Off to Berlin, the city of creatives, edgy fashionistas dressed in black and overpriced matcha lattes. But where is the best place to stay if you don’t know your way around the oversized German capital? It’s simple: in the middle of Mitte, at the Hotel Amano, as our Senior Editor Josefine knows.
Somewhere in Berlin there must be a hidden magnet that magically attracts people not only from Germany, but from all over the world. Despite barren corners, stifling hot summers and freezing cold winters, the big city is still the destination and dream of all creative cosmopolitans. Even the funny TikToks, which satirically poke fun at the stereotypical inhabitants of the individual neighborhoods, don’t change that. On the contrary – they make me curious. Does no one really speak German and are they all unfriendly and dressed in gloomy outfits? I have to find out for myself, and there’s no better time to do so than during Berlin Fashion Week.
But where should you stay in the metropolis on the Spree to experience all its facets? Berlin is a good ten times bigger than Zurich and has almost 500 hotels to choose from. To avoid being overwhelmed by the sheer size, my sleeping quarters have to be so central that I can scatter in all directions. Of course, the Amano Group is the obvious choice. In Berlin Mitte alone, travelers can choose from five Amano hotels. Two more are located near the main train station and one in Friedrichshain. My choice is the Amano Hotel in Mitte, the very first hotel in the group, which was the starting point for Amano’s roots in Berlin in 2009.
It couldn’t be more central: if you arrive by subway or streetcar, you only need to walk a few steps to reach the stylish lobby, where a bar invites you to linger. Dark velvet fabrics, warm lighting and the odd colorful decorative giraffe make the Amano unmistakable.
The hotel has also thought of the stressed and introverted among us: you can check in online in advance. You can then complete the check-in yourself at reception, including a digital key on your smartphone. If a little human interaction is required, the staff will be happy to help.
Room, apartment, penthouse?
Ideally, in a big city, you’re out and about from early in the morning until late at night, stumbling from café to museum to restaurant to bar until your feet and legs give out. But that doesn’t mean that the interior of the hotel room doesn’t matter. The Amano offers everything from cozy rooms to luxurious penthouses. I opted for the middle ground: the L apartment. I don’t really feel like cooking myself, but the elegant black kitchenette is nothing to sneeze at. There’s no shortage of space: a living room with a comfy sofa bed tempts you to either chill out for far too long or spread out all your shopping haul on it. Good thing, as is usual in an apartment, there is a separate bedroom with even more space. The highlight of the sleek mini apartment? Both rooms have access to the balcony with a view of the TV tower.
Even if I’m on the hunt for 20,000 steps, the best vintage finds and the most hyped restaurants: Nothing beats a spacious place where you can put your feet up for a few hours in the evening. As I had a record-breakingly hot day during my stay, I was quite happy to return to my room for a bit of a cool-down and siesta. Because as beautiful as summer in Berlin is, nobody wants to stroll around between concrete buildings at 38 degrees.
If you don’t want to set off without a plan, you’ll be familiar with it: Google Maps becomes an illegible jumble of countless markers with hotspots you want to visit: bars, restaurants, museums, stores, the odd tourist attraction… Some may have put the Amano on this list, even though they don’t actually sleep there. The hotel’s rooftop bar not only attracts hotel guests, but also anyone else who wants to spend a balmy summer night with a drink in their hand and a view of Berlin-Mitte.
Bonus points: My Berlin Must Dos around the Amano
Because I’ve declared myself an insider after just a few days, here are a few tips for anyone who wants to explore the area around Amano: Café Acid is located directly opposite Amano. If you can’t start the day without an overpriced cold brew specialty filter coffee, you’ll be in paradise within seconds. If you’re looking for more unusual matcha creations, 738 Krema is just a few steps away. They don’t just serve matcha, but also provide regular supplies of Labubus and other Popmart goodies for anyone who has fallen for the hype. Also on Auguststraße is do you read me?!, a magazine and book store that you have to drag me out of again. For even more consumer pleasures, you can wander around the nearby Hackescher Markt. And once you’ve finished shopping, the Prenzlauer Berg area is within walking distance – the one with the wealthy organic hippie families and a bit too much gentrification but the most beautiful buildings – for endless strolling and bar hopping.
Where else are we going and what are we taking with us? You can find out in our Travel Trends.
Want to get your own impression of Berlin? Then choose your favorite Amano lead here.
Teaser: © Amano / Benno Kraehahn
