Berlin is a multifaceted, multicultural metropolis where everyone can feast on the smorgasbord of life: from tangible history to cutting-edge architecture, vast swathes of green to urban grit. The city’s vast cultural, artistic, gastronomic and entertainment offerings cater for every taste, budget and age group. A stay in one of the city’s numerous boutique hotels will instantly make you feel like you are part of this amazing international village where everyone follows the laissez-faire credo of ‘live and let live.’ Berlin truly is the city of freedom.
Mitte is where glamour meets grit. While staying in a [boutique hotel in the Mitte district] of Berlin, you can comfortably reach all the blockbuster attractions, like the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie and Holocast Memorial, by foot or by public transport. The Casa Camper Berlin is a fine choice when picking a boutique hotel to stay at in Mitte because of its superb location, contemporary design and trendy yet comfortable suites. The Gendarmenmarkt, bookended by the domed 18th century French and German cathedrals, is Berlin at its most glamorous. The ritzy square is lined with chic restaurants and bars, swanky shopping malls like the Galeries Lafayette, as well as luxury design hotels.
Charlottenburg boats countless stylish boutique hotels that emulate the elegance of the area, and put you right in the center of this cultural and shopping paradise. The exquisiteness of the salon rooms at the Henri Hotel Berlin Kurfürstendamm will make you feel like royalty and is the perfect place to call home while staying in Berlin’s Charlottenburg district. Once the glittering heart of West Berlin during the cold war, Charlottenburg is just as dazzling today as it was then. Kufürstendamm is Berlin’s most popular and biggest shopping boulevard. Kaufhaus des Westens, better known as KaDeWe, second only to Harrods in London, became the symbol of the material prosperity of West Berlin versus that of the East. Since its re-opening in 1950, it attracts around 50,000 visitors to its 60,000 square meters of shopping space over seven floors daily. Shoppers can splash out on luxury goods by Bulgari, Burberry, Cartier, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and more. Another major sightseeing attraction is Schloss Charlottenburg, reflecting the grandeur of the Hohenzollern family that ruled the region until 1918. Initially built to be a summer retreat, it is particularly exquisite to visit the palace with its sprawling gardens in the summer time, so it’s best to invest in a day pass and get there early.
What used to be royal hunting grounds until the 18th century, Tiergarten is today one of the world’s largest urban parks. The park is bisected by the Strasse des 17 Juni, the western continuation of the boulevard Unter den Linden. It takes about an hour to walk across the entire park, but the journey is well worth the effort because of the historical sites you’ll see along the way, like the Brandenburg Gate, Siegesäule and Bundeskanzleramt. A great way to explore both the green spaces, impressive sites and shopping destinations of this part of the city is a stay in one of Tiergarten’s charming boutique hotels. If you want to shop till you drop, head to the centrally-located Postdamer Platz Arkaden and Mall of Berlin, which house upscale lables like Mandarina Duck and Wolford, as well as huge fashion chains like Zara and H&M. With its futuristic architecture reminiscent of the Big Apple, Potsdamer Platz tempts visitors with mall shopping, classical music, arts and culture.