The weirdest bedroom you'll ever have
This is one hotel you cannot miss. Designed by a local artist Lars Stroschen, the hotel is a singular wonderland of imagination.
Each room is individually created in different themes. You can stay in beautiful empty rooms all in orange, or in a giant children's castle. Padded cells, jail cells, crypts or lion's cages. Just looking through the website is hours of fun, how cool will it be when you're actually in it? Even the reception area and breakfast room have been fully decked out, and the hotel has an attached gallery displaying works of Stroschen.
The hotel is located in the west of Berlin, near the famous shopping street Kurfürstendamm, or the Ku'damm as the locals call it. The room prices vary, from 70€ for the simple rooms to 190€ for the room with the lion's cages, although I'm fairly sure the lions aren't included. Those prices are for one person, every extra person costs 15€ per night and breakfast is an extra 7€ per person.
I think my favourite is the Upside Down room (number 23 on the website) - furniture on the ceiling, the beds and chairs hidden in the floor, even the view of the city is upside down. Now if that doesn't cause disorientation when you're looking for the toilet at 5am, then I don't know what will.
Honigmond Garden Hotel
Okay, I have to admit that I have a romantic soft spot for this hotel - it was meant to be the place I spent my wedding night. I say meant to be because I left that all up to my then-soon-to-be-husband to organise. I had taken on the onerous task of finding myself something to wear after all, so I figured he could do the hotel bit.
And I thought it was something he was unlikely to screw up considering the number of times I mentioned the Honigmond. Pointed it out when driving past. Talked of it's charming atmosphere, a haven of calm and romance so close to the coolest parts of Berlin.
When we left our reception and jumped into the taxi that night, I was full of anticipation of alighting at this lovely hotel. Instead he directed the driver to take us to the Adlon.
Okay, I shouldn't complain that much. Alright, the Adlon is that giant hotel next to the Brandenburg Gate. Yeah, yeah, it's big and expensive and visited by celebrities who dangle their children over balconies.
BUT STILL.
If you want the charm, the romance, the peacefulness of a country hotel in the middle of Berlin, Honigmond is the place to go. There are two Honigmond hotels in Berlin, but I'm specifically talking about the Garden Hotel. I'm sure the other one is also exceptionally nice, but I've never wanted to spend my wedding night in it and so haven't yet personally checked it out. The prices (99-149€ single/night; 109-189€ double/night) are pricey for someone travelling on a budget, but standard for this quality of hotel so central to the happening places.
And if you do spend a night there, would you mind dropping my husband a line or two? I think he needs some suggestions for our next anniversary.