Hotel AGON Opera - Berlin, Germany     

T The hotel is situated on the ku.damn the main shopping street in berlin, not exactly in the centre, but when you can take a bus into the main tourist area [about 6 minutes away] thats not really an issue. The bus stop is immediatly outside the hotel on a small island , and the nearest metro or u bahn, is about 250 metres away [ turn left outside the front door]. buses are punctual and frequent, and run til at least 12pm on most routes, if not later. I would recommend buying a tagescart , or daycard, which gives unlimited trave on buses ubahn and the faster sbahn for one day. The hotel has a small reception area,which is staffed 24hrs a day by mostly helpful staff who speak excellent english. Apart from a small utility room downstairs used for stoage of checked out luggage,and a somewhat expensive internet option, there are no other communal facilities. The rooms are accessable by two smallish lifts or a curly staicase to the right of the lifts. The room I stayed in was of a reasonably high standard,if a little basic, with a double bed, walk in warbrobe with safe, and smallish en-suite with a good shower/bath. Towels are provided. Overall the rooms could probably benefit from a spruce up. The double glazing is effective at blocking out most traffic noise from the nearby busy road junction. About my only gripe concerns the top floor breakfast bar, which although possesing excellent views of the street below ,can be a bit of a bun fight firstt thing in the morning, with only 24 tables. Latecomers to breakfast are made less than welcome by the slightly abrupt serving staff, and may be out of luck with certain items of a mostly reasonable choice and quality continental breakfast. Overall I felt the hotel was a good base from which to visit the city, provided you dont mind eating out every night.