My favorite hotel in Berlin has to be the Kempinski Bristol Berlin situated on the Kurfurstendamm and just 8 minutes easy walk from the Berlin Zoo Bahnhof. It has one of those great corner restaurant/cafe – the Cafe Reinhard’s right on the corner where you can sit and have a coffee, meal or just a drink and watch the world go by.
Adlon Kempinski Berlin Hotel
Quite a name too this wonderful hotel, but like the old battle axe that’s had a new head and a new handle a few times over – it’s still a genuine delight. First built in 1907 as the Adlon and reckoned at the time to be the most opulent hotel in the world or that certainly was the intention of the owner Lorenz Adlon, restaurant manager from Mainz.
The Adlon was a haven for the rich and famous up to and even during the 2nd World War, but oddly burnt down soon after. Rebuilt from the ashes and opening again in 1952 the Adlon Hotel once again was the place to be. I think re-branded or renamed in later years and now the Kempinski Bristol Berlin Hotel and still 5 star it still manages to sit well up there in the best hotel category and the only place I tend to stay when I’m in this great city.
When I was there recently the weather was just superb and I took the opportunity of managing an Art style painting of the less formal cafe/restaurant and where I had breakfast every morning and watched all those good folks going to work. Another thing I love about Berlin is the fact that unlike the UK most shops don’t open till around 10 am and the cafe’s, coffee houses and so on do great business between 8 am and 10am every weekday. Incidentally the shops tend to stay open until 7pm or 8pm at night and once again the city is buzzing with those same workers able to do their shopping or catching a coffee and cake on the way home. A great system which seems to help everyone and also stagger the transport system nicely. Very sensible.
It was interesting to note in these times of financial woes we have in the UK and supposedly most of Europe, the city was absolutely booming, busy and had an amazingly positive air about the place – quite unlike the utterly depressing city of London or Edinburgh and in fact most places in Britain, which are so obviously in severe decline, with shops and businesses boarded up and crumbling, adding to the depressing times at home
So the trip to Berlin was just what I needed and my tip for what it’s worth is, if your feeling down, hop on a plane to Berlin – you’ll be glad you did – absolutely.
