Great location next to busy Friedrichstrasse Bahnhof (S-Bahn 9 from Schönefeld Airport drops you virtually at the hotel door). Easy stroll to Pergamon Museum, Unter den Linden, Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, Berliner Dom etc. Spacious rooms with good facilities and service but inner courtyard rooms are quieter. Instead of the very-average buffet breakfast at a whopping 19 euros, walk about 100 metres south on Friedrichstrasse, past Starbucks, to the Adam Cafe where you'll find other Vivaldi refugees enjoying an excellent breakfast from as little as 4 euros. The dunkelbrot (nutty dark bread) there is excellent and it comes with wild cherry preserve. Even with a boiled egg and an extra coffee you'll save 12 euros per person per day...
Two recommended restaurants. 1: Walk south about six blocks to the Gendarmenmarkt, one of the most beautiful squares in Europe, and take a pavement table at the Französischer Hof on Jaegerstrasse. Excellent food with main dishes about 18 euros. Wonderful views of the sun setting on stunning architecture. 2: Head north and cross the River Spree then turn immediately left onto Schiffbauerdamm. Indoor tables at Brechts Restaurant are delightful, with a great Austrian menu, immaculate service and dinner for two with drinks and a bottle of wine totalling about 90 euros.

This is an ideal base if you are travelling to Berlin for the first time or for a short visit and is a better location than nearby Hackescher Markt itself because it opens out into the rest of the city in ways that make it easy for travellers to see the very best of Berlin. Friedrichstrasse is a long street that connects the old west and east sides of the city, and used to be a crossing point when the wall was still in existence. The area has a laid back atmosphere with a few nice cafes and is a good place to return to after an evening out. From here, Hackescher Markt, Oranienburger Strasse and Unter den Linden are within easy walking distance through interesting streets. It is also easy to walk westwards from here to the Brandenburg Gate and onwards towards Tiergarten. Friedrichstrasse station has transport lines running through the east and west of the city and there is also a tram stop nearby so it's possible to walk out of the hotel, cross the road and get to anywhere in the city very quickly. The S-Bahn from Friedrichstrasse will take you west along this route to Tiergarten and Zoo Garden Station near the big shopping street of Kufurstendamm or east to Hackescher Markt (one stop) and surrounding areas. This location is especially good if you are flying into Schonfeld which has a direct train line to Friedrichstrasse station (allow 50mins to 1 hr). The hotel has excellent service; very good bright rooms that are well-airconditioned; friendly and helpful staff; and an excellent breakfast buffet with endless supplies of good coffee and a wide variety of food choices. A good breakfast can be bought for a lot less in nearby cafes so getting value from the hotel buffet is dependent on how much you're able to eat first thing in the morning. The atmosphere in the hotel is calm and relaxed and there is no discernible noise from the station in the rooms at night because of soundproofed windows. This is an excellent choice of hotel for short and first-time visits.

We stayed at this hotel April 2007 for a couple of nights. We arrived at the check-in earlier than expected so our room was not ready. They offered us a superior room which was ready to occupy for a reasonable extra sum. The suite was large and luxurious. The hotel is exceptionally good value, serving a delicious buffet breakfast in a bright large glass roofed room. The staff were friendly and very helpful, and the location was excellent - for walking to nearby sights or for using the train station on the doorstep.

The reviews do not lie! For all-round good value I would doubt it is difficult to beat without entering the deluxe price bracket. The location can surely not be beaten if you are looking for a central tourist hotel. Situated across the street from Friedrichstrasse station and connections everywhere (including direct S9 and Airport Express train from Schonefelde airport.) About 5 to 10 minutes equidistant stroll away from Unter den Linden, Museum Island and the bars/restaurants on Oranienburgerstrasse. The room was scrupulously clean, very comfortable and, despite Intercity express trains passing literally about 100 metres away, the triple-glazing meant a blessed silence for a great night's sleep. The clientele seemed to be business people and folk of a certain age so no rowdies in the corridors during the night. If I had to be picky, I would give the breakfasts a miss. Yeah, good food and a wide choice but, at 19 euros, a wee bit pricey by Berlin standards and the dining area was very busy with business people. We had to hunt not only for a seat but a glass and also share a knife. And the tea wasn't great either!!