Fischerinsel 12, Berlin, Germany | (888) 989-6591
Convenient location in the historic center, close to public transportation and sights
Children 16 and younger stay free (with a guardian) and get free breakfast
Kid-friendly amenities, including a video game room and play areas
Contemporary rooms with flat-screen TVs, work desks, and minibars
Family Rooms available with pullout sofa beds
Restaurants and bars, with 24-hour room service
Fitness center with an array of cardio- and weight-training equipment, and a sauna
Seven fully equipped meeting rooms, and a computer corner with two Macs and printer
Free Wi-Fi throughout
Pet-friendly
Buffet breakfast and on-site underground parking (both for a fee)
Breakfast not included, and the buffet is expensive
Guests have complained about traffic noise, room cleanliness, and air-conditioning glitches
Fitness center is small for a hotel of this size
The upper-middle-range Hotel Novotel Berlin Mitte, centrally located on Spree Island, is within walking distance of Museum Island and Gendamenmarkt. This 238-room chain hotel is especially family-friendly -- children 16 and younger stay for free and also get free breakfast, a video game room, indoor and outdoor play areas, and a library. Guest rooms have a modern, gray-toned color palette with splashes of bright blue or red textiles, and come with flat-screen TVs, minibars, large work desks, and free basic Wi-Fi. (Superior Rooms offer free minibars, free premium Wi-Fi, and tea/coffeemakers.) A small on-site fitness center with a sauna are available to guests at no extra charge, and the on-site restaurant serves Mediterranean cuisine and offers outdoor terrace seating. Be aware that guests have complained about traffic noise, room cleanliness, and the air-conditioning. Travelers seeking a more design-conscious hotel at a similar price point might want to check out the Park Plaza Wallstreet Berlin Mitte.
Scene
Blocky chain-style hotel with several perks for kids and families
The Novotel Berlin Mitte's exterior is blocky, gray, and nondescript. Things liven up a bit in the spacious lobby, with orange armchairs, white tables, and purple rugs punctuating the gray-and-white color scheme anchored by black columns. Flat-screen TVs hang from the walls.NOVO2 Bar and NOVO2 restaurant are off the lobby -- the bar is modern and slick, with white bar stools, hanging lights, and ‘70s-style orange and white chairs grouped around the tables. The restaurant is broken up into different areas, and includes an intimate section with posh rectangular tables and hanging lights, a brighter, more relaxed space with booths that's decorated in greens and browns, and an airy section with tables arranged alongside the large windows. Outdoor patio seating is available.Hallways continue the gray-toned palette, with photographs of leaves and droplets of water along the walls. Clientele here consists mainly of families, who tend to gather at the breakfast buffet in the mornings -- when we visited, there were lots of kids running around near the game room area. With its seven equipped meeting rooms and central location near several international organizations, the Novotel Berlin Mitte also attracts a good share of business travelers and couples who want to be near the sights.
Location
Centrally located near international organizations, the Museum Island, and several public transportation links
The Novetel Berlin Mitte is conveniently located on Spree Island. Spreekanal (the Spree River), with its charming views and promenades, is within a two-minute walk of the hotel, and Museum Island is about an eight-minute walk. Gendarmenmarkt is about a 15-minute walk. Public transportation is plentiful -- the Spittlemarkt metro station is within a five-minute walk of the hotel, and Berlin Tegel Airport is within a 25-minute drive.
Rooms
Spacious Standard Rooms and Superior Rooms with upgraded amenities
The neutral, gray-toned guest rooms are livened up with splashes of red or cobalt blue in the throw pillows. Spacious layouts include seating areas and large blond-wood desks, and small, abstract paintings or framed drawings adorn the walls. Family Rooms with pullout sofa beds are available as well. All rooms include flat-screen TVs, minibars, safes, and free Wi-Fi (basic Wi-Fi in Standard Rooms). Superior Rooms offer tea/coffeemakers, free minibars, and free premium Wi-Fi. Guests have complained about technical glitches in the air-conditioning, cleanliness, and traffic noise, even in rooms on high floors. Bathrooms are small but sleek with tan tile, rainfall showerheads (some have tubs), counter space, hairdryers, and magnifying mirrors.
Features
Many family-friendly services, a fitness center and sauna, meeting rooms, and on-site restaurants and bars
Novotel Berlin Mitte is family-friendly, with several perks for kids, including a video game room, toys, and a large geometrically abstract sofa that children can play on. (Children 16 and younger stay for free, and get free breakfasts.) The hotel has an on-site fitness center -- with five machines, it's small for a hotel of this size -- and sauna. Seven meeting rooms can accommodate up to 300 people and include video equipment, projectors, screens, and fax machines. NOVO2 Restaurant serves Mediterranean cuisine and offers terrace seating, and NOVO2 Bar serves drinks. The hotel offers a buffet breakfast on-site, but it's not included in room rates and it's on the pricey side. Room service is also available 24 hours a day. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the property.