Mitte / Hackescher Markt

Adina Apartment Hotel Berlin Hackescher Markt

★★★★★

The Adina Apartment Hotel Berlin Hackescher Markt solves the biggest problem families face in central Berlin: finding space without leaving the centre. It stands on An der Spandauer Bruecke, a quiet street close to the Spree, a couple of minutes on foot from Hackescher Markt station and the Hackesche Hoefe courtyards, and within an easy walk of Museum Island, Berlin Cathedral, the Humboldt Forum and Alexanderplatz. Everything is built around self-contained units, 145 in all, each with its own kitchen. Studios of around thirty square metres sleep two, with an open-plan kitchen, and the Studio Premier rooms add a private terrace. The one-bedroom apartments and one-bedroom family apartments, at around forty-seven square metres, sleep two or three, and the two-bedroom apartments of around sixty-five square metres sleep four or five and come with a private terrace. Kitchens are fully equipped, typically with a hob, fridge, microwave and dishwasher, so you can make breakfast, prepare snacks for children or cook a simple dinner after a long day of sightseeing. Laundry facilities are available in all apartments except the studios, and a ground-floor laundry room runs around the clock. The hotel also has a complimentary sauna and gym open from early morning until late evening, and breakfast is served daily at the Alto Bar for those who prefer not to cook. Reception is staffed twenty-four hours, baby cots and interconnecting rooms can be requested, and there is an underground garage with electric-vehicle charging points.

Who it suits: families above all, who get separate bedrooms, a kitchen and a washing machine in the middle of Mitte; groups of friends sharing a two-bedroom apartment; and longer-stay travellers who want the independence of an apartment with the services of a hotel. Couples will find the studios comfortable and well located, though there is no restaurant or bar scene in the hotel itself.

Living in it: book a two-bedroom apartment for a family of four, which gives everyone room and a private terrace, and ask for baby cots or interconnecting rooms at the time of booking. Shop for breakfast supplies at the supermarkets around Hackescher Markt and Alexanderplatz on your first day. Walk to Museum Island in a few minutes and use Hackescher Markt station for the S-Bahn to the Zoo, the Reichstag and Potsdamer Platz. The underground garage charges a daily fee and has a height limit, so check it if you are driving a large vehicle. Check-in is from mid-afternoon and check-out in the late morning, and because reception is staffed around the clock, late arrivals after an evening flight or train are easy.

Value: apartment rates are in the middle range for central Berlin and work out well for families compared with booking two hotel rooms, especially once you factor in the kitchen. Berlin adds a City Tax of 7.5 percent of the net room price, so check whether your rate includes it. For a spacious, practical family base within walking distance of Museum Island and the old centre, it is one of the best choices in Berlin.