I have some very fond memories of art’otel stays in Berlin, Dresden and Budapest, so I was looking forward to I was excited to stay again at an art’otel in my favorite European city, Berlin! I had picked the art’otel Berlin Mitte for it’s location and price! Read me review to find out, if you should consider it for a visit to Berlin!
Location: The art’otel Berlin Mitte is located close to the historic center of Berlin on “Wallstrasse”. The subway stop “Maerkisches Museum” is on the same block and only two stops from Alexander Platz. You can also take the bus or even walk to all the shopping of “Friedrichstrasse”, the sights along “Unter den Linden” and many restaurants. The Berlin airport Tegel is about 30 minutes by taxi or 45 minutes by public transport. Wallstrasse is fairly quiet, so despite the central location, you won’t have much street noise impacting your stay.
Service: The service was par for my not very high expectations in German hospitality: It was professional and efficient, but neither attentive nor very friendly. I had requested an early check-in but when I arrived around noon, no room was available and the front desk staff didn’t make an effort to find a room, instead referred pointedly to the standard check-in time and asked me to come back then. I was able to get to my room at the appointed time, sharp, making it seem more like an exercise to teach me the proper time than the earliest they could make happen. Service throughout my stay continued along that line: Requests were responded to effectively, but grudgingly. I always felt like I was improperly imposing on the staff’s leisure time. Housekeeping was on top of their task and left my room spic and spam every day! My Club Carlson Gold status was not recognized and none of the benefits were offered – an unusual experience after exceptional service all throughout my Baltic Explorer trip at other Carlson properties!
Room: After the stunning design of other art’otels, including most recently at the art’otel Cologne, the room was disappointing with none of the exceptional artwork or design I’ve come to expect from the brand! The orange-brown carpet, dark wood-patterned desk and headboard, yellow chair and artwork above the bed and desk went well together and were modern, without being something special. I thought the art’otel logo splattered allover the big window was tacky! There was a safe, TV and a Nespresso machine (that saved the day for me). Curiously, there was no desk chair to actually do work. The bed was the German style double, with two separate mattresses and comforters in one frame – fine for me traveling solo, but not as nice as a queen/king for a couple traveling together. The bathroom is of good size with a shower-over-tub separated by a curtain, a large countertop with lots of room for your accessories and plenty of mirrors to make it feel even more spacious. The orange countertop added a splash of color to the all-white bathroom, but it still felt very utilitarian – nothing artsy about it!
Amenities/Restaurant: The art-otel has a small gym with cardio equipment and limited weight machines, allowing for a basic workout on the road. There is also a restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Being in the heart of Berlin, I didn’t try it and ventured out in the city for my meals instead!
Conclusion: I booked the art’otel at the Club Carlson Gold 2-for-1 weekend rate (Code: RSGP1P1) at a cost of $60/night. That’s very good value for a mid-scale hotel in the heart of a European capital, despite my disappointment with the room design and service. I fell victim to my very high expectations from previous art’otel stays and my love for the brand has cooled a little after this stay. Nevertheless, if you are looking for a modern room in a great location and don’t mind the cool service, you’ll find good value at the art’otel Wall Street. Do look out for prices though – Berlin prices vary greatly and there are lots of similar hotels in the center of Berlin. If you can snatch the art’otel at a similar price, I do recommend to give it a try!