Friedrichshain / Spree riverside

nhow Berlin

★★★★★

nhow Berlin is the hotel for travellers who want their stay to feel like Berlin's creative side rather than its imperial one. It stands right on the bank of the Spree on Stralauer Allee in Friedrichshain, in the Osthafen, the former eastern harbour whose warehouses and wharves have become one of Berlin's media and creative quarters, and it was conceived from the start as a music hotel. The building is unmistakable, with a cantilevered upper section jutting out over the river, and the interiors by the New York designer Karim Rashid are a riot of pink, purple, curves, geometric prints and glossy surfaces, starting with the famous pink lobby. Behind the look is a genuine music offer. The hotel has two professional recording studios and a recording booth used by touring artists and bands, and guests can order an electric guitar and amplifier to their room through room service, a signature touch that has become part of the hotel's legend. There is also a rooftop jukebox and a programme of music events. Rooms are modern and colourful, and many look out over the Spree, which is the view to ask for. Envy Bar, with its river views, is the place for a drink, and the hotel has a 24-hour gym with cardio machines and free weights, a sauna and an on-site spa. The location is excellent for the east side of the city: the East Side Gallery and the Oberbaum Bridge are a short walk upriver, the bars and clubs of Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg are minutes away, and Warschauer Strasse and Ostbahnhof stations put Alexanderplatz and Mitte within easy reach by S-Bahn.

Who it suits: couples and friends who want design, music and nightlife, rather than marble and chandeliers; music lovers, who will enjoy the studios and the guitar room service; and first-time visitors who plan to spend their evenings in Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg and their days on the Wall trail. It is a big, lively hotel that also hosts conferences, so it is less suited to travellers who want a small, quiet boutique stay, and families may find the location better for nightlife than for children.

Living in it: request a room with a river view, which is the best thing about the rooms, and ask about the guitar room service early in your stay. Have a drink at Envy Bar at sunset, when the light over the Spree is lovely, then walk along the river to the East Side Gallery and the Oberbaum Bridge for dinner in Kreuzberg or Friedrichshain. If you are driving, the hotel has outdoor parking spaces and an underground garage at a modest daily charge; check access in advance, as roadworks on Stralauer Allee have rerouted car traffic at times. The S-Bahn from Warschauer Strasse or Ostbahnhof is the quickest way to Mitte.

Value: nhow Berlin is priced in the middle to upper-middle range, generally below the grand hotels of Mitte, and it offers far more personality than most chain hotels at its level. Berlin adds a City Tax of 7.5 percent of the net room price, so check whether your rate includes it. For a stylish, music-led base on the river, close to the East Side Gallery and the best nightlife districts, it is one of the most memorable stays in the city.