two-star restaurant “Il Gambero Rosso” in San Vincenzo, presents the country’s cuisine in the way that suits it best – simply, but to perfection. Spaghetti with tomato sauce: we all know how bad this dish can taste. But as good as here? Rarely in Berlin! You should also try the fried calamari nduja fagiolini, the focaccine or the tonarelli with lobster. And a barrel-aged Negroni, a Bellini or a Limoncello Spritz are just some of the things you should try. Ciao!
Behrenstraße 37, 10117 Berlin
www.roccofortehotels.com/de/hotels-and-resorts/hotel-de-rome
Hotel de Rome
© Rocco Forte Hotels
