Novum Hotel Ravenna Berlin Steglitz

We were upgraded to a suite, which was nice. The place was clean but old, and breakfast was good, though it wasn't included. Check-in had to wait until 2:00 pm, as stated, but that was still a bummer. The front desk also couldn't change a 20 for the vending machine, which was frustrating.

It's fine for the price if you're not expecting an upscale place. The rooms aren't the best, but they're clean and have a TV and free WLAN. It's also pretty quiet at night, and you can sleep with the window open, unlike at some other city hotels.

The hotel is okay, with free WiFi that worked well in my room. The location in Stiglitz is convenient for eating out, with plenty of restaurants and bars, plus nice terraces for outdoor dining in summer. My room was large enough, though not spacious, and the ones overlooking the backyards should be quiet. You can open the windows, which helped clear a slightly odd smell on the first day. Reception service was good enough, though I barely needed to speak with them. The main drawback for getting to the centre is the fairly long train ride. The building feels old throughout, from the carpets and doors to the bathrooms, and it hasn't been modernized or refurbished recently. That bothered me most, though it isn't a deal-breaker if those details don't matter to you.

No air conditioning in the rooms, so you have to leave the window open for air. Then the car noise starts early in the morning and makes it hard to sleep, with cigarette smoke also coming in from people in neighbouring rooms. Everything feels very old, like the hotel is stuck in the nineties, and there's no refrigerator. If you love the nineties, this is the hotel for you.