Arcotel John F Hotel

The location was great, and breakfast was an ordinary buffet with nothing special about it. But we booked a superior double and were given a standard twin, even though we did arrive early. The room was cold in December because there was no heating, and the key card kept failing, which was really annoying. We skipped the restaurant since its menu looked dull. I’d look elsewhere unless this is the cheapest place in the area.

The area felt safe and tidy, and it’s really handy for getting around, with lots of transport nearby. The location was excellent. Breakfast was a standard buffet, nothing out of the ordinary, and the restaurant menu didn’t catch my interest. The staff were very helpful, especially Khan. He always seemed glad to welcome each guest and did it with real enthusiasm.

We loved how central the hotel was, and the comfort and luxury made the stay feel special. The bar team were fantastic, with Deano Mohammed and Laurence going out of their way for us. Thanks for making the trip so memorable.

The room was freezing, and the hair dryer incident made us feel unsafe. While I was using it, I got an electric shock and couldn’t move for about three seconds. The cable connection was visibly damaged, yet the dryer had been left in the room. Afterward, our electricity went out for around ten minutes. It felt like a serious maintenance and safety failure that could have ended much worse. Since the dryer couldn’t be used and we no longer felt safe, we asked to change rooms. At 3:00 AM we had to carry all our things to another room ourselves, with no help from staff. We arrived around 14:10, before the official 15:00 check-in time, and the receptionist offered early check-in, which we accepted. But the room was set up for one person despite our booking for two: a single bed arrangement, one pillow, one duvet, and slippers for just one guest. There was another duvet in a bag in the wardrobe, but it was covered in hair when we opened it. It was disgusting and unhygienic. When I reported this, the staff member was rude, dismissive, and aggressive. He said we’d checked in early and this was the room we got, as if there were no issue. We said we’d rather wait until 15:00 for the room we had booked, but he insisted it was already our room. It felt like he was mocking us instead of trying to help. Heating was also inadequate. Outside it was about -3°C, and the system wasn’t working properly. The air conditioning could only be set between -3°C and +3°C, which wasn’t enough for a Berlin winter. Housekeeping said it was automatic, but we were literally freezing. The hygiene problems, poor staff response, lack of heat, and dangerous electrical fault ruined our vacation. I’m writing this to warn other guests. I definitely don’t recommend this hotel.