Brilliant for a city break (Radisson SAS Hotel Berlin)

Member Name: crazyminx

Product:	Radisson SAS Hotel Berlin
Date:	24/09/08 (29 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great location

Disadvantages: Lift rides aren't free

I stayed at the Radisson SAS Hotel in Berlin during March 2008, and had a fantastic time. It is rated as a 5 star hotel and as soon as you walk through the front doors you can begin to see why. In the spacious lobby there is a huge cylindrical aquarium - the biggest in Europe I believe, which rises above the lobby bar and continues upwards towards the top of the building. It is a seriously impressive way to begin your stay.

The rooms here are also very good, though not furnished to the highest standard I have seen, and if you are used to very luxurious 5 stars you may feel a little let down. They are very comfortable though, and modern, and they include a desk, chair, dressing table, and a television with sky sports, sky news and a few other channels. The bathrooms are excellent, very stylishly done out, though without locks on the door, which you may find annoying if you are keen on your privacy.

We paid a little extra for 'business' rooms - as far as I could tell these were the same rooms but included slippers (open toed in case you're wondering!), bathrobes and a coffee machine.

They business rooms also included breakfast, which is worth the extra if you're someone who likes to eat a lot during the mornings - there was hot food, cereal, yoghurts, fruit, waffles with syrup, etc - again not the highest standard I have eaten, but certainly good enough to set you up for the day ahead.

The hotel also includes an Asian noodle restaurant which we did not try, and a general restaurant which we did experience - it was expensive but quite pleasant. The service was a little slow, which was disappointing as it is a huge restaurant and we were the sole customers, apart from one other couple.

There is also a spa at the hotel - but this is really not the place to go if you want a big, luxurious spa experience. There is a nice but very small pool (I would think more than 3 people in there would make it feel crowded), and also two saunas and a steam room. Treatments are offered (I believe there is a treatment guide on the website), but we did not try these.

The main advantage of the hotel is perhaps its location. It is in the middle of West Berlin, just down the road from the TV tower (you must get the lift to the top and eat in the revolving restaurant if you have time to queue!), and across the road from a small park area, on the other side of which are some nice restaurants with open air seating and sometimes live music. Also, the DDR Museum is right next to the hotel on the left hand side, which is well worth a visit. In addition, the river is next to the hotel, and you can get (quite boring) boat trips along it. On the other side of the river you have the Berliner Dom or cathedral, which is amazing both inside and out (and if you ask for a hotel room with a window facing outwards, you will get a fantastic view of this). Most of Berlin's attractions are easily accessible from this hotel - the Brandenburg gate is only a ten minute walk or so and anything that cannot be walked to can easily be reached on the bus.

One annoying thing - although there is a glass lift that goes up through the aquarium in the hotel's lobby, you have to pay at the sea life centre to the right of the hotel to go in it.

Summary: Worth a stay