Hotel-Pension Spree

The owner or manager was loud, rude and impolite, and both the room and the hallways smelled bad, especially near the bathrooms. They told us our assigned room had water issues, gave us a room for the night, and said we’d move the next day. We didn’t like that plan but agreed. Once inside, we noticed a horrible bathroom smell and complained. He first denied it, then blamed the silicon from bathroom work, and after that offered an upgrade for an extra charge. His attitude was the worst part. Booking.com customer service was helpful. It took a few hours and several calls, but they eventually cancelled the stay and reimbursed us. I wouldn’t recommend this place.

I booked the hotel at first, then cancelled after seeing so many bad reviews. Soon after, the hotel sent a threatening message saying they would report the cancellation to border authorities if the reservation had been used for visa purposes. They actually did it. When I arrived in Berlin, border police questioned us at length. That had never happened on our previous trips, even though this was our sixth visit to a Schengen country and our third time in Berlin. It seemed clear that something had been flagged, and the whole thing was stressful and humiliating. It’s pathetic for a hotel to go that far over a cancellation. If they put even half that effort into service and treating guests properly, they might not have so many terrible reviews. I booked a much better hotel afterwards and had a smooth stay there. I strongly advise people, especially anyone applying for a visa or travelling for official reasons, to stay far away from this hotel.

The receptionist wouldn’t communicate with me. I asked how we could speak, and all she could say was “NICHHHHHTTTTTT.” Crazy.

It’s clean and perfectly acceptable if you value cleanliness over luxuries. For the cheapest hotel in Berlin, I can’t fault much, apart from the dated decor and two of the five beds, which were makeshift and uncomfortable. Fair enough for the money.