My family of 4 is visiting the Bern area in March and we're looking for any suggestions for hotels around Bern. Out of our two week trip booking the 2 nights here has been been the most difficult. I'd actually prefer something in the "burbs" as we will be driving and could park the car easier and cheaper.
If you have your own transportation you might want to consider something quite different. We stayed in a vacation appartment in the rural area of Emmental which is quite central to reach a number of great destinations like Bern, Lucerne, Interlaken ... and gives you a great flavour of what the "real" Switzerland is like. We didn't see too many tourists in town: http://www.kapfschwand.ch/
The Novotel or Ibis (both in the same building) at the end of a streetcar line may interest?