I am surprised no one has mentioned the smell of tobacco smoke, which can be smelt from the street outside and is overwhelming when one opens the shabby brass door to this old, uncared for hotel. Once in the lobby, the smoke makes a non-smoker's eyes water and it does not subside when one goes to the room. Overnight, I opened the window for fresh air, but at 6am a waft of new tobacco smoke acted as an alarm clock in my room.
I thought I had booked Sir FK Savigny Hotel, which is clean and new and nearby, with almost the same name. I was horrified when my taxi, given the address, dropped me at the shabby entrance to this run-down establishment. Others in the lobby also thought they had booked the other Savigny, which is brand new and clean. I called Eurobookings.com to complain but they insistedthat this was indeed the hotel I had booked online. I tried to find another hotel but the city was full, with two huge conventions in town. So I stayed four nights at the Savigny.
On the plus side, the wifi and breakfast were included in the modest price, the sheets and pillows were white and clean, the bathroom likewise and the staff friendly and helpful. My room, which was reached by transit through a cleaning corridor with an old mop and a pile of aged rubbish on the staircase, was quiet. This is just another of many, many shabby budget hotels in Berlin, but OH THE SMOKE!
- Savigny Hotel Berlin
