Terry H.
Yelp
Though I'm giving only 3 stars as a rating, this is still my preferred Berlin hotel and will continue to use it.
Previous reviewers have pointed out some obvious shortcomings. The furnishings can be at times a little worn, and the walls in our room on the most recent stay had smudges beside the light switches and a couple of unrepaired "divots". Since all my stays so far have been in May, I've not suffered for lack of air conditioning, but I can understand those who say they've missed it in the summer. The smoke from the cigar bar could be detected on our floor (labeled a nonsmoking floor) - I really didn't mind it (it was "noticeable" but not strong), but I understand the problem it poses for others. The breakfast, praised by many reviewers, seems over-priced to me.
But for me the positives still outweigh all this. Our rooms have always been of decent size, with a separated seating & writing area, and lots of storage space. The bathrooms are clean, roomy, and modern. The room prices are not high for a major city, particularly for a hotel in such an advantageous location. The Zoologischer Garten train station (U-Bahn, S-Bahn, Regional Rail, and Buses) is right nearby, as is KuDamm with its shopping, including KaDeWe. It's a very easy walk to Savignyplatz, with a wide range of interesting and reasonably priced restaurants. The hotel has "settled charm" and character -- it's not a modern chrome & terrazzo decor -- and that block of Fasanenstraße is relatively quiet at night. Finally, I've found the staff always to be friendly, efficient, and professional.
Summary: I agree that the hotel has more stars displayed at its entrance than it may in fact deserve, but I find the quality to be in line with the room prices and that the outstanding central location more than compensates for the shortcomings.