Arena Rooms Berlin Mitte Hotel

The corridors and stairs smelled of cigarette smoke, our room was dirty, and there was shouting and fighting along the halls during the night. We felt unsafe and booked another hotel down the road, INNSiDE by Melia, which felt like a five-star place by comparison. This was nothing like the photos. Booking.com’s listing makes it look like a normal hotel, but the place felt weird and creepy. I actually think it’s more like a hostel, even though it presents itself as a hotel. There are no staff around at night, so guests seem free to do whatever they want. Communication with the hosts was really bad, and they wouldn’t refund the two days we didn’t stay.

The room was spacious and clean, the beds comfortable, and the shower worked fine. The building was quiet, and for a couple of days it had pretty much everything we needed. Check-in was incredibly easy, with no need to interact with reception, which was great when we had limited time and wanted to get going. I can’t lie, the place has a slightly creepy, odd feel. As some reviews mention, the building seems to be used partly as a hostel, even though Booking.com advertises it as a hotel. It didn’t cause us trouble, though, and it was quiet and felt safe. The surrounding area isn’t great-looking, but the location itself is convenient, just around the corner from tram and underground stops. A decent option for short stays or people on a budget. I can’t really relate to the bad reviews.

The room and bathroom weren’t clean, communication was poor, and the corridors smelled awful. It was also noisy outside the hotel, so sleeping with the window open was hard. I’d brought a small towel from home to use on my face. When I got back from town, the staff had changed the hotel towels, but left my face towel on the dirty bathroom floor. That made me angry.

The location was convenient, with an underground stop nearby and restaurants within an easy walk. Still, most of the other reviews seem right, and I’d suggest reading them before booking. My room wasn’t the one I’d booked, and the corridors smelled really bad. The room was cleaned okay, not great, though with everything so old and worn I’m not sure it could ever look clean. If you’re after affordable accommodation, I’d recommend a hostel with a private room instead. This calls itself a two-star hotel, but it doesn’t have the features I’d expect from one.