16 Best Hotels in Berlin—Including Artsy Boutiques and Transformed Bathhouses
Berlin is a city always in the midst of reinvention. In true Berlin fashion, derelict—and often unexpected—buildings, from a former prison to one of the largest post offices in Germany, have been refashioned into trendy boutique stays. Tried-and-true brands like Marriott and Hyatt have also expanded the scene, sprucing up older boutique hotels to have a more modern appeal. Berlin’s hotel choices span geographically, with an appealing mix of choices both in the East and the West. From timeless classics to buzzy design hotels to edgy wallet-friendly options, the new Berlin offers something for everyone. Here are our picks for the best Berlin hotels to stay at right now.
Read our complete Berlin travel guide here, which includes:
How we choose the best hotels in Berlin
Every hotel review on this list has been written by a Condé Nast Traveler journalist who knows the destination and has visited that property. When choosing hotels, our editors consider properties across price points that offer an authentic and insider experience of a destination, keeping design, location, service, and sustainability credentials top of mind.
Courtesy Waldorf Astoria BerlinhotelWaldorf Astoria Berlin
$$$ |
Readers' Choice Awards 2024Fans of the flagship Waldorf Astoria New York will feel right at home in this Berlin outpost, set in an elegant skyscraper in City West and just around the corner from the exclusive shopping boulevard Kurfürstendamm (Ku’damm). Rooms are seriously big—starting at 452 square feet—and designed in a contemporary style, with neutral gray velour furnishings, swirl-patterned rugs, and a statement-making gold wall behind the beds. Large marble bathrooms have separate tubs and showers in every category, and the in-mirror televisions and Aesop toiletries add a luxurious touch. Reached by a separate elevator, the Tower Suites (floors 22 to 31) are worth it for the views—of the city, the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, or the neighboring Tiergarten park and Berlin Zoo. For a true splurge, the massive 30th-floor Astor Suite (with floor-to-ceiling windows, a balcony, and a separate dining room and kitchen) or the 31st-floor Presidential Suite (complete with a grand piano, open fireplace, and two balconies) boast sweeping city views.
Felix Brüggemann/Chateau Royal BerlinhotelChateau Royal Berlin
$ |
Hot List 2023This sophisticated hotel in Mitte’s bustling center, steps from the Brandenburg Gate, features one-of-a-kind guest rooms decorated by local and international artists. The prominent neon sign on the facade is strategically placed above a self-portrait done in bronze by artist Alicja Kwade, and once inside you’re transported into a moodily lit living room that's reminiscent of an art patron’s salon. Refined couples, having just finished their cocktails, chat quietly while on their way out to the Staatsoper (German State Opera). It all feels very calm and grown up, like an idealized version of Berlin’s past artistic glories, updated with a buzzy sense of creative present. Bed down in a room with hand-painted wallpaper or a hand-carved folding screen; each is uniquely decorated and may have a one-of-a-kind large-scale painting on the wall, or even a funky video installation. Bathrooms are lined in glazed subway-style tiles and have heated floors and large walk-in showers. The property is an easy to walk to the Reichstag; if you’ve come to shop, Friedrichstrasse is a block away; to run or bike, the large green expanse of Tiergarten is a hop and a skip.
%2520FLORIAN%2520GROEHN-2.jpg)
Florian Groehn/Hotel TelegraphenamthotelTelegraphenamt
$With an exceptional location on Monbijoupark in the Mitte district, this grand neo-Baroque building once housed the city’s vast telegraph office—built between 1910 and 1916, and at one time the most sophisticated postal building in Germany. It has since been meticulously restored and transformed into a posh destination for discerning travelers looking to stay close to a huge selection of trendy restaurants, bars, and shops, as well as beloved Hackeshe Höfe's old courtyards-turned-commerical spaces. The 97 guest rooms all have an industrial look, with brick-barrel vaulted ceilings divided by metal beams and exposed brick walls. Art Deco design elements like illuminated glass capsules, which display the room numbers, nod toward the building’s history, and hanging lamps adorn each side of the bed like a movie star’s chandelier earrings. Though occupied by digital nomads during the day, the bar at ROOT buzzes after dark, and a DJ spins techno beats nightly starting at 8:00 pm—this is Berlin, after all.
Courtesy KPM Berlin Hotel & ResidenceshotelKPM Berlin Hotel & Residences
$KPM is the vision of Berlin banker Jörg Woltmann, who helped save the 18th century Royal Porcelain Manufactory Berlin complex, on which the hotel has stood since 2019. The ultra-modern, cube-like building has picked up multiple design and architecture prizes and has been nominated as Europe’s Leading Design Hotel by the 2021 World Travel Awards. Rooms are minimalist, chic, and smartly designed, with functional desks, high-tech wall control panels, and clever built-ins that make the spaces seem larger than they are—aided by the floor-to-ceiling windows. If weather permits, take advantage of the rooftop terrace with great views over Berlin—just remember to bring your own drinks, as there is no bar. Major sites like Tiergarten and the Berlin Zoo are 10 and 15 minutes by foot, respectively.
%2520FLORIAN%2520GROEHN-2.jpg)
Fridolin FullhotelOrania.Berlin
$Set in a restored 1913 Art Nouveau building along leafy Oranienplatz, Orania is one of the few hotels—and the only upscale option—in the edgy, nightlife-filled Kreuzberg. A large, open-plan "Living Room," which functions as a restaurant-bar-lounge, is bookended by two roaring fireplaces (in winter) and surrounded by enormous windows, and a raised corner stage sports a Steinway piano (there's classical or jazz most nights). The rooms and suites vary in size and layout, but all are similarly designed: lots of rich woods, deep red textiles featuring the hotel’s signature gold elephant, handmade Persian carpets, and curvaceous lamps from Catellani. If you're a frequent visitor to Berlin and love nightlife, this hotel is ideal for you.
Stephan Lemke/Courtesy 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlinhotel25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin
$A renovated 1950s high-rise is home to the Berlin outpost of this hip German hotel chain, which is sandwiched between the Berlin Zoo and the trendy concept mall Bikini Berlin. There's a fun energy as soon as you walk into the third-floor reception area, dubbed Bikini Island, which sports a playful jungle-themed design, with tropical plants, stuffed monkeys, and hammocks perfectly positioned to look out over the zoo’s monkey and bird cages. All rooms, even the ones called XL, are on the smaller side, but the funky Jungle Rooms, many with their own hammocks overlooking the zoo, offer an escape different from the others you can find in the city. The hotel is also home to the Monkey Bar, one of Berlin's most popular cocktail spots, and guests can cut the line by taking a private elevator straight to the door.
Matthew Shaw/The Ritz-Carlton, BerlinhotelThe Ritz-Carlton, Berlin
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022This five-star property, long known for its impeccable white-glove service, has a sophisticated look that nods to 1920s Berlin. Entry-level Deluxe Rooms are plenty spacious, measuring a generous 430 square feet, but it’s worth trading up to a Deluxe View Room for fantastic views overlooking Potsdamer Platz. For even more exclusivity, the 42 Club Level rooms and suites on the 10th and 11th floors offer 24-hour access to a lounge with panoramic city vistas, complimentary food and drink, and a private concierge. The elegant sandstone tower fits right in with the neighboring skyscrapers on bustling Potsdamer Platz, and is a short stroll to the Holocaust Memorial, the Brandenburg Gate, and Tiergarten park's 519 acres of tree-lined paths and flowering gardens.
hotelWilmina
$You don’t expect to find a peaceful boutique hotel inside a former women’s prison, but the Wilmina exemplifies Berlin at its finest: a successful fusion of difficult history paired with the new-and-now. The hotel sits on a bustling, highly urban, and very local stretch of Kantstrasse in West Berlin—technically Charlottenburg, but a part so far west that few East Berliners, myself included, and tourists have ever visited—dotted with a handful of dusty antique shops. It’s probably not a place you’d hang out often, but that makes Wilmina even more of a find: You get an authentic taste of Berlin just by coming here. The 44 guest rooms have a similar minimalist look, with calming white walls and pale wood furnishings. Most were created by combining a number of former prison cells; they’re decorated sparingly with framed pressed flowers, and on the small desk you’ll find a nature-related reading selection.
NalieshotelHotel Zoo Berlin
$$Built in 1891 as a private residence and converted into a hotel in 1911, Hotel Zoo has been one of West Berlin’s poshest stays for more than a century. In the 1950s, it served as the VIP hotel for the Berlin International Film Festival and was a haunt for A-listers like Grace Kelly and Sophia Loren. So it’s fitting that the hotel’s glamorous history has been reinterpreted by two Hollywood designers, Dayna Lee and Ted Berner. The cool design aesthetic and location on Ku'damm, Berlin's best shopping street, make it a covetable stay for anyone.
The Hoxton, CharlottenburghotelThe Hoxton, Charlottenburg
$From the outside, the circa-1970s building housing the Hoxton doesn’t look like anything special. But step into the oversized lobby chock-full of comfy places to sit (with your choice of chairs and sectionals arranged around tables of various shapes and sizes, along with one long communal co-working table), and you see why the young (and young at heart) could spend all day here. When the mood strikes for a drink, the sophisticated bar lies right behind the lobby, separated by staggered shelves displaying artfully arranged vases, jars, books, and other design knickknacks. And since the Hoxton also has its own coffee shop (technically a teahouse) and Indian restaurant, it’s truly a place that invites lingering. Each of the 234 guest rooms has a similar look, with scalloped headboards in muted pink and green, speckled terrazzo side tables, Art Nouveau lamps, and hardwood floors.
Courtesy Schlosshotel Berlin by Patrick HellmannhotelSchlosshotel Berlin by Patrick Hellmann
$$Built in 1914 in the style of a French palace, this magnificent villa has served as a private residence, embassy, naval officer’s club, and later, a luxury hotel, hosting such notable guests as Romy Schneider and Paul McCartney. In 2014, late Berlin fashion designer Patrick Hellmann acquired the property and began renovations, restoring its glorious historical details while bringing much of the design—previously done by Karl Lagerfeld in the 1990s—firmly into the 21st century. The 43 rooms and nine suites feature particularly impressive details: A dual-bedroom Kaiser Suite boasts an antique library with original frescoes, and the first-floor Karl Lagerfeld Suite has lovely Art Deco touches and a stone balcony overlooking the gardens.
Courtesy Hotel am SteinplatzhotelHotel am Steinplatz, Autograph Collection
$$Vladimir Nabokov, Brigitte Bardot, and Alain Delon all have stayed at this luxury hotel at some point in its history. It opened in 1913 on a quiet, leafy square in posh Charlottenburg and received a renovation a century later as part of the Marriott’s Autograph Collection. It was just spruced up again in 2025 after its takeover by the Germany-based, design-focused Roomers brand. The boutique property retains its alluring Art Nouveau flourishes, including a sinuous canopy above the entrance, Moorish arched windows, and exquisite stucco work throughout. The flawless redesign integrates historic decorative elements with contemporary touches. The luxurious boutique vibe and ideal location—just a short walk to the shops along Kurfürstendamm and the Berlin Zoo—make it an enduring draw, even post re-do.
Courtesy Hotel Adlon Kempinski BerlinhotelHotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin
$$$ |
Gold List 2025 Readers' Choice Awards 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023Today, there’s that sense that Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin—having withstood the vicissitudes of a tumultuous century—is armor-plated, unassailable as the bullet-proofed floor-to-ceiling windows of the presidential suites. Under the Kempinski aegis since the 1990s, it bottles that sense of timelessness and offers a feeling of security and tradition as something that is as precious as it is soothing. The past is present here, exuding patrician-style grandeur and elegance: the Art Deco floor gauges in the elevators, an old-fashioned bicycle that the bellboys use, the panels of walnut wood in the Michelin-starred Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer restaurant, acres of marble for a grand staircase, and gold flakes even on the lobby lounge’s currywurst. Old-school perfectionism calls for the three types of caviar and Champagne at breakfast, as well as butler-ironed newspapers brought to the table. It all contributes to that illusion that you are in a cocoon, away from the travails of the world.
Courtesy Michelberger HotelhotelMichelberger Hotel
$The recently redesigned lobby takes its inspiration from the surrounding East Berlin architecture, with handmade 1960s-style glass chandeliers and comfy low sectional sofas, plus shelves of used books in every language. Locals sip indie wines at the newly unveiled black-tiled bar, where DJs spin every Friday and Saturday. A handful of the 132 rooms have built-ins and loft beds—think, upscale dorm room—that make smart use of a space meant to be shared by a group. This hotel is a must-see if you dig the hipster vibe and want to be within walking distance of some of the city's top nightclubs, including the world-famous Berghain.
Martin Nicholas Kunz,Heike Fademrecht/Courtesy Hotel OderbergerhotelHotel Oderberger Berlin
$Hotel Oderberger's setting is one of the most splendid in Berlin: It's inside Prenzlauer Berg's landmarked 19th-century Stadtbad Oderberger, a public bathhouse designed by architect Ludwig Hoffmann, who also created the city’s iconic Pergamon Museum. The conversion to a boutique hotel preserved many of the grand building’s original details, most notably the 65-foot-long indoor pool, set beneath a magnificent vaulted stone ceiling and surrounded by massive arched columns and huge, church-like windows. It's the first thing you see when you enter the lobby, and it definitely impresses. The 72 rooms are all unique in layout, and the modern design incorporates historic details in a clever way: original numbered wood doors from the bathing cabins, now glassed in, live on as bathroom doors. Go for the cool historical details and great location in the heart of buzzy Prenzlauer Berg.
This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publish date.
Recommended
