Hotel - Pension Cortina

The place is very old, which I actually liked, as long as you don’t expect a 5-star hotel. The bathroom and beds were clean, and they provided room service every day. Breakfast cost 8 Euros and was very nice. We had trouble communicating because the staff didn’t speak English, but we managed, even if it took some effort. For the price, I’d call it a good hotel. When we had no hot water for the last 2 days, the lady in charge offered us another clean room with hot water, which was kind of her. If I return to Berlin, I think I could book the same room again.

We were treated rudely and insultingly when I asked about an extra €100 charge. They told me to “go see a psychiatrist” and to “just pay the fee and forget about it.” They also claimed online to speak English, but when I tried, they interrupted and asked if I could speak Russian instead. It was very difficult to communicate. The Wi-Fi was there but so bad I couldn’t send a text. I stayed at Hotel Cortina in Berlin for two nights over the Easter holiday and paid 170€. Days later they charged another 100€ without my consent or explanation, accusing me of breaking a bed. The photo they used as “proof” clearly showed 2021 in its file name, and the bed frame and color didn’t match the one in my room. I had also refused room cleaning for that day, but the cleaner entered anyway without knocking or asking. Booking.com refunded the extra 100€, but I shouldn’t have had to go through this. The charges, accusation, rude treatment, privacy issue, and misleading service information made Hotel Cortina a huge disappointment. Avoid it, you deserve better.

The room and furniture were extremely outdated, and the soundproofing was so bad I could hear every word my neighbors said. There was no Wi-Fi at all during my 2-night stay. A cleaner came into my room without knocking while I was inside. When I said I didn’t want cleaning, she insisted on staying because she’d left her tools in there for the other rooms. I could have been undressed. She spoke only German and Russian, not English, which made things harder. Three days after checkout, the hotel charged me another €100. When I contacted them, they said I’d broken the bed and sent a picture of a different bed with a 2021 timestamp. I’m convinced they’ve been using the same photo for years to take money from guests. I politely pointed out the bed wasn’t mine, but they insulted me and accused me of having mental issues. Nobody spoke English, so it was almost impossible to resolve anything directly. Thankfully, Booking.com investigated and refunded my money. This was one of the worst hotel experiences I’ve had. They lie, steal, and insult guests. Stay far away. I’m attaching the photo they used as “proof” so others don’t fall for the same trick.

Room 18 had bedbugs, and they even bit my face. I started getting 3-4 more itchy spots each morning. It took me days to work out what was causing them. The receptionist didn’t believe me, but this wasn’t allergies or mosquitoes. Disgusting. At least they refunded the last night, which I’d already booked. There’s only 1 toilet on the whole floor. Never again, though that could have been manageable if it weren’t for the bedbugs.