I had the pleasure of staying at the NH Collection Berlin Mitte Friedrichstrasse hotel while visiting Berlin to watch a game during the UEFA EURO 2024 football tournament.
To commemorate Germany hosting the summertime tournament, the hotel lobby was temporarily decorated with the flags of competing nations. There was also a football goal with sponge balls that guests could play with. Games from the tournament were being shown on screens in the lobby, which has a bar and casual seating around a fireplace.
The reception is in the hotel’s spacious lobby and there’s a concierge, who works from a desk surrounded by tourist information leaflets about things to do in Berlin and the surrounding area. If you haven’t made plans it can be worthwhile browsing the literature available or, if you prefer, employing the service of the concierge.
Arriving mid-afternoon, I waited only a couple of minutes behind guests who had arrived slightly earlier to be greeted by a hotel reception team member. She courteously apologised for my wait and quickly allocated me a key for a junior suite on the fourth floor of the eight-storey hotel.
With floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a courtyard, my soundproofed junior suite was bright, spacious and had a pleasant, contemporary vibe. It featured a roomy bathroom with a walk-in shower, a TV lounge and a bedroom.
Under a wall-mounted television opposite the bed, the bedroom featured a desk. It also had armchairs and two comfortable beds that were pushed together.
The safe and mini bar were in the hallway next to a large lean-to mirror. Facilities to make hot drinks were provided, including a Nespresso coffee machine.
For breakfast, an extensive buffet with hot and cold choices, is served in the hotel’s ground floor restaurant, Friedrichs.
As I had dinner plans throughout my stay in Berlin, I didn’t have an opportunity to dine at TASTE!, the hotel’s à la carte restaurant and bar, which serves a range of international and German dishes.
Nor did I make use of the 24-hour fitness room due to my busy itinerary. However, I didn’t feel guilty about that at all as sightseeing ensured that I walked a lot while in Berlin, getting plenty of exercise in the process.
Overall, I found the hotel inviting, comfortable and a great base for a city break. Despite being a city centre hotel next to a railway station my bedroom was quiet, and I slept well, helping to ensure that I had a great time exploring some of the many historical and cultural attractions of Berlin.
I created this YouTube Short video of a sightseeing walk looping along Berlin’s Unter den Linden, the boulevard that is the location of the Brandenburg Gate plus embassies and historic palaces, via Museum Island to Fotografiska Berlin, the contemporary museum of photography, art and culture.
You can discover things to do and see in Germany’s capital by visiting the Visit Berlin tourist information website.
The Details
NH Collection Berlin Mitte Friedrichstrasse, Friedrichstrasse 96, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
Tel. +49 30 206 2660
Website: www.nh-collection.com
Email: nhcollectionberlinfriedrich@nh-hotels.com
The hotel is a matter of paces from Friedrichstrasse railway station, meaning good local and regional transport connections. Berlin Brandenburg Airport is a 30-minute train journey from Friedrichstrasse railway station. S-Bahn trains take slightly longer and express buses are also an option for getting to and from the hotel. The property is ideally placed for exploring central Berlin on foot. The Brandenburg Gate is a relaxed 15-minute walk from the hotel and Museum Island is a 20-minute stroll away.
Type of Hotel: 4-Star Hotel
Price Band: Medium
Number of Rooms: 268 rooms with complimentary Wi-Fi.
Insider Tip: Berlin is a relatively flat city so is ideal for sightseeing by bicycle. Bikes are available to rent in the hotel lobby and are ideal for zipping between nearby points of interest.
Set aside time to take a sightseeing walk of the surrounding area. The Palace of Tears is a couple of minutes’ walk from the hotel. During the Cold War era, when East and West Germany were separate countries, it housed a border checkpoint. It is now the site of an insightful, free-to-enter museum that conveys the impact of the strictly controlled border.
Keen to use the sauna? Remember that it is common for people to go ‘textile-free’ in saunas in Germany.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9/10
Author Bio:
Stuart Forster is an award-winning freelance travel writer based in North East England.
Photographs courtesy of NH Hotels
Be the first to comment