This medium-sized hotel is located very near the Deutches Oper house, and right across from a convenient U-Bahn (subway) station. The large Zoologischer Garten station, with U-Bahn, S-Bahn (commuter rail) and surface bus terminals, is only two stops away, and offers a convenient location to start an exploration of the whole city Berlin public transport is very extensive, and cheap if you purchase multi-day tickets.

My single room was rather small, but completely adequate. Since it was on the top (6th) floor, it was far enough from the street to minimize the traffic noise. The bathroom was small but very modern and clean. The reception staff were very helpful and courteous, especially Hanne, who was in charge during the day.

My original plan was to stay for six nights, but they were having problems with their Internet supplier, and could only offer me the use of a computer in the lobby, so I chose to move after three nights to another hotel which offered free WiFi. I did not have breakfast at the hotel, but it looked pretty complete, but cost 14 Euros. There was a wonderful small supermarket only a block away, so I was able to stock up and save. There are several restaurants nearby.

The location of the hotel made it a wonderful value for me, and the price was very reasonable.

A lovely hotel. Easy to find using the excellent underground system. The exit from the station was just outside the main doors of the hotel. The staff were very friendly and helpful and the rooms were large and very clean.

There was a great supermarket within 100 yards which was great for snacks and wine etc.

We went on a fantastic walking tour with INSIDER TOURS with Mark from New Zealand who was a fantastic knowledgeable guide. He showed us all around the city and was amazing. This company is highly recommended.

The hotel was nice enough, but the WiFi that they "offer" is not offered for free. Instead, it is a bait-and-switch that costs 12 euros ($18) per day, despite what their promotional materials say.

I booked to stay at this hotel over the long easter weekend of 2008. As I was travelling for leisure and staying for 4 nights, my main priority was a reasonably economical hotel in a fairly central location. The hotel certainly fits the bill in that respect. There is no real 'centre' in Berlin and the choice of location will depend on each person's individual priorities. As I was attending some shows at the Deutsche Oper and as I wanted to be close to the U-Bahn to be able to travel over to Schoeneberg this was an excellent choice. The Berlin U-Bahn runs through the night on weekends and is cheap compared to other major cities.

I arrived at the hotel around midnight, in a not particularly good mood as my airline had managed to lose my bag. The lady on reception was extremely welcoming and friendly. She immediately made me feel at home and took an interest in my situation. She promised that the bag would be brought up to my room as soon as it was delivered, which it indeed was. Unfortunately, the room was dreadful. Small, cramped, with an uncomfortable single bed and strange stains on the carpet. It was also located right next to the elevator - not necessarily a problem in itself, but it was one that announced its arrival with a set of chimes on every floor and which meant that I couldn't sleep. Admittedly, very few people go to Berlin with the intention of sleeping, but it would have been nice to have had a few hours rest. I immediately asked to change rooms and I was told that I would be able to change on Sunday, two days later.

I accepted this as I was tired and was not yet at the point of realizing how noisy it was. On Sunday, I changed to a very nice room on the third floor. It was clean and well-appointed. The bed was large and comfortable and the bathroom was a good size. There was a safe that was slightly too small to accommodate a laptop. This is why I have given this hotel 3/5 rather than the 1/5 I would have given based on the first room.

Some other points: the in-room wifi is outrageously priced at €12 for 24 hours. Worse, it didn't actually work in the second room. The reception was very kind and refunded the charges, however, I had a work emergency and had to resort to using my 3G cellphone to access the internet with speeds that actually seemed much faster than that of the hotel network. It appears that the 6th floor rooms are used in peak periods only and that they will be eventually refurbished. This might be something to keep in mind when making reservations.

Overall, this hotel was saved by its staff. They are the friendliest and most caring of any German hotel I have stayed at. They genuinely care about their clients and certainly do their very best to make things happen. They are hampered by an inconsistent product but I would certainly consider using this hotel again providing the price were reasonable.