Motel One Berlin-Alexanderplatz - Berlin, Germany     

This was my first stay at the Alexanderplatz location, but rarely my first trip to Berlin - I travel there often on business. The Motel One Alexanderplatz is located right at this famous square, and thus within walking distance to many businesses and tourist attractions. Public transport connections are excellent - there is hardly a more central place to stay in Berlin. The rooms are small but nicely furnished (including a flat screen TV with built-in DVD player, granite-and-tiles designer bathrooms) and excellently soundproofed. The hotel opened in 2007, so everything is new and spotlessly clean. There is no minibar and no in-room telephones. This ties in with the concept that you pay for your room at check-in (all major cards accepted), so there are no queues at check-out. you just drop the key card. In-room Internet is available for a fee, as is a public Internet terminal next to the lobby. The spacious lobby offers free wireless Internet access (WiFi), drinks and snacks in the evenings. In the morning, the buffet breakfast (6.50 Euros) is served there. The hotel does not have a restaurant, but there are numerous restaurants around the Alexanderplatz square, as well as all major fast food chains located in the train station - so you will not go hungry. The hotel offers very good value for money. I would recommend it both to tourists and business travelers to Berlin who like very good, centrally located accommodation at an affordable price. If you look for room service, a spa or other luxuries, this "two star superior" hotel is not for you.

The spanking brand-new Motel One in Alexanderplatz is definitely the prettiest hotel we stayed at during our trip through Germany, especially if what you like is ultra-modern decor. I was surprised by the hotel lobby, which was decorated in a shocking but beautiful electric blue, contrasted with dark wood flooring and shiny metallic lamps. All in the latest design, which is the high point of the hotel inside of the rooms, as well. The bathrooms are lovely, with spacious black-stoned showers, ultra-modern sinks, electric blue curtains and bedding, that are in the best taste. A flat-screen TV with dozens of channels in many languages. The lights in the hotel hallways slowly change color and seem like skylights. So as you wait for the elevator, you go from blue to purple to pink to white light. Very funky. The lobby has tons of places to sit and relax in huge designer armchairs, and the location is unbeatable, steps from Alexanderplatz, and of course a train station to get anywhere you need. The down points were there, too, unfortunately: the number one problem for me was that there was construction noise. Pounding hammers from an unknown location, the building next door is currently being built (August 2007) and the street outside our window was being jackhammered for some reason that looked major. Having said that, I imagine that within a year at the most, all of these noise sources will have disappeared, and the basic street noise was little to none, with good windows to block it out. So maybe wait till 2008 to stay here. Most of that noise was only during the day, too, so if you don't need a siesta, no worries! We only stayed one night, so we had no trouble space-wise, but if you were to stay here more than 2-3 nights, I can see that space would be a MAJOR major problem. There was nowhere to put anything at all. Just a tiny metal rack with 4-5 hangers, and then two chairs. Other than that you would have to use the floor for storage space, and even that was scarce. So for our one night stay no big deal, but if you needed to let your luggage explode into a mess, it would be impossible at Motel One. So, highly recommended, but for a stay of less than 3 nights!