Mitte / Auguststrasse

Hotel AMANO Berlin-Mitte

★★★★★

Hotel AMANO opened in 2009 as the first hotel of the Berlin-born AMANO group, and it helped define what a smart, affordable design hotel in Mitte could be. It sits on Auguststrasse, the street at the heart of the Scheunenviertel gallery quarter, between Rosenthaler Platz and Hackescher Markt, and you could hardly ask for a better location for exploring the old East Berlin centre on foot. The street is lined with galleries, courtyards, cafes and restaurants, Torstrasse with its bars and restaurants is around the corner, and Museum Island, the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Strasse and Alexanderplatz are all within walking distance or a short tram ride. The interiors mix velvet, dark wood floors and gold accents in the group's signature style, and the room choice is unusually wide. At the small end there are cosy single rooms and comfy rooms with a king-size bed or two singles; then come the apartments, which are the hotel's real strength, from S and M apartments of around twenty-five square metres to L apartments of up to sixty square metres with a sofa bed, some with balconies, and XL apartments of seventy to ninety square metres with two king-size beds, as well as a penthouse with its own terrace. That range makes it a rare boutique hotel that works for a solo traveller, a couple and a small family alike. The AMANO Bar is one of the best-known hotel bars in Mitte, with a serious cocktail list, and in summer the rooftop terrace beside it opens with views over the rooftops. There is also Cafe AMANO for daytime coffee and a quiet courtyard garden. Breakfast is served every morning, and the hotel is cashless.

Who it suits: couples who want a stylish base in the most walkable part of Mitte, with good bars and restaurants on every side; art lovers, who will be surrounded by galleries; and small families or friends sharing, who should look at the L and XL apartments. It is less suited to travellers looking for big hotel facilities such as a pool or spa, and rooms at the smaller end are compact.

Living in it: choose an apartment if you are staying more than a couple of nights or travelling with children, as the extra space and sofa beds make a real difference. Book a table or arrive early at the AMANO Bar on weekend evenings, and in summer head up to the rooftop terrace for a drink at sunset. Use the trams on Torstrasse and the U-Bahn at Rosenthaler Platz for the rest of the city, and walk to Museum Island and Hackescher Markt. Parking is in an underground garage at a daily charge with advance reservation, and the hotel does not accept cash anywhere on site, so bring a card. Check-out is at noon, which gives a relaxed last morning.

Value: Hotel AMANO is priced in the middle range for central Berlin and offers more style and better bars than most hotels at its level. Remember that Berlin adds a City Tax of 7.5 percent of the net room price, so check whether your rate includes it. For a design-led, walkable base in the gallery quarter of Mitte, with room types for almost every kind of traveller, it remains one of the city's most reliable choices.