nice neighborhood, away from commotion but convenient to sights and haup banhof. under $150/night. thanks in advance everyone.
Try Hotel 38. We walked from the train station so it's not far but enjoyed our stay
Motel One by the Hauptbahnhof. Have stayed here twice and found it to be perfect for my needs.
I will second the recommendation for Motel One by the train station. The hotel was very clean and comfortable, reasonably priced, and best of all, was within just a couple of blocks walking distance from the station. Excellent location!
If you want to be close to the Hauptbahnhof, two comparable hotels can be suggested, Motel one and Ibis, pretty much the same. I enjoyed staying at both. Motel One seems to have a more youthful guest crowd.
I would also suggest Hotel Augusta on Fasanenstraße close to Bahnhof Zoo in Charlottenburg. If I want to get away from a chain hotel, I go there.
I would jump over one S-Bahn station to Friedrichstrasse which has some hotels around. Neighborhood is nicer than Hauptbahnhof.