A couple of months ago, I had a business trip to Berlin and was surprised by how expensive the hotel rooms were in September. Wanting to stay in the middle of the city, I managed to find a decent rate at the Hilton Berlin, which was under 300 Euros/night compared to some of the other big brand hotels which were nearly double that.
The Hilton Berlin is very centrally located and a comfortable option that is kept in good shape, though in a few years I can see how a renovation might make sense. Don’t let that put you off though, as it was a perfectly enjoyable stay for a couple of nights.
The rooms at the Hilton Berlin
The first thing I noticed in upon stepping into the room was that both the lighting and the temperature of the room was quite warm. Luckily, the window opened, as is the case with every German hotel I’ve stayed in. This is due in large part to the German tradition of lufting a room, or in other words, airing it out, even in the coldest of the winter months.
Once I got some fresh air in the room, the climate control system was quite effective at cooling down the room in a speedy fashion. Unlike so many hotel rooms in Europe these days, the air conditioning system worked well and was entirely controlled by the guest in the room, rather than the front desk having control the temperature or the system being on a hot month cold month system where you can’t use air conditioning in January or heat in July. This one really irks me because some people are just built different!
The desk was comfortable to work from, but I spent a good couple minutes searching for the desk power outlet only to discover that it was hidden under the desk on the side of a cabinet and required a good deal of crawling around on my hands and knees to plug my cord into.
The bathroom was perhaps my favorite aspect of the room, and the tiles and mirror lights gave it a very classy vibe. On the other hand, I cannot understand for the life of me why certain European showers are designed the way they are with a glass “curtain” extending only halfway to the end of the tub, allowing water to splash all over the floor.
The minibar was quite well stocked and while the only thing I helped myself to were the two free bottles of mineral water available to every Hilton Honors silver member or better, if you wanted to have a late night snack party, there were plenty of options.
The service at the Hilton Berlin
While check in was smooth and the desk staff was friendly, that was about it as far as positive interactions with the staff went. I know that post-pandemic, the service industry has struggled in many regards, but it is time for hotels, restaurants and airlines to start investing again in the experiences they offer given the sky-high prices they are charging.
The first night I checked in, I used the Hilton app to chat with the front desk to request some harder pillows because although the bed was as hard as a board the pillows were quite thin and soft. The front desk confirmed that the pillows would be sent but after thirty minutes they had not arrived. I then called down to the front desk to confirm that they were on the way, I was transferred to housekeeping and I then had to speak with another two employees at housekeeping before the pillows arrived twenty minutes or so after that.
One of my biggest pet peeves at hotels is when the key card ceases to work in the middle of the visit for no discernable reason. I don’t know if it’s a software issue with the doors or if the front desk staff has activated it incorrectly, but it drives me insane. It happened twice while I was staying at the Hilton and that requires you to have to go down to the front desk, wait in line and explain as patiently as possible that a faulty key is preventing you from having a video call on time.
Every day that I left the room, I put the sign on the door for it to be cleaned and every day that I got back to the room at 3:00 PM or 4:00 PM, I was surprised to see that the cleaners had not yet come by. This required a call down to the front desk and then waiting another hour for someone to come up and then vacating the room while it was being cleaned.
The room, while comfortable, is beginning to show some signs of age and though the small stains and scratches were not really enough to color my impression, a facelift would be welcome as the décor is somewhat out of style as well.
Food and beverage offerings at the Hilton Berlin
The restaurant of the hotel has one of the best views I have ever seen at a city hotel in Europe. Inside a huge glass dome is where you will find all of the tables for breakfast, providing incredible views of the Deutscher Dom just across the street.
While the location is superb, the breakfast spread is just fine, and the 23 Euros charged for breakfast seemed a bit much. The sad Northern European fruit spread (unripe melons and tasteless citrus) along with the soggy croissants left something to be desired. Perhaps German hotels should lean in to the best parts of German cuisine and just serve sausages, pretzels and beer at breakfast.
The bottom line
While the hard product was perfectly acceptable for a short stay, the soft product lacked some touches. Still, at the price point, location and knowing that the air conditioning works well, I would not hesitate to return for a second time if I had to return to Berlin for work.
One other small disappointment is that many of the picturesque streets around the hotel are under construction. While I’m sure the area will look fantastic after that work is finished, it is a bit of a bummer to go out for a beer and have to look at construction materials piled high, blocking out the view of the 19th century church just behind it.
For the Hilton Berlin, I hope that the service kinks iron themselves out and that in the coming years, the hotel is refreshed just as the neighborhood around it is being spruced up.