Mercure Hotel & Residenz Checkpoint Charlie

The location made getting around easy, with a U station about a 3 minute walk away. We took the train to and from the airport, which worked well. We had drinks at the bar each night, and the barman was lovely and spoke English. All the staff were helpful, and things turned out better than expected. Our triple room was on floor 7. It was very large and clean, with a useful fridge for keeping real milk for my tea. There were plenty of good quality toiletries. Breakfast seemed expensive, so we went to a bakery two streets behind instead. I wish we'd known about the sauna beforehand, but you can't have everything.

The room was a good size, though old, and the hallways were dark and smelled bad. We had to use our phones to find the light switch. Lamps with sensors would help. There were no extra covers or pillows, and the pillows we got were the worst I've ever seen. They were like trash, not something I would give even to homeless people. You really need to step up your game. The staff were friendly, but not welcoming, and came across as nonchalant. A guy handling group bookings didn't even look at us when we arrived, apparently because he wasn't the one meant to take care of us. That's not how a 4-star staff should act. On our last day, at 9 o'clock, the cleaner asked when we were leaving even though check-out wasn't until 12. We also hadn't been allowed into our room even a minute before 15 o'clock. It felt like they just wanted to get rid of us. It's a good hotel overall, but I definitely wouldn't give it 4 stars.

Breakfast wasn't especially impressive, but it was very tasty. The location was good too, with many attractions within about a two-kilometre radius. My fairly spacious room was on the 8th floor, and the separate toilet was a nice feature. However, the elevator only goes to the 7th floor, so you have to use stairs to get to the 8th. That makes the room unsuitable for guests with reduced mobility. Online check-in was easy to complete in advance. At the hotel, showing a passport and signing the registration form was enough.

The room was clean, but the cleaning staff left the windows open even though it was -10 degrees outside. Breakfast wasn't included and cost $25 euros per person. We found better choices for our family at a place just a block away for $10 euros. We're a family of 4 and booked a room with "one bed and a double sofa bed." When we arrived, they said it only fit 3 people because they counted our 7-year-old as an adult, despite what their website says. The receptionist refused when we offered to pay for an extra person, so we had to upgrade to a "bigger room" for an additional $260 euros. It had the same "one bed and a double sofa bed" and was the exact room we had booked, with only extra towels and blankets added. The receptionist handed those to us. We felt taken advantage of.