Michelberger Hotel, Berlin
The best of the hostel and hotel worlds are combined in this eccentric establishment in the former East Berlin.
When visiting new cities, it certainly pays to research your accommodation options. So many travellers choose a place based only on price or location, but a room can be so much more than just a place to rest your head after a day of sightseeing. It can be part of the travel experience itself.
The Michelberger Hotel in Berlin is one such place. Its setting is as quirky as the hotel itself- in gritty Friedrichshain in the former East Berlin, close to the amazing East Side Gallery and just across the river from eclectic Kreuzberg. The area is great for exploring if you love street art, techno clubs, cafes or kebabs, or if you’re feeling somewhat Ostalgic. If this kind of thing ain’t your bag, and you just want to do the big cultural monuments, you might prefer to stay right in the city centre. I’ve done both on different visits to Berlin. Mind you, the Michelberger Hotel is very well connected to all areas of Berlin, being situated right outside the Warschauer Strasse U and S-bahn stations which can take you into the city in 10 minutes and just about anywhere else you want to go.
Looking for a place to stay short notice in the days after Oktoberfest, I called up from Munich and the amiable (and fluent English speaking) girl who answered was happy to oblige. “There is only one problem,” she said, “for the first night, you will have to stay in the Golden Room as there is nothing else available.” This was my first hint that this wasn’t to be a regular hotel stay. Though the price was higher in the Golden Room than in the regular budget rooms (dubbed “Cosy Rooms” by the hotel), I was intrigued and agreed immediately.
First things first, check-in was wonderful and included a cute map of Berlin that the hotel has produced itself, showing all the attractions that are worth seeing in Berlin. The map even shows you where you can go for a nice run along the Spree riverbank closeby. The lobby of the hotel is also incredible- it’s like going round to your best mate’s lougeroom, if your best mate was extremely well read and had an incredible book selection. Comfy couches are everywhere, and bookshelves, and people are actually hanging out and mixing here as they would in a hostel. Big points for this well-thought out lobby. There’s also a bar/cafe that serves cheap and delicious soups and cakes.
My next stop was the Golden Room and all I can say is wow. This is the luxury end of the hotel’s appointments and the room was resplendent in gold walls, floor, ceiling, bathroom tiles and shower, along with a huge porcelain dalmation and a gold palm tree. Then there was a large bed piled with golden pillows and a bathtub overlooking the central courtyard. The bathtub had statues of corgis beside it. The vibe was slightly perplexing but strangely uplifting and very Berlin. It’s a pity I was there alone as this room would be a lot of fun for a couple.
I must say I enjoyed my time in the Golden Room so much that I was not looking forward to moving to one of the Cosy Room on day 2. These rooms are at the other end of the spectrum, designed for budget travellers or people who would otherwise be staying in a hostel, and they are small, basically just a bed and a shower. It definitely does the job though, and then you have more money to spend at the local nightclubs or bars, or with the (very good) hotel masseuse. My Cosy Room also had a view over the East Side Gallery, and it was a buzz to wake up every morning with a view of the Berlin Wall.
While the hotel corridoors are somewhat depressing, the only real negative aspect of my stay at the Michelberger Hotel was the wi-fi. It worked sporadically on my first day there, but the next day was a public holiday so they couldn’t get a technician. The day after the public holiday the technician was busy. In the end, with a four day visit, I only had wi-fi on Day 1 and it was not good wi-fi. I understand that the breakdown timing was somewhat out of their control, but for a person who works while travelling reliable internet access is essential. I spent nearly as much on mobile roaming as an extra night in the hotel would have cost me. This is not good enough and the hotel loses a full extra point from me for this bummer.