Hotel Aster

The one good thing is that it's near the messe. Otherwise, it was an unbelievably strange place that didn't feel like a hotel. The rooms were really poor, more like a one-month apartment rental, and there was no breakfast available, even for a fee. There were no receptionists until 10 a.m., the place was badly maintained, and the internet kept cutting out. To top it off, they didn't make up the room.

After a last-minute booking the night before, it turned out to be a wonderful, quiet place. The staff were helpful, although some random woman on the balcony behind the office yelled at me. For the price, it was good value.

The room for five was spacious, big, and clean, with what we needed, including hot drinking water when we asked. Breakfast ran from 7 to 10 a.m. and had plenty of choice. They also gave us bottles of white wine and chocolate for New Year, a very nice gesture. The location is convenient, close to a supermarket, restaurants, bus stops, and metro stations. The WiFi kept cutting in and out. For a three-star hotel, the experience was disappointing. We arrived at 1 a.m. and were met by grumpy, sarcastic staff. We'd made a special request because our bus from CPH arrived in Berlin at midnight, but it wasn't accommodated and we had to be back by 2 p.m. Fortunately, the woman at the desk at that time was accommodating.

The hotel is within walking distance of transport and other facilities, and I was impressed enough to recommend it. It's on Reichstrasser, which I was told translates as “Rich Street,” in the west end of Berlin, and the price is very affordable. The free WiFi is standard secured WiFi. There’s a safe in each room for valuables, and the reception kindly holds luggage for guests who need it. I benefited from that when I had to check out early for an appointment in Berlin. Breakfast was good too.