Immediately after arriving from Hamburg, I took the U Bahn to get to Hilton Berlin. The station is located right outside the hotel. Hilton Berlin is one of the properties in Berlin and it can definitely be said as the flagship one. It is located right in the heart and you can walk to most places. A true 5 star hotel. The museum island is just a short stroll away as is Check Point Charlie and the memorial. Anything further, the U Bahn is right there. The Hilton is also located right outside the Dom opposite, making it super pretty. The exterior is gorgeous and grand as it blends into the surrounding. Berlin is a city of two worlds, the difference between the historical East and West, the blend of skyscrapers and buildings rebuilt after being destroyed by the war as well as the historical ones that remains. Lobby was grand and huge, there is also bell boy service at the entrance. An indicator that this is a true 5 star property. I hate the revolving doors that is so common in Europe.
At first I plan for 2 nights in Berlin, although in the end I decided to extend my stay in this amazing German city. For my stay, the rate was 130 Euros a night, or around 207 SGD. There is no wait at the lobby despite arriving in the peak period, there is also a priority line for elite members. The staff at the reception is extremely warm and polite. I was thank for my loyalty for being a gold member. Furthermore, I was given a sort of upgrade to an “Executive” room. The hotel was close to capacity and she inform me that she could either do an upgrade to a room with better view and larger or she could give me lounge access. Usually there is not much difference between the executive floors to a normal room anywhere. I choose the lounge seeing that the evening reception might be worth it. Furthermore she also extend access to the sauna given that it was my time in Berlin. She also went thru the details with me such as breakfast, spa and lounge timings. I was also given a late check out at 1pm.
My room is located on the 7th floor, just off the lift lobby, despite that I was never disturbed by any foot traffic. The common area looks fresh and new. I was in a King Guest Room, it is not very huge but well appointed. Immediately after entering the wardrobe and toilet is located on both sides of the corridor. I love the nice built in feature of the wardrobe, safe and the hairdryer. Slippers and bathrobe provided as well. The bathrobe is Super comfy and soft. Then you can find some luggage storage as well. Such an efficient use of space.
After entering the king size lush bed is to the right facing the tv set up and a mini bar. I love that a kettle is provided. Then you have the Hilton water provided in the fridge as well. I hate that the fridge is those with sensor kind and pack overpriced items. I would love it to be a balance and have some space for any items that you may want to place as well. The room also have a ton of natural light!
I love that the bed is lush and firm! I really love Hilton beds. Always comfortable and firm to my liking. It is also an actual double bed and not those form by combining two single bed which is so common in Europe. I love that they have outlets near the bed as well. Something perhaps to complain would be that the room looks rather dark especially in the evening.
The bathroom is spacious and new however a little old and badly designed, clearly showing its age. It is so easy to knock into things and all. The water pressure and temp control is excellent, definitely one of the best I have ever enjoyed. The toiletries offerings got to be one of the most comprehensive ones as well. There are both items from Crabtree and Evelyn as well as from Peter Thomas Roth. Which is the legacy brand of Hilton. I am also glad that the shower head is a removable one as well.
Then at the end of the room you can find a proper working desk, as well as a couch While outlets can be found around the place. You can’t find one at the desk. Weird. Wifi is strong and good.
The Executive lounge is located on the ground floor. Which is kind of weird that it is not on the executive floor. The lounge serves up snacks and drinks all day long and you can also have evening reception from 6pm to 8pm and breakfast from 6.30am to 10.30am, 7 to 11am on weekends. The lounge is pretty huge and spacious, with different seatings. I love that outlets is easy to find all around.
There is not much stuff in the afternoon, only some soft drinks, coffee and tea. There is also no bottled water as well, which in my opinion is a big no no for a good executive lounge. You can find some packaged snacks as well. With that being said, I still find that it is a nice cosy place to do some working.
I was also down for the evening receptions which starts from 6pm and it is super crowded. Evening receptions is always the most crowded session of a lounge. The selections is good and healthy and it can be a dinner substitute in my opinion. You are able to find some wraps, pita, sandwiches. There is also a hot fried items which is some broccoli cheese nuggets on my night. There is also a salad bar. I was pretty impressive by the offerings. You can also find cheese and a soup as well. The food is tasty and it also changes sightly day to day.
Drinks side you have some liquor and spirits. I love that they have some nice gins on offer and give you some tips on making your own creations. Nice bar area. Everything is self service. Besides the usual Soft drinks, juice, coffee and tea. Then you have some wine on offer which includes one white, one sparkling and a red. Of course while in Germany beer is never off the menu! One of the best lounge I ever been to, especially in Europe and United States!
Breakfast is offered daily in the restaurant on the second floor which is one of the nicest ever. Snag one of the window tables if you could. They are on a first come first serve basis. It have a perfect view of the Dom which is so idyllic. Breakfast is a crowded affair although the restaurant is huge so there is no wait.
Service is good and there are servers going around to offer drinks and even top up. This prevents crowding along the drink station. The coffee is good as the fresh OJ. You can also find some sparkling wine as well which is something to tell if breakfast is an affair that is worth getting up for!
The selection is generous as well and the food taste fresh and tasty. Besides the usual breakfast food items that you can expect to find, you can also find lots of speciality items and information on it. Such as the eggs benedict in a Jar as well as the freshly baked apple muffin. Breakfast is a treat everyday. I had fried eggs to egg white omelettes from the egg station and I was never disappointed. Being in Germany the bread station is a huge one as well. Sadly to say there is no variation from day to day. Overall still an awesome breakfast that I indulged in during my stay.
As mentioned earlier, I was given access to the sauna which include their indoor pool as well. This cost 20 Euros normally. The area was decent and I was out there for a swim as well as the steam roam and enjoyed it. This is one of the best and most memorable hotel stays I ever had. The price was fair for the quality and the location. You are literally in the hub of Berlin. Elite recognition is good as well and staff goes beyond and above. My money was well spent. Later in my stay, I was even further extended a late check out till 2.30pm. They also offered me to stay in the lounge after that for the day. Very awesome. I regret not extending further.
Seeing The World In Steps 