Looking for Pension or hotel in Berlin end of April

We stayed at Park Inn near Alexanderplatz. Easy access to U and S bahn, easy walk to Museum Island. Not great for food choices. Hotel rooms were small but modern and efficient. Great breakfast buffet or there was in 2018.
https://www.parkinn-berlin.de/en/

The area around Savigny Platz is a good choice based on your desires , very close to The Zoologischer Garten S&U station , give this a look - https://www.google.com/maps/place/Berlin,+Germany/@52.5058232,13.3207993,16z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x47a84e373f035901:0x42120465b5e3b70!8m2!3d52.5200066!4d13.404954

Thank you both! And the map was very helpful, Steven.

Motel One is my go-to hotel in Berlin. They have several locations. The price is good, beds are big, showers are great, and the breakfast is decent. Have stayed at the one by the Hauptbahnhof twice and once in Bellevue.

Thanks, Ms. Jo - I looked at the Motel One website and had the hardest time trying to get a valid price. For example, I would click on a room that was around 80 Euros (guessing here) for 4 nights but when the total came up, it was around 450 Euros, I could not figure out how that extra 100+ Euros got in there. I finally gave up. But I will keep that in mind for the rest of my trip when I go to other cities. I'm sure it was user-error on my part.

I wound up going with the Adina Apartment Hotel Hackescher Markt - it was pricier than I had intended to spend but I like that it is a studio with a kitchenette and Iove the location! Plus it got very good reviews on this forum.

It's such a relief to have that decision made - I hate making decisions and can angst over something like this for days. :)

Mardee: Go to Booking.com you can book a Motel One through them

Good idea, thanks! I'll try that next time.

I stayed at the Adina Hackescher Markt for nine nights in October and I was happy with it. The room was large, with a kitchenette and work area. It faced an uninteresting courtyard, as I think all the single rooms do. The front desk people were very helpful. The breakfast buffet was nice but overpriced, I had it once and thereafter went to the bakery around the corner. Around the next corner (keeping left) are a small grocery store and ATM. Lots of restaurants at Hackescher Markt and the S-Bahn is very convenient. Alexanderplatz and Museum Island are short walks in opposite directions. I chose the place for location and room size, and it worked out fine. Zero atmosphere and above your price range, but I think you made a good choice.

Thank you, Dick! Very good to know. I'll post something here when I get back (or after I leave Berlin) and let you all know how it turned out.

I realize I'm late to the game, and you already have something booked. But... if you are looking for a Rick Steves kind of place within your stated budget, I will throw out one idea that may or may not appeal to you: mittendrin. It's a 4-bedroom B&B in a flat in a building built in 1905 (as I recall) in the former West Berlin. It's located near Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. It's owned by the lovely Sabine, a former stage actress in Munich. I've spent 50 nights there since 2015 and am adding 3 more nights in April. It's my favorite place to stay anywhere.

In your stated price range, there are two rooms that share a hall bathroom located between them -- one room is a single, the other can sleep 2. Sabine will happily clean the shower between guests. The small single room is typically 79-89 euro per night. The larger room that can sleep two is 89-99 euro per night (this is the room in which I stay). You mentioned you are looking for a room the last week of April. Not sure when you arrive, but I will admit, I have both rooms booked the nights of April 22-25 for me and a travel companion.

There is a nice common area where breakfast is served at a single long table. The breakfast spread is amazing and has a great deal of variety. As a frequent solo traveler, I enjoy the opportunity for conversation with Sabine and other guests at breakfast.

Sabine will do laundry for you if needed. She has never charged my anything for this. As for transportation, there is an entrance to a U2/U3 station at the end of the block. Two blocks over is the Wittenbergplatz U station (U1, U2, U3, and lots of buses). The Zoologischer Garten station (U/S/regional trains) is a 10-15 minute walk away.

No air conditioning, but that should not be an issue in April. There is an elevator, but you still have to walk up a half flight of stairs (two half-flights for the quickest path) to the B&B.

Neighborhood character? Hackescher Markt definitely wins. mittendrin is in a more commercial area -- hotels, department stores (KaDeWe is a block away), shopping complexes like Bikini Berlin and Europa Center -- but also sites like the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, Breitscheidplatz and the Berlin Zoo. With Berlin being so spread out, I spend most of my day out and about in Berlin, returning to the B&B to sleep at night.

Again, may or may not appeal to you. For many, the shared bathroom is a deal breaker, but I find it not to be a big deal. Half the time, there is no one in the other room. If you want to know more, PM me.

Back in 2019 we stayed at the Melia on Friedrichstrasse in the Mitte - probably not exactly what you are looking for price-wise though. I do second the Hackescher Market recommendation and have seen other posts mentioning the Adina. The market area is walkable, loads of sidewalk restaurants, nice vibe in the summer. It's close to the history museum, museum island, Alexanderplatz, the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate and the Spree River - all an easy walk. Just add the U and S Bahns and you can get anywhere in the city. The station at the Markt is two stops from the main train station too.

Dave, I already have my Berlin hotel booked for the first part of my trip (April 25 to 30) but I will be coming back at the end of my trip for another 2-3 nights, so I will check it out. Shared bathrooms don't bother me - I grew up with six siblings and only one bathroom. It sounds like a lovely place - thank you!

culp3, the Melia sounds nice, and it's not too far removed from the Adina, but I got a lower rate at the Adina because it's non-cancellable (I did get trip insurance). I'm looking forward to exploring the area though - it appears that there is a lot to see on or near Freidrichtstraße.

Mardee,
We were very happy at Adina last September. We had a one bedroom with washer and drier since we travel light and wash clothes.
I agree with avoiding the over priced breakfasts and cocktails at Adina. The bakery next to the tram stop is much more reasonable. And, the little city Rewe market on the other side of the building has good selections of food if you want to use the kitchenette.

I'd avoid the restaurants in the Hackescher market itself. We tried two, the Doner place was terrible and the the BBQ place wasn't much better. They have farmer's markets twice a week at Hackescher Markt. The street food was fantastic. Let the sights and smells direct you.
The brewery, Brauhaus Lemke, is good and a very short walk from the hotel. You can go in the back way from the Adina side of the elevated train tracks. It is just passed the organic grocer and the outdoor patio is nice if the weather cooperates.
Oxymoron in the Hackescher Hofe is excellent if you want to splurge. You could eat at the bar if that is more comfortable as a single.
Zeit fur Brot is a bit of a walk but it is well worth it for their cinnamon rolls alone. There will be line out the door, that is a sign of a great bakery. We ate our goodies across the street in the park. If you eat inside you can watch the bakers through the window.

Adina is also very close to the Spree and Museum Island. A boat ride is a good way to not walk and see a lot. Tons of things to see and do.
The DDR museum accurately depicts life in the former East Germany. We visited family in the East in '92. The apartment in the museum closely duplicates their flat.

You will have the choice of Tram, S-Bahn at the hotel and a short walk to the Rotes Rathaus U-Bahn station. We used all three and bought tickets through the BVG app. Buying the tickets while on the WiFi at Adina saved us data.

Have a great trip!
Jay

Jay, thank you so much for that wonderfully comprehensive post! That gives me so much information about the neighborhood. I’ve been sort of plotting out what to see around there so this helps incredibly. This is great info!

Mardee,
To really learn and see the area contact Robert Sommer, thetrueberliner dot com. He grew up in East Berlin and has a PhD in history. He gives a tremendous walking tour and will base the tour on your interests. Highly recommended.

Berlin has no lack of things to see and do. The museums alone can keep you busy for days. We found the Neues museum very good, the German history museum, not so much. It all depends on your interests.

The Topography of Terror is an excellent outside, free, display of WWII history. We didn't go in the building. It isn't in the neighborhood of Adina, but well worth the trip.
The Memorial to the Murdered Jews is a powerful display near the Topography of Terror. If you go there, walk a bit further past the Brandenburger Tor and cross the street into Tiergarten. Take the path to the right through the park, Simsonweg. There is Sinti-und-Roma-Denkmal on the right side of the path through some trees. Each of the stepping stones around the pond has the name of a concentration camp. We had no idea there were so many. This was prior to our tour with Robert.

It is a long walk back to the hotel from Tiergarten so we stopped at Windhorst, one of the best cocktail bars anywhere. It is a small place where the owner spins vinyl and mixes some very creative drinks. It is on Dorotheenstrasse.

I forgot to mention how good the Vietnamese restaurant is near the hotel. We ate there twice. It is to the right as you leave the front door of Adina and across the street. Their patio is under the big tree on the outside of the street corner.

Jay

Mardee,

Looks like you have recommendation #2 on Robert.

Jay,

I've been the lone voice recommending Robert on the forum for a long time. It's good to have someone else plug him, too.

Mardee,

I haven't read through all the replies, but if you're still looking for a place to stay in Berlin, I would highly recommend Pension Peters - https://www.pension-peters-berlin.de/en . The room was clean and comfortable and they served a nice breakfast (I also had a single room).

They're in a good area between the Bahnhof Zoo and Savignyplatz stations, and there are some nice restaurants in the area. I enjoyed Dicke Wirtin's Pub which is just across the street from the Pension.

Ken, I already have a place but did check out Pension Peters before. Unfortunately, when I first checked, I had some problems booking anything in advance there. I emailed them but got no response. It looks like it is fixed now, but I'm already set with a place. Thank you for the recommendation, though! I will save it for future trips.

Jay, thank you once again. I am definitely planning to visit the Topography of Terror as well as the other places you mentioned. And thanks for the recommendation for Windhorst - that sounds lovely! Is the Vietnamese place called Eden? I was looking for restaurants near the hotel and saw it listed (and it looks like it's in the location you mentioned), so it's good to have a rec from someone who has eaten there. I love Vietnamese food and was hoping to find some good ethnic places nearby.

Dave, yes, I remember your comments about Robert Sommer and definitely plan to check into this!

Mardee, Yes, the restaurant is Eden. You found it!

Dave, Your recommendation of Robert is the reason we used him as a tour guide. A huge bonus - Robert is a docent at Ravensbruck. In addition to the Berlin walking tour, Robert took us on a very informative, in depth tour of the camp. My wife brought a book written by a local author who is the daughter of a prisoner. Amazingly, the manager of Ravensbruck hadn't seen that particular book and ordered one for their library.

Jay

Hi, Jay. I'm glad the recommendation worked out for you.