Kreuzberg / Anhalter Bahnhof

Novotel Suites Berlin City Potsdamer Platz

★★★★★

Novotel Suites Berlin City Potsdamer Platz is one of the most practical family hotels in central Berlin, and one of the best placed for the city's twentieth-century history. It is an all-suite hotel on Anhalter Strasse, on the northern edge of Kreuzberg, right beside Anhalter Bahnhof station and a few steps from the Topography of Terror. Checkpoint Charlie is about ten minutes away on foot, Potsdamer Platz and the Mall of Berlin about the same, the Tempodrom concert venue is around the corner, and the Brandenburg Gate is roughly a quarter of an hour's walk. Every unit is a suite of around thirty square metres, laid out as one open space with a living area that can be separated from the sleeping area. Depending on the type, a suite has a double bed with a queen sofa bed for up to four people, two single beds with a double sofa bed for four, or a double bed with a single sofa bed for three, so a family can share one suite rather than booking two rooms. Each suite has a kitchenette with a microwave, kettle and fridge, which is handy for snacks, baby food and breakfast extras, and a workspace with free Wi-Fi. A hot and cold buffet breakfast is served daily, and breakfast is free for children, a real saving for families. There is a fitness room, an underground car park with a charge, air conditioning, accessible suites and a welcome for pets. Reviews praise the location and the space, while some mention street noise from the main road and the basic level of in-room supplies, which is worth knowing in advance.

Who it suits: families with one or two children who want to share a single, reasonably spacious suite in a central location; history buffs, who will have the Topography of Terror, Checkpoint Charlie and the Wall trail on their doorstep; and travellers who want a predictable international brand at a mid-range price. Couples looking for character or nightlife may prefer a boutique hotel in Mitte or Friedrichshain.

Living in it: choose the suite type that matches your family when you book, as the bed configurations differ, and ask for a room away from the main road if you are a light sleeper. Take advantage of the free children's breakfast and use the kitchenette for snacks and drinks; supermarkets are a short walk away. From Anhalter Bahnhof the S-Bahn connects directly to Potsdamer Platz, the Brandenburg Gate and the main station, and buses run to Mitte. Walk to the Topography of Terror and Checkpoint Charlie in the morning, and to Potsdamer Platz and the Panoramapunkt in the afternoon.

Value: rates are in the lower-middle to middle range, and for a family of four sharing one suite with free children's breakfast it is one of the better-value central options in Berlin. Berlin adds a City Tax of 7.5 percent of the net room price, so check whether your rate includes it. For a practical, well-located family base between Potsdamer Platz and Checkpoint Charlie, it is hard to beat.