Wyndham Berlin Excelsior

Wyndham Berlin Excelsior Hotel is situated in an eight-story building with a gray concrete and glass facade. It's a large, chain hotel, but it's not without its coziness. The lobby is appealing with small sitting areas featuring plush couches and armchairs gathered on carpets, and a striking gas fireplace acts as a divider wall between the reception area and bar's lounge. A long table with bar stools sits before floor-to-ceiling windows and is accented in a display of Edison bulbs. While this hotel doesn't offer quite the same character as a boutique property or the same attention to detail as higher-pearl hotels, it's a comfortable, contemporary option with some nice extra property features, making it a solid option for tourists and business travelers alike.

Excelsior Hotel Berlin is located in the most central area of the Ku'Damm neighborhood, about a 10-minute walk from the famous shopping avenue, Kurfürstendamm. Though the hotel is centrally located in Berlin, most of the tourist attractions are not within walking distance. However, public transportation is exceptional and the Ku'Damm area is slightly less busy than its tourist-center counterparts.

• Five-minute walk to Berlin Zoologischer Garten transportation hub
• 12-minute walk to the Berlin Zoo
• 15 minutes to the center of the Tiergarten via public transit
• 20 minutes to the Reichstag via public transit
• 20 minutes to Berlin Tegel Airport via public transit
• 22 minutes to Bradenburg Gate via public transit
• 25 minutes to Checkpoint Charlie via public transit

The modern rooms at this Wyndham have a tasteful, neutral color palette surrounded by wood floors, white walls, and beige accents. While rooms can feel somewhat generic in a chain-hotel way, the monochromatic photo murals above the beds add a splash of much-needed personality. Bathrooms, which have combination showers and tubs, are contemporary though not exceptional and may be tiled in blue or beige.

Amenities include flat-screen TVs (which can be small), free Wi-Fi (though some say it's slow), work desks, safes, coffeemakers, and minibars, while bathrooms have hairdryers and wall-mounted toiletry dispensers. Room sizes are average for a city hotel, that is, on the small side. Other than the suites, upgraded rooms don't tend to add much in the way of space, mostly bringing extras like robes, slippers, docking stations, Nespresso coffeemakers, or balconies. Guests occasionally note maintenance issues, and there can be some traffic noise in street-facing rooms, so light sleepers may want to consider a room at the back of the hotel.

The hotel has a nice set of amenities for a city property at this price range, including a lobby bar with a stylish lounge space and the modern FRANKE Brasserie, a solid restaurant with a nice wine menu and some outdoor seating. Most guests like the hot and cold breakfast buffet, but it costs an extra fee. Room service is available during limited hours. The hotel has meeting and event rooms, and there's also a small library with books to borrow and Mac workstations for guest use. Wi-Fi is free, though some complain it's slow in rooms. The front desk is open 24 hours and the staff offer some concierge services, laundry service, and luggage storage. Family features, like babysitting and loaner cribs, are available on request. The hotel is pet friendly for a per-night fee. Parking is available but it costs an extra fee.