Luxury Escape Awaits: Best Western Spittelmarkt, Berlin!
Luxury Escape Awaits: Best Western Spittelmarkt, Berlin - A Frankly Honest Review (and My Sanity Check!)
Okay, buckle up, buttercups! Because I just got back from the Best Western Spittelmarkt in Berlin, and let me tell you, it's a mixed bag of "OMG this is fantastic!" and "…well, that was weird." This isn't your sterile, corporate robot review; this is me, unfiltered, and desperately trying to process the experience. Let's dive in, shall we?
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- Description: A brutally honest and detailed review of the Best Western Spittelmarkt in Berlin, covering everything from accessibility and amenities to dining and my own personal sanity check. Prepare for a rollercoaster of opinions!
First Impressions & Getting There (The "Ugh, Jet Lag" Phase):
Landing in Berlin, bleary-eyed and desperate for a shower, is always an adventure. The Spittelmarkt location seemed ideal – close to public transport, which I was thrilled about since my sense of direction is about zero. The Airport transfer, thankfully, was smooth as silk (thank you, Best Western!). Though, the ride did include a driver singing along to a polka CD. It added to charm of Berlin, even though I didn't understand anything.
Accessibility - The Good, the Slightly Clunky, and the "Hmm…":
- Wheelchair Accessible: The hotel boasts "Facilities for disabled guests". And I saw elevators, yay! Important note: While they say accessible, I didn't personally experience it from a wheelchair perspective. So, I'm relying on what I saw and what I read: wide hallways, and elevators. However, I'd strongly advise contacting the hotel directly to confirm specific room accessibility details before you book. I always do this, and this review should be the same.
- Other Accessibility Stuff: They had ramps and I didn't see any stairs, but the devil is in the details. Make sure to double-check!
The Internet & Tech Shenanigans (My Constant Panic):
- Free Wi-Fi in all rooms! Praise be! And it actually worked! I could send emails, even stream a few shows, which is practically a miracle in my experience.
- Internet [LAN]: I didn't try the LAN. Who uses that anymore?? (Okay, maybe some of you do…).
- Wi-Fi in public areas: Strong signal. Even strong enough to upload a video of the pigeons outside the hotel, which is a feat in itself.
Rooms, Glorious Rooms (and the Occasional Sigh):
- Available in all rooms: Air conditioning (bless), Alarm clock, Bathrobes (fancy!), Bathtub (yes!), Blackout curtains (needed!), Carpeting, Closet, Coffee/tea maker (essential!), Complimentary tea, Daily housekeeping (AMAZING), Desk, Extra long bed (appreciated!), Free bottled water (always!), Hair dryer (thank you!), High floor (was a bonus!), In-room safe box, Interconnecting room(s) available (good for families!), Internet access – LAN (again, for the dinosaurs…), Internet access – wireless (see above! - it works!), Ironing facilities, Laptop workspace, Linens, Mini bar (tempting!), Mirror, Non-smoking, On-demand movies, Private bathroom, Reading light, Refrigerator, Safety/security feature, Satellite/cable channels, Scale (gulp), Seating area (nice!), Separate shower/bathtub, Shower, Slippers, Smoke detector, Socket near the bed (hallelujah!), Sofa, Soundproofing, Telephone, Toiletries (decent!), Towels, Umbrella, Visual alarm, Wake-up service, Wi-Fi [free], Window that opens.
- My Room's Quirks: My room was… well, it was a room. Clean, comfortable, and thankfully, quiet (soundproofing FTW!). The bed was divine. Seriously, I could have stayed in it for a week. However, the "room decorations" were…minimalist. Like, "a single, slightly sad-looking print on the wall" minimalist. I swear, I half expected a post-it note with the word "EXIST" scrawled on it instead of art.
- The "Oh Crap, Don't Panic" Moment:I completely forgot my phone charger. Panic! But the lovely staff quickly solved the issue.
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking (My Favorite Category!):
- Breakfast [buffet]: The buffet was a thing. A glorious, sprawling thing. Seriously, if you're a breakfast person, you'll be in heaven. Western breakfast, Asian breakfast—they had it all. Eggs, bacon, pastries, yogurt, fruit, the works. The coffee was… well, it was coffee. (I'm a coffee snob, okay?)
- Restaurants: Multiple options onsite. I ate at the main restaurant, and it was…fine. The food was good. But I felt a bit sad. It was my first meal alone. I have to learn to be more comfortable with my own company.
- Bar: The bar was decent for a nightcap, and it had a lovely, relaxing atmosphere. Happy hour was a definite plus.
- Poolside Bar: I didn't use this, but, it added more variety.
Things to Do & Ways to Relax (Spa Day Dreams… Mostly):
- Fitness center: I thought about going… but the bed was calling my name. Maybe next time.
- Spa/sauna: A whole Spa! Sadly, my jetlag took a turn for the worse when I decided to go to the sauna and I took a nap.
- Swimming pool [outdoor]: I was not in the mood for an outdoor pool.
Cleanliness and Safety (Because, You Know, Pandemic):
- Anti-viral cleaning products: Good to know!
- Hand sanitizer: Everywhere.
- Staff trained in safety protocol: They seemed to be doing their job.
- Rooms sanitized between stays: reassuring.
Services and Conveniences (The Little Niceties):
- Concierge: They were helpful with directions and recommendations.
- Daily housekeeping: Essential. My room was spotless every day.
- Cashless payment service: Very convenient.
- Elevator: a needed service.
- Food delivery: I didn't use.
- Gift/souvenir shop: I wandered through.
- Laundry service: Essential.
- Luggage storage: Helpful.
For the Kids (I Didn't Have Any, But…):
- Family/child friendly: Seemed so.
- Babysitting service: Available!
Getting Around (My Personal Struggle):
- Airport transfer: Excellent.
- Car park [on-site]: Available.
- Taxi service: readily available.
Overall Impression (The Real Deal):
The Best Western Spittelmarkt in Berlin is a solid choice. It’s not perfect. (Is anything?), but it's clean, comfortable, well-located, and offers a good range of amenities. The staff were friendly and helpful, the breakfast was excellent, and the Wi-Fi actually worked! However, remember to double-check specific accessibility needs before booking and manage your expectations on room decor.
Would I go back? Yes, I probably would! It’s a good base for exploring Berlin, and that bed alone is worth the price of admission. Just maybe next time, I'll bring a cheerful print to put on the wall. And maybe master the sauna. And definitely practice not being so awkward when I'm with myself. Until next time, Berlin!
Havelock Island Paradise: Senses Resort's Unforgettable EscapeAlright, here's a "real" travel itinerary for a stay at the Best Western Hotel am Spittelmarkt in Berlin. Buckle up, it's gonna be less "precise itinerary" and more "disaster I'm probably going to remember for life."
Day 1: Arrival & The Great Currywurst Quest (Spoiler: I Failed) & Existential Fridge Feelings
- 10:00 AM (ish): Arrive at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). Okay, so the flight itself was… an experience. Let’s just say the woman next to me kept practicing her ukulele, and I'm pretty sure I heard the entire plot of a rom-com in the seat behind me. Berlin, here I am! Now, the airport… well, let's be honest, it's trying. It's trying to be modern. It's just… not quite there yet. Wandering through the terminals made me feel like I was in a real-life Escher drawing.
- 11:30 AM: Taxi to the Best Western am Spittelmarkt. Smooth ride… until the taxi driver decided to explain the entire history of the city through aggressive hand gestures. Bless his heart.
- 12:30 PM: Check-in. The hotel lobby… okay, it's not winning any design awards, but the staff is friendly. My room? Decent. More importantly, it has a mini-fridge. A mini-fridge. Suddenly, the world feels full of possibilities!
- 1:00 PM: Unpack. Or, more accurately, attempt to unpack. My suitcase is a black hole of chaos. I swear this place is bigger on the inside, I just know it is.
- 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM: The Great Currywurst Quest Begins! (and ends in tears, almost literally.) I'm convinced my first mission in Berlin is to find the perfect Currywurst. So, fueled by an intense desire for spicy sausage and the desperate need to feel "authentically Berliner," I set out. Armed with Google Maps and a heart full of hope, I wandered into a place that looked promising. It wasn't. The sauce was… well, a sugary disappointment. I sat. I stared at it. It stared back. I then ran to the next place. Still not it!
- 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM: Back at the hotel. Staring at the mini-fridge. Deciding on a Coke. I probably should've gotten water, but I'm a mess and need a sugar rush! I did have the most intense moment. I stared into the cold darkness of the fridge, and the possibilities of the next few days washed over me. A sense of wonder and freedom combined with the realization that I would have to be completely responsible for myself in a strange place.
- 7:00 PM: Dinner. Found a "traditional" German restaurant nearby. The food was heavy, rich, and… incredibly delicious. I ordered the schnitzel. (It was more than enough to cry about, and I almost did.)
Day 2: History & A Slight Catastrophic Public Transit Experience
- 9:00 AM: Breakfast at the hotel. (Okay, the breakfast is pretty good. They have good bread!).
- 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM: History Time! First stop: The Brandenburg Gate. Holy crap. It is big. I may or may not have stood there for a good fifteen minutes just staring, half-convinced it was going to morph into a giant Transformer. The history is heavy, the weight of things I didn't know crushing me.
- 1:00 PM: Head back to the hotel.
- 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM: Lunch. A little cafe near the hotel. People-watching. I love it.
- 3:00 PM: Attempt to ride the U-Bahn. I will be honest: I feel like public transportation is a language I don't understand at all. After navigating through the confusing world of ticket machines and crowds, I managed to get onto the wrong platform, and then the wrong train. I finally found the right one, but nearly missed getting off at my stop. It was a comedy of errors.
- 4:00 PM: Recovering in my hotel room with a book and a massive cup of tea.
- 7:00 PM: Dinner. Tonight, I treated myself to a pizza. It was glorious.
- 8:00 PM: I'm in my room, watching something dumb on the TV.
Day 3: The East Side Gallery & Existential Reflections in the Rain
- 9:00 AM: Breakfast. More bread. More happiness.
- 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM: The East Side Gallery. The sheer scale of the artwork, the history it contained… it's overwhelming. I spent hours just wandering and letting the art sink in. I even met a pigeon with a limp. He just sat there watching.
- 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Lunch. Soup and a beer.
- 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Rain. It started to rain. And I mean really rain. It changed everything. I spent those few hours holed up in a bookstore, browsing through books in German I couldn't possibly read, the rain drumming on the roof, and I had a moment. A full-on, soul-searching, what-am-I-doing-with-my-life moment! Life is beautiful, it is terrifying, and I'm just utterly alone in this crowded city.
- 7:00 PM - Dinner. Back to that "traditional" German restaurant. This trip is a rollercoaster.
Day 4: Departure & the Epilogue of the Mini-Fridge
- 9:00 AM: Breakfast. The last breakfast. I'm gonna miss the bread.
- 10:00 AM: Pack. (This time, I use 1/2 the bag. Why is packing so hard?!)
- 11:00 AM: Check out. Okay, so the hotel staff is still friendly.
- 12:00 PM: Taxi to BER. The taxi driver this time was talking about the weather.
- 1:00 PM: Arrive at the airport.
- 2:00 PM: I made sure to buy a few cans of Coke for the road.
- 3:00 PM: The flight departs.
- (Forever): The Verdict on the Best Western am Spittelmarkt: It's a solid, convenient base. The mini-fridge was a godsend. Berlin? It’s a city that will get under your skin. I'm sure I'll be back, with a better plan, maybe a partner to share the journey, and maybe even a better sense of where the Currywurst is actually hiding…or maybe I will just wander around and wait.
And that’s my trip. (If you managed to read the whole thing, you deserve a medal.) It wasn't perfect, it was occasionally chaotic, and it was full of those little moments that make travel so… memorable. Now, I need a nap.
Jodhpur's Hidden Gem: The Prem Beacon Hotel (Luxury Awaits!)Luxury Escape Awaits: Best Western Spittelmarkt, Berlin? (My Brain Dump!)
Okay, spill. Was the "Luxury Escape" at the Best Western Spittelmarkt actually... luxurious? (And less boring than the hotel website, please!)
Alright, alright, settle down. "Luxury Escape"... Well, let's just say my expectations were *high*. Berlin! Culture! History! And a Best Western? Hmm. Luxury, in a slightly… budget-conscious way? You know? They *try*. The lobby – it's decent. Modern-ish. Not exactly Versailles, but hey, it had a certain "efficient German" vibe. Think clean lines, a smattering of designer furniture, and a slightly stressed-looking receptionist (bless her heart, she was working HARD).
The room itself? Better than I expected, honestly. Spacious enough, definitely clean, and the bed... oh, the bed. Actually, that bed was the *best* thing. Seriously, I could have happily stayed in that bed for a week and just ordered room service. Which brings me to... room service. More on that later. Let's just say it's a mixed bag.
So, luxury-level? Maybe not. Comfortable, convenient, and a decent base of operations for exploring Berlin? Absolutely. But ditch the "escape" tagline unless your idea of escapism involves escaping your messy apartment for a well-made, clean bed. And the free coffee? Saved my sanity every morning.
Let's talk location. Is it a good base for seeing the sights or am I gonna be stuck in a concrete jungle?
Location, location, location! This is a *major* win for Spittelmarkt. Seriously, it's pretty darn good. Right on the Spree… sort of. You can easily walk to Museum Island, which is a HUGE deal if you're into that. The Brandenburg Gate? A manageable walk, or a quick train ride (the U-Bahn is your friend!). Alexanderplatz? Close enough. Honestly, I felt like I could practically *smell* history, which is a weird thing to say, but Berlin has this… *vibe*. Plus, there are tons of little cafes and restaurants nearby. So, not a concrete jungle, more like… centrally located concrete jungle *adjacent*. Perfect for exploring and then collapsing back into that amazing bed.
One slight downside? The area can get a little… quiet at night. Not dead quiet, but definitely not buzzing with nightlife. Unless you're into the quiet life, then you are *golden*. Me? I can appreciate quiet, but sometimes I enjoy a bit of a buzz. Still, it's a small price to pay for the convenience of being able to easily get to everything else.
The breakfast! The make-or-break of any hotel stay. What's the goss on the breakfast buffet?
Okay, the breakfast. This is where things get a little… complicated. The buffet itself? Solid. Lots of choices, which is always a good sign. You've got your eggs (scrambled, mostly. Occasionally fried, but don't expect perfection), sausages (the German ones are generally excellent), bacon (hit or miss, sometimes perfect, sometimes… limp), pastries (some good, some... not so good), and a decent selection of fruit, cereals, and yogurt. The coffee, as I mentioned, is glorious, and the juice is freshly squeezed (or at least, that's what they *say*).
My *biggest* issue? The *atmosphere*. It can be… intense. Think slightly stressed-looking people, clutching their plates, desperately trying to find a table. It's a popular place to stay. It’s like a human buffet, except you're the buffet and everyone is eyeing your seat. I found myself getting a little… territorial over my hard-won breakfast. I mean, I'm not proud of it, but I did once subtly nudge a person away from my favorite croissant. Don't judge me! I'm a croissant aficionado! So, good breakfast? Yes. Relaxing breakfast? Potentially not. Get there early, or resign yourself to a slightly stressful start to your day.
Any hidden gems or secret tips about the hotel? The internet tells me nothing but marketing drivel.
Alright, here's the lowdown: Don't bother with the hotel gym. It's… *tiny*. And probably not worth the effort unless you're seriously committed to your fitness routine. Better to just explore the city! My personal pro-tip? There's a little supermarket (Edeka) just around the corner. Perfect for stocking up on snacks and water. Save you a fortune, believe me! And if you're feeling adventurous, try the currywurst from the street vendor. It's a Berlin institution! (Just don't expect gourmet dining from the vendor!).
Oh! The elevators! They can be… slow. Especially during peak times. Be prepared to wait, or take the stairs if you're feeling energetic. More importantly, try to get a room on a higher floor. Less noise! And a slightly (very slightly) better view. Otherwise, its the basic needs, clean, and functional. The staff can be hit or miss on English, so brush up on your basic German phrases!
Room service! The ultimate test of hotel luxury. Worth it, or a robbery?
Ah, room service. The siren song of the lazy traveler. Okay, here's the deal: The menu is *limited*. Don't expect Michelin-star quality. Mostly basic stuff: burgers, pasta, salads. The prices are… well, they are hotel prices. But, here’s the thing. I ordered a burger one night. A *very* late night, after a few too many Berliner Weisses. And… it arrived. Eventually. Like, 45 minutes later. And the burger? It wasn't *bad*. It was… edible. But it was also a little… sad. A lone burger, on a plate, with a few (sad) fries. It was the epitome of "meh".
The real problem was the feeling of… disappointment. I'd been envisioning a glorious room service experience. A fluffy robe! A perfectly-cooked burger! But instead, I got a burger that tasted of regret. And slightly cold fries. Definitely not worth the price. My advice? Skip room service. Grab a Currywurst from a vendor at the nearby train station instead. Your stomach (and your wallet) will thank you.
Overall verdict? Would you go back?
Okay, the verdict. Would I go back? Hmm… Honestly? Probably. It’s not going to win any awards for pure *luxury*. But the location is fantastic. The bed is divine. The breakfast, while a bit chaotic, is decent. The staff, even when stressed, are generally helpful. It’s a solid, reliable option. A good base forParkwood Inn & Suites: Your Dream US Getaway Awaits!