by The Michelberger
Since opening 14 years ago, the Michelberger has built a community of locals and tourists who flock to this historic factory-turned-modern boutique hotel. Nestled between Berlin’s liveliest districts of Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg, its 140 rooms for all budgets attract an eclectic, artistic clientele. 24-hour transport links get you around the city without having to travel far. In-house courtyard concerts, yoga courses, ice baths and saunas are offered; There are plenty of bars and restaurants in all directions, while Berghain – the city’s most famous nightclub – is a short walk away if you’re lucky enough to get inside.
Rooms from £79, michelbergerhotel.com
Orange Berlin
Laid-back luxury sums up Orania’s vibe, a corner of tranquility in the heart of Kreuzberg’s hectic streets. With just 41 rooms, a stay here is an intimate experience: the open-plan lobby, bar, and restaurant has live music Tuesday through Saturday, with a constantly changing cast of Berlin artists taking the stage. The chef’s four-way duck is famous, but if you’re feeling frugal, pop into Doyum for a kebab or Goldies for Michelin-quality fast food. Stroll along the river to the sprawling Turkish market on Maybachufer every Tuesday or Saturday.
Rooms from £158, orania.berlin
25 hour hotel bikini
Housed in a high-rise building from the 1950s above the Bikini Berlin concept shopping center, the Berlin range of the growing 25hours chain is causing a stir. “Urban” rooms overlook the city skyline — the jungle option offers floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the expansive Tiergarten, with the enclosures of the famous Berlin Zoo directly below. In each room you will find a free minibar, a portable speaker and a backpack to borrow: pack your gear, grab a bike from reception and explore. Or head upstairs to the bustling rooftop bar and enjoy an oriental meal at NENIen or relax in the ninth floor sauna and watch the elephants and monkeys while sipping a complimentary beer from the fridge.
Rooms from £158, 25hours-hotels.com
Hotel Oderberger
This 70-room boutique hotel in Prenzlauer Berg occupies the site of a 19th-century public bathhouse and opened in February 2016 after extensive renovations that bring the impressive abandoned building back to life. Many original details have been preserved, the most impressive being the 20 m long indoor pool with vaulted ceiling. You may have to queue with the locals to take a dip, but it’s worth the wait. In just 10 minutes you can walk past cafés and restaurants to the Mauerpark, where the famous flea market is worth a visit on Sundays.
Rooms from 122 euros, hotel-oderberger.berlin
Wilmina
Over in the western district of Charlottenburg, Wilmina may only have opened in April 2022, but the 11 years that the team spent transforming this former courthouse and prison into a haven of tranquility was time well spent. Original details – cell doors, window bars – are tastefully integrated into the light, modern and airy design. With a rooftop pool, attic sauna, spacious guest lounges and secret courtyards, you’ll find a haven of rest and relaxation here, ideal after a day exploring the city’s best shopping streets and restaurants just outside the gate.
Rooms from £163, wilmina.com
Castle Royal
With 93 rooms over five floors, this eye-catching upscale boutique hotel sits parallel to the famous Unter den Linden boulevard, just a few minutes’ walk from the Brandenburg Gate. Once a Stasi spy center left to decay for 30 years, its doors reopened last September. Today, 1850s architecture meets modern design, with early 20th-century materials—stained marble, oak floors, nickel, and hand-crafted cracked tiles—giving Berlin Bohemia a chic, contemporary feel. But it’s the art that really takes center stage here. With the work of over 100 leading artists found in guest rooms, bars, restaurants and public spaces, the hotel may be a stone’s throw from some of the city’s best museums, but it’s also a gallery in itself.
Rooms from £170, chateauroyalberlin.com
The circus
With hotel, hostel and apartment accommodation, Circus offers stylish and central accommodation in every price range. The team here curates events and activities to keep guests entertained without the need for much guidance: at vibrant Rosenthaler Platz, you’re in a prime location to shop, eat, drink, dance and soak up culture to your heart’s content.
Rooms from £17 (hostel) and £87 (hotel) circus-berlin.de
Hotel the yard
Don’t be fooled by the quiet street outside: this hotel in Kreuzberg is perfectly located for exploring Berlin on foot. Inspired by a Milanese courtyard, interiors here are sleek and minimalist, with a contemporary and compact vibe for the smaller of the 55 rooms. Both the Jewish Museum and the Berlinische Galerie are a 10-minute walk away, while Checkpoint Charlie is another 5 minutes. Relax with a swim in the indoor pool and in the Finnish sauna.
Rooms from £109, hotel-theyard.berlin
cottage palace
If you’re looking for a change, check into one of Hüttenpalast’s cabins or vintage caravans, parked on a former factory site in trendy Neukölln. Urban glamping may be quirky – and some bathrooms may have to be shared – but the flea market thinks the decor of the common areas has a real charm. Six loft-style rooms are also available for those who prefer a little more privacy.
From £61, hüttenpalast.de
Soho House Berlin
All corners of the city are easily accessible from Soho House, an 85-room Berlin outpost between the Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg districts. Its industrial-chic aesthetic may feel modern, but this hotel is steeped in history. In the 1920s, the eight-story Bauhaus building was a Jewish-owned department store. In the decades that followed, it first became the headquarters of the Hitler Youth and later, after the city was divided, the seat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. If the rooftop pool, cinema, gym, basement spa, and three on-site restaurants aren’t enough to keep you entertained, there’s plenty to see on your doorstep — the famous Volksbühne and TV Tower are just around the corner Corner; The 24-hour concierge team knows exactly which bars, shops, clubs and restaurants are trending.
Rooms from £170, sohohouse.com.
