When considering lodging it is important to consider:
2. Mode of transportation – if arriving by auto-train -air (which airport)
3. Duration of stay – longer stays may call for consideration of an apartment
4. Mobility – these issues should be considered as the ability to walk long distances or negotiating U- Bahn stations that don’t have elevators or escalators will very by individual.
5. Number of travelers – again Families staying more that 2 nights might prefer an apartment.
6. Budget range – everyone has different budget constraints and needs.
Booking Agencies
www.booking.com Hotels and apartments.
www.venere.com
www.hotelreservation.com Hotels and apartments.
In English with down payment by Paypal
http://www.kostenlose-zimmervermittlung-berlin.de/ We have used this agency and stayed in apartment no 43. Good location but apartment could have been better. No Closet space for renters - the owner used most of the available space. Entry rug was worn and bathroom faucet leaked. This was 6 years ago so maybe better by now. Owner was a West German Doctor who used the apartment for his trips to Berlin. One good thing was that we did not need a down payment.
http://www.ferienwohnung-zimmer-berlin.de/index.php Website has English version
I have found that for the most part German Hotels to be clean. Variances can be in the size of the room and service, but unlike France and England, most hotels are clean. It is best to read the reviews in Booking.com, Tripadvisor.com or Venere.com. Look for clues on Safety, Location and Cleanliness.
Kreuzberg is one of Berlin's most eclectic districts, home to a unusual mix of left-wing punks, anarchists, gays, creative artists and Turkish immigrants, the last of which make up a third of the population and have earned the area its occasional nickname Little Istanbul. The district has gentrified to a considerable extent in recent years, with dot-coms, marketing agencies, designers, German and international kids from wealthy backgrounds moving into renovated lofts and spacy apartments, but there are still plenty of kebab joints, funky nightclubs, and pictures of Abdullah Öcalan gazing down from Communist Party of Kurdistan propaganda posters.
The area east of Kottbusser Damm and especially as you near the Spree and Görlitzer Park is a bit seedy.
Mitte ( Bezirk Mitte) is the first and most central borough of Berlin (Mitte is German for middle). Mitte encompasses Berlin's historic core and includes some of the most important tourist sites of Berlin (like the Museum Island, Brandenburg Gate, Unter den Linden and the Reichstag among others), most of which were in former East Berlin. The Brandenburg Gate was the western exit of the historical Berlin until 1861.
Between 1945 and 1990, much of Mitte was a part of East Berlin.
Prenzlauer Berg
Prenzlauer Berg was a working class area in East Berlin before unification. Many of the apartment buildings were not maintained and became rundown. A lot of the old apartments had nice large rooms with high ceilings. These apartments were owned by the city housing authority. After unification these buildings were sold off to investors and for the most part renovated. People living there prior to reunification were relocated. When renovations were completed these apartments opened for rent. There was not enough demand for these rentals and therefore the owners/investors started renting them as short term Ferienwohnungen or vacation rentals. There are a lot of these apartments for rent in this district and it is very popular with the younger generation from all over Europe who come to Berlin to Party.
For me the best areas for inexpensive hotels or apartments would be:
Wilmersdorf - We rented an apartment on Bundesallee near Prager Platz in 2005. We find the area South of the Kudamm near Bundesallee. I might mention that this spring (May 2011) we had a young fashion designer (relative of one of our neighbors) over for coffee. She works in Kruetzberg and lives in Wilmersdorf as she says the rents in Kruetzberg are too high. She also complains that there are too many old people in Wilmersdorf.
The following listings look interesting . Input the address into google and you can go direct to booking .com's listing along with other agents.
1 Apartments Central Berlin
Helmstedter Str 27A, Wilmersdorf, 10717 Berlin
2 Best Western Queens Hotel Berlin City Western
Güntzelstr. 14, Wilmersdorf, 10717 Berlin
3 Hotel-Pension Spree
Trautenaustr. 19, Wilmersdorf, 10717 Berlin
Steglitz - The borough Steglitz-Zehlendorf, with its expensive residential developments is today the most affluent of the twelve Berlin boroughs. The Schlossstrasse area of Steglitz second largest shopping area in Berlin. There are a number of inexpensive hotels and apartments in this area. I have never stayed in this area but would prefer the area south and west of S-Bahn Steglitz.
The following listing from www.booking.com looks interesting. Input this address into google and you can go direct to booking .com. listing.
Apartment Hotel Landhaus Lichterfelde
Drakestraße 60, Steglitz, 12205 Berlin
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Hotels near Airport
Grand City Central Hotel Berlin Airport
Kögelstr. 12-13, Reinickendorf, 13403 Berlin (Show map)
There is a Coffee Shop in the Kaufland Department Store across the street for breakfast of lunch.
CARAT Hotel Berlin
Ollenhauerstr. 111, Reinickendorf, 13403 Berlin (Show map)
Very close to Grand City
Hotel Bärlin
Scharnweberstr. 17-20, Reinickendorf, 13405 Berlin (Show map)
Dorint Airport Hotel Berlin Tegel
Gotthardstraße 96, Reinickendorf, 13403 Berlin (Show map)
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