Sean H.
Yelp
Had a 4 night stay here recently and it was adequate, but nothing special.
The positives,
* moderately priced,
* just steps to the nearest ubahn (U2 line) stop, a mall, and numerous restaurants.
* Walking distance (10 minutes or so) to museums, checkpoint Charlie area, and the Brandenburg gate/Reichstag, and shopping.
* Staff is very friendly :) , helpful, and English speaking
* Large bank of elevators and whimsical atmosphere
The "meh"
* accommodations are just average (shower situation in our room was strange)
* the location, while easily accessible, isn't very scenic or especially exciting. It's a relatively new area, but has the vibe of a drab business park and caters to a traveler more comfortable with chain restaurants and shops.
The bad
* inattentive room staff: you receive a complimentary bottle of water when you arrive, but that's the last one you'll get. All of the other hotels we stayed in during our trip replaced this daily, among other amenities. They also never filled the soap or shampoo dispensers in our shower.
* climate control is limited and cumbersome. Granted it may not be an issue for some, but the weather was hit and muggy during our stay. To access the the AC you have to use the TV menu (wtf? How is that convenient?) in addition, it only allows you to adjust to 22c (71.2f). I set it yo its lowest setting and never once felt the benefit. It was uncomfortable without leaving the window wide open which lets in a lot of bright light and noise during the night
* noise! Omg, as mentioned, if it's warm during your stay you'll need the windows open to sleep comfortably. There is a casino and a few major streets that seem to invite high performance (think modified and obnoxiously loud) cars and motorbikes to scream through the echoing canyon of buildings at all hours (primarily on the weekends). Throw in the frequent emergency vehicle siren and you've got a recipe for insomnia.(* note I lived in San Francisco proper and never had noise issues like these)
* it's a busy hotel with a lot of conference traffic
Overall, if you don't plan to spend a lot of time in the hotel, are comfortable with warmer/stagnant air at night or aren't affected by nightly drag races, than this hotel will suffice. But Berlin is simply massive, so you may want to research exactly what it is you most want from your trip and then find a hotel better situated (and with better accommodations) to match.