Sorell Hotel Arabelle Bern

At 230 euros a night, I expected more. There was no air conditioning, and with summer temperatures hitting 30°C, that was uncomfortable. There wasn’t a fridge either, so my drinking water stayed as warm as it was outside. One night we had no hot water, and there was a musty, old-room smell. The window was on the ground floor facing people drinking in the street, so I couldn’t open it for fresh air. The room seemed clean at first, but I could see dust in the corners. The bathroom didn’t have a bidet, which isn’t essential, but would’ve been a nice touch. Reception was completely unattended from late afternoon through the night, with all communication handled online or by phone. That’s a real problem for foreign travelers who may not have a local Swiss connection or data roaming.

It’s a basic hotel, but the room is spacious and had thoughtful extras you don’t always get, especially in Switzerland: two bottles of water, a fan, toiletries, and a good breakfast included. The Old Town is easy to reach, about five minutes by bus or a 15-20 minute walk.

My single room was clean and pleasant, with a fan and everything I needed. Breakfast was included, and there was a good spread of alternatives. I appreciated Sorell’s work to reduce food waste, especially with foods that are harder on the environment to produce, and to inform guests about it. It’s a solid three-star hotel, almost a four. The one snag was check-in: there was only one computer terminal, and I was in a hurry behind a family having trouble with it. If you booked through Booking.com, tap your name details at the bottom of the screen.

Our triple room was clean and really spacious, with four fans, but being up in the attic meant it held onto the heat. Even with the skylights open, it didn’t cool off until around 11pm. I don’t know how often Bern has summer heat waves, but this particular room can be pretty uncomfortable.