Where to stay in Berlin: hotels by district
A neighbourhood guide to the best areas to stay in Berlin, as chosen by our resident expert, including the hippest hotels in Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain and Charlottenburg/West Berlin.
Mitte (City Centre)
Berlin’s central area – conveniently called Mitte, or ‘middle’ – encompasses many of the city’s tourist hubs, including Alexanderplatz, Potsdamer Platz, the Nikolaiviertel and Unter den Linden. Here you will find a heady mix of sights (Brandenburger Tor, Reichstag, TV Tower) alongside a buzzy blend of shops, cafés, restaurants and clubs that are more or less equally split between the touristy and the trendy.
Soho House Berlin
Berlin, Germany
9Telegraph expert rating
Soho House Berlin is a stylish world unto itself, offering decadent interiors, excellent drinking and dining and a rooftop pool. Close to Alexanderplatz and Mitte, it’s conveniently central, and an ideal destination accommodation for those who enjoy fine design and an air of hip exclusivity. Read expert review From ￡100per night
Hotel de Rome
Berlin, Germany
8Telegraph expert rating
Converted from a grand 19th-century bank, this Rocco Forte property enjoys a glamorous location on Unter den Linden's historic Bebelplatz. The interior combines original architectural features with impressive contemporary flair, and restrained but luxurious rooms, a classy restaurant and bar, and a refined spa. Read expert review From ￡208per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
The Circus Hotel
Berlin, Germany
8Telegraph expert rating
This 64-room eco-friendly hotel offers highly comfortable rooms, a welcoming design aesthetic and lively public areas, including a good restaurant and bar. The location on bustling Rosenthaler Platz puts you right in the middle of the action, and service is friendly and attentive. Read expert review From ￡80per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Prenzlauer Berg
Just north of Mitte, this pleasant, gentrified neighbourhood is characterised by cobbled, tree-lined streets and squares that are lined with independent boutiques, chic coffee shops and an array of diverse restaurants. With the exception of the impressive Kulturbrauerei (a 19th-century brewery turned into a cultural and commercial area), there’s not much in the way of tourist sights, but its laid-back ambiance makes it popular with families and urban strollers.
Ackselhaus & Blue Home
Berlin, Germany
8Telegraph expert rating
This unique b&b offers two hotels in one: the more expensive Bluehome has a Mediterranean feel, while Ackselhaus' mini-apartments offer various themes that range from the geographical to the filmic. Staff are friendly, there's a lovely Balinese courtyard garden and it's well located for both Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg. Read expert review From ￡115per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
Pfefferbett Hostel Berlin
Berlin, Germany
8Telegraph expert rating
This welcoming hostel, located inside a revamped brewery complex, is located between Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg and offers clean, smart rooms and dorms, amenities such as a convivial lobby and courtyard garden, and a friendly reception staff who will organise free tours and bike rentals for guests. Read expert review From ￡15per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
Linnen
Berlin, Germany
7Telegraph expert rating
One of the few decent accommodation options in Prenzlauer Berg, this intimate enterprise is built to feel like a plush private home. There’s not much in the way of amenities, but the friendly owners are at hand for local tips, and the associated Linnen Café, also open to the public, serves great breakfasts and coffee. Read expert review From ￡87per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Kreuzberg
The heart of West Berlin’s punk scene in the 1970s, East Kreuzberg still offers visitors a quintessentially ‘alternative’ experience. It's one of the most multi-cultural districts in the city, thanks mainly to the Turkish and Middle Eastern ‘guest-workers’ that live and work around the Kottbusser Tor area. It’s also one of the most lively districts come night-time thanks to a plethora of bars and clubs. Its western area, particularly around Bergmannstrasse, is contrastively elegant and peaceful.
Hotel The Dude
Berlin, Germany
8Telegraph expert rating
Despite sounding like a backpacker hostel, this intimate, self-styled 'private mansion' is squarely aimed at providing a sophisticated and intimate experience. Close to key Mitte landmarks, it offers 27 elegantly-styled rooms, excellent personalised service, and one of the city’s finest steak restaurants. Read expert review From ￡63per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
Grand Hostel Berlin
Berlin, Germany
8Telegraph expert rating
This award-winning hostel, located next to the pleasant Landwehr Canal in Kreuzberg, occupies an attractive historic building and offers rooms that are more spacious and elegant than the average backpacker hostels. There’s a bar and library room on site, and the staff are young, friendly and international. Read expert review From ￡10per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
Hotel Riehmers Hofgarten
Berlin, Germany
8Telegraph expert rating
This elegant and intimate four-star, located in a historically listed garden courtyard, offers 22 handsomely designed rooms, a well regarded restaurant and close proximity to Kreuzberg’s shop-lined Bergmannstrasse. Read expert review From ￡62per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Friedrichshain
Once a grungy hang-out for squatters and punks, the former East Berlin district of Friedrichshain has gentrified somewhat since reunification. The commercialised area along the Spree features the East Side Gallery, the Mercedes Benz Arena and an increasing number of hotels and restaurants, while the streets that radiate out from neighbourhood hub Boxhagener Platz are awash with cafés, bars and boutiques. The nightlife remains edgy though thanks to clubs such as Berghain and those within the lively Raw Gel?nde complex.
nhow Berlin
Berlin, Germany
8Telegraph expert rating
Billed as Europe’s first 'music hotel', the nhow Berlin boasts an eye-popping design, a hip restaurant and bar, a fantastic terrace that overlooks the Spree, an art gallery and a spa. Oh, and you can hire an electric guitar or DJ booth directly to your room. Read expert review From ￡68per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
Michelberger Hotel
Berlin, Germany
8Telegraph expert rating
The Michelberger yells youthful creativity. It has a buzzy bar and a courtyard for concerts, both popular in their own right, one of the best restaurants in the neighbourhood, plus a range of funky, idiosyncratic rooms to choose from. It’s also close to Friedrichshain’s infamous nightlife. Read expert review From ￡66per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
MOXY Berlin Ostbahnhof
Berlin, Germany
8Telegraph expert rating
This latest opening from Marriott’s lively new “Moxy” brand is an apt fit for Berlin, thanks to a youthful, upbeat interior, contemporary amenities and friendly, helpful service. It’s also close to the Ostbahnhof train station and the East Side Gallery, the longest remaining stretch of the former Berlin Wall. Read expert review From ￡56per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Charlottenburg / West Berlin
Usually synonymous with ‘West Berlin’ or ‘City West’, the upscale district of Charlottenburg has come into its own of late thanks to high-profile redevelopment (chic hotels, trendy malls) around the Bahnhof Zoo area. Its main boulevard, Ku’damm, has long been one of the city’s most famous for its high-end shops and well-heeled restaurants, while parallel Kantstrasse has quietly become a hotbed of multi-cultural cafés and eateries, including many of the city’s best Asian hotspots.
Hotel am Steinplatz
Berlin, Germany
9Telegraph expert rating
This historic hotel, once the haunt of celebrities such as Vladimir Nabokov and Brigitte Bardot, combines a splendorous Art Nouveau structure with intimate, high-end service. The hotel offers a discreet but central location with an excellent restaurant and bar, and lovely rooftop spa. Read expert review From ￡131per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin
Berlin, Germany
9Telegraph expert rating
West Berlin’s funky 25hours Hotel Bikini, located in a 1950s high-rise, has injected some youthful new energy into the area, thanks to the playful interiors of Werner Aisslinger, a buzzy rooftop bar and restaurant, and a neighbouring concept mall full of local and international boutiques. Read expert review From ￡83per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
Waldorf Astoria Berlin
Berlin, Germany
9Telegraph expert rating
This classic Berlin hotel, in the city’s upmarket City West district, more than earns each of its five stars for its convenient location and excellent service. Elegant and sophisticated, the interiors seamlessly blend classic Art Deco and contemporary touches, while the warm and welcoming staff are eager and obliging. Read expert review From ￡150per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com