Courtyard Berlin City Center review: a light-filled hotel in a central spot (2024)

It makes sense that this vast, glass-fronted building was originally built to be a car showroom; even on a grey, rainy day you’ll find it hard not be sold by its light-filled bedrooms, each with huge floor-to-ceiling windows and smart, sustainable touches such as soundproofing created with coconut hide. While most Courtyard by Marriott hotels tend to be aimed at budget business travellers this member of the collection feels slick and refined. A full-scale renovation, completed in 2023, means everything still feels box-fresh and designed to maximise comfort; I loved the huge living-room style relaxation lounge with curved leather booths where you can curl up with a book and order a coffee. Location-wise you’re within a 30-minute walk of the city’s main sights and the sandbags of Checkpoint Charlie are just around the corner.

Overall score 8/10

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Rooms and suites

Score 8/10
The snuggest of the 267 rooms are the deluxe kings, which measure at a still-spacious 26 sq m — though it’s worth paying a little extra for a superior king if you want a sofa and small living space to enjoy after a day of exploring. Families will want to opt for two of the interconnecting rooms, a studio or one-bed apartment with a kitchenette. Each room comes in muted neutrals with pops of colour coming from the burnt orange leather seating and a black mural of the TV Tower. The slick, hard flooring has been created with sustainable coconut fibre. Floor-to-ceiling windows add plenty of light though views — either of the street or other parts of the hotel — are uninspiring. Design is simple and thoughtful; a low-lit bathroom light comes on at night to minimise disturbance, there are USB and USC ports by the bed and the mini fridges are empty so you can stash your own snacks and drinks. Also impressive is the tech: guests can choose to ditch the plastic key cards and open their door with an app instead.

Food and drink

Score 7/10
An extensive hot and cold buffet breakfast is served at the light-filled Kitchen & Bar, which spills outside onto a ground floor terrace in the summer months. Kids can watch pancakes being made while grown-ups will appreciate the bottles of smoothie and takeaway hot drinks as well as the PressReader app on each table that provides access to hundreds of newspapers and magazines from your smartphone. At lunch there are traditional German dishes — schnitzels, currywurst — served alongside burgers and there’s a short children’s menu with pasta, chicken nuggets and the like while dinner has slightly more refined options; thin Mediterranean-inspired tarts and truffle gnocchi. If you want something quieter and with more personality then try the hotel’s coffee shop, Hashtag, which is lined with old newspapers — a nod to the district’s print heritage — and kitted out with upcycled chairs and tables; the customisable lunch bowls at £10 are a big hit and make for an easy picnic option.

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What else is there?

Score 7/10
To the left of the reception is a handy lounge with curved leather booths and huge shelves stocked with books and vases to add a cosy, homely feel. There’s also a gym — which unusually for a hotel isn’t squirreled away into the basem*nt — stocked with the slick Technogym equipment and guests can access classes through an app. Bats and balls for the neighbouring table tennis table and basketball courts can be borrowed from reception. Unlike most hotels in the centre of Berlin, there’s private underground parking available for guests at an additional cost. The Market lobby shop on the ground floor is open 24 hours and is a handy, if slightly overpriced spot for snacks, souvenirs and alcohol.

Location

Score 8/10
Berlin-Mitte is the city’s former newspaper district — look out for the huge glass cube that belongs to media company Axel Springer — and is sandwiched between Alexanderplatz and Potsdamer Platz. Checkpoint Charlie is a ten-minute walk away and the Brandenburg Gate, Holocaust Memorial and Reichstag can all be reached in less than 30 minutes on foot. One of Berlin’s prettiest squares, Gendarmenmarkt, with its concert houses and churches is just around the corner, as is Friedrichstrasse, which is known for its high-end shops. The closest U-barn station, Spittelmarkt, is a three-minute stroll away and, as the hotel is on a main road, you won’t ever wait more than a few minutes for an Uber.

Price B&B doubles from £132
Restaurant mains from £11
Family-friendly Y
Dog-friendly Y
Accessible Y

Lucy Perrin was a guest of Courtyard Berlin City Center

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