Oranienburger Str. 67/68, Berlin, Germany | (618) 248-8274
Centrally located in Mitte with public transit right at front door
10-minute walk or less to Museum Island and Hackescher Market
Private single, twin, and family rooms, plus dorms for up to eight
Reception desk doubles as a bar serving drinks and coffees
Roomy internal courtyard with picnic tables for hanging out
Lobby lounge space with bench seating and kids' play nook
Spacious and well-equipped communal kitchen with dining spaces
Reasonable extra fee for well-stocked continental breakfast
Washing machine and dryer, plus luggage storage room
Free walking tour leaves daily from hotel
Bike rentals for full or half days (extra fee)
Free Wi-Fi throughout
Short on extra features (no full-service restaurant or gym)
Few in-room frills (no coffeemakers or mini-fridges)
Noise is sometimes an issue (attracts groups, thin walls)
Air-conditioning only offered on fifth floor
Breakfast and parking not included in the rate
Stylish and modern but with a self-service core, MEININGER Berlin Mitte Humboldthaus attracts a wide range of travelers to its 118 rooms, which range from private singles, doubles, and family rooms to hostel-style dorms for up to eight. Rooms are modern but minimalist with wood-laminate flooring, globe lights, and big windows. The reception desk doubles as a coffee and drink bar, and there's plenty of lounge space for hanging out in groups, including a comfy lobby lounge, a roomy courtyard, and a communal kitchen. Humboldthaus' location in Mitte is exceptional: It's about a 10-minute walk from Hackescher Market and there's an S-Bahn station and tram stop right by the front door. For spunkier decor, consider The Circus Hotel, a comparable hostel/hotel in nearby Rosenthaler Platz.
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Scene
Clean, modern hostel-hotel hybrid in the heart of Berlin
MEININGER Berlin Mitte Humboldthaus bridges the gap between hostel and hotel with a strong showing of both private rooms and dorms. The clean, streamlined decor smacks of a standard value hotel, while the amenities, like communal areas for cooking and lounging, are trademark hostel. The vibe is also mixed, youthful but not too rowdy. The bar-cum-reception desk features a giant chalkboard announcing the coffee menu, bike rental prices, and the daily free walking tour, while modern gray bench seating in the lobby encourages group mingling. The area bustles in the morning with backpackers, friend groups, and families with all ages of children, while in the evening the younger crowd takes advantage of the spacious interior courtyard to throw back a few drinks. The Meiniger hotel group manages more than a dozen affordable hostel/hotel hybrids across Europe, but Humboldthaus manages to shed some of its generic trappings with site-specific details. Nineteenth century naturalist Alexander von Humboldt once lived on this spot, and the hotel offers a playful take on his legacy with giant black-and-white comics of his adventures displayed as murals in the lobby and on every floor. Each room also has a unique detail: an illustrated interpretation of a quote from Humboldt printed on a thin strip of accent wallpaper. A detail from each art piece serves as an exterior room marker along with the room number, and each piece is displayed in miniature on the hotel's front windows -- all together, it's quite the collection.
Location
Centrally located in Mitte, with an S-Bahn and tram stop right outside
Aside from the great rates, one of the highlights of this Meininger outpost is its location on Oranienburger Straße in Berlin's central Mitte district. There's an S-Bahn and tram stop directly outside the hotel (the tram literally stops by the hotel's front door), making it incredibly convenient to Berlin attractions. The building is flanked by two restaurants, and although plenty of cafes, restaurants, and hotels dot the street near the property, it's not an overly hectic spot. The neighborhood was once home to a thriving Jewish community and the elegantly domed and restored Neue Synagog is just across the street, a two-minute walk away. Museum Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is behind the hotel, about a six-minute walk. It's a 10-minute walk to bustling Hackescher Market, where flagship stores, nightlife, and souvenir shops are the name of the game.- Four minutes to Brandenburg Gate via public transit
Rooms
Clean, modern private rooms and dorms with en-suite bathrooms -- but few extras
Rooms range from hostel-style dorms to private rooms in a slew of sizes. Dorms sleep six to eight guests (female-only dorms are available, too), while private rooms include solo, double, and family/group rooms with three to six beds. Dorms and private rooms alike are clean and streamlined, but limited on extras. Wear-and-tear is occasionally evident -- a crack here, edging peeled there -- but overall it's very well maintained and surprisingly clean for a hostel-style property.Decor is minimalist-modern with wood laminate floors, cream-colored walls, green accent walls, and light wood laminate furnishings, including open wardrobes. The result feels rather generic and IKEA-esque. Bathrooms are a bit more distinct sporting modern gray tiling, green-mosaic tiled accents, and modern cylindrical sinks. They're serviceable but snug—the showers are not much bigger than vintage telephone booths.All rooms, including dorms, have their own bathrooms, and they're outfitted with body wash and hand wash dispensers (but no shampoo or conditioner). Towels come with private rooms, but have to be rented in dorms. Private rooms have flat-screen TVs and tables or desks, but no coffee/tea service or mini-fridges. Dorms have individual lockers, but guest should bring their own locks. AC is only available on the fifth floor. Walls are a little thin, courtyard noises echo, and it's a hotel geared toward groups, which is all to say that noise level depends a great deal on who's staying next door, and light sleepers should pack earplugs.
Features
Lobby bar and lounge space, communal kitchen, and spacious courtyard for hanging out
Features at this Meininger outpost are hostel-style, geared toward socializing and saving money. The reception desk doubles as a small bar where guests can order drinks (including bottled beer) and coffee, as well as light snacks that range from muffins to grab-and-go sandwiches. Guests can hangout in the lobby lounge or outdoors, either at cafe tables out front or, more popular, in a spacious beer garden-esque internal courtyard where picnic tables make for great gathering spots.Across the courtyard, there's a communal kitchen that's spacious, well-kept, and fully equipped with everything from dishes to cookware. A big table gives guests a space to dine, and there's also a roomy fridge. (Stickers are provided so guests can label their food.) The kitchen also has a washer and dryer. Plus there's a luggage storage room next to the kitchen, though guests have fairly free access to this space. Wi-Fi throughout is free and the surfing speed is solid. The lobby has two computer terminals that guests can use for a small extra fee.A pleasant, cafeteria-style breakfast room offers a decent continental breakfast buffet with standards like bread, rolls, salads, cold meats, museli, and yogurt. Breakfast runs like a well-oiled machine, with steady replenishment and cleaning to keep things in good order.The front desk is open 24 hours and offers ticket sales to area attractions as well as towel rental for dorm guests and recommendations and assistance with directions. A lengthy free daily walking tour also leaves from the hotel every morning, and the hotel rents out bikes half- or all-day fees. A small play area in the lobby is geared toward little ones, the hotel has cribs, and pets are allowed for an extra daily fee. Parking is also offered for an extra fee.
