Premier Inn Berlin Airport

It’s a lovely hotel that doesn’t make much of a fuss about promoting itself, yet it outdoes other places in its category. The comfort, cleanliness, thoughtful design, and service were all so good that I’d happily return.

The beds were comfortable, the sheets were clean, the bathroom sparkled, and the lighting worked well for both getting ready and sleeping. The cleaners really do notice the small details. Breakfast was good too. It was the same each day, but I was glad to have an English breakfast option alongside the usual German food. The location was convenient: two train stops from the airport, or about 10 minutes by cab, and the same line goes toward the city center and its monuments. The TV was the letdown. It’s a smart TV, but HDMI and the smart apps were blocked. That’s especially disappointing for non-Germans who might want something beyond national TV. They should open up more viewing options.

I stayed for three days last weekend and would come back. The room was nice, check-in was quick, and the bed was comfortable enough that I fell back asleep quickly after being woken by noise. The courtyard in front of reception could be loud, with people laughing at 3am and other noise at night. I like sleeping with the window open and was woken probably four or more times a night. The hotel is three stops from the Flughafen, and the Grunbergallee sbahn is a five-minute walk away. Aldi is close by and open 7am-9pm Monday to Saturday. They have 2-4-1 drinks from 5-7 every day, including two 0.5l beers for €5.90. Rooms aren’t cleaned unless you ask, which didn’t bother me at all since I had enough clean towels. That’s typical Premier Inn policy in the UK. There are only eight family rooms, and although I was traveling solo, I’m considering coming back with my teenagers.

The room wasn’t set up for four people, despite our booking being for a family room for four. One bed was a single sofa bed, with the head lower than the rest of the mattress, and it was completely unsuitable for my 1.85 m tall son. My husband, my 9-year-old son, and I ended up sharing one double bed. None of us slept well, and we started the next day exhausted. Also, although it’s sold as an “airport hotel,” our Uber from the airport cost €20, which we hadn’t expected. We arrived late after a long, tiring journey. Instead of helping, the receptionist blamed the booking agency and said they hadn’t told the hotel there were four guests, adding that the hotel rarely has four-person rooms. We were told we could go to another hotel if we wanted. I explained that this seemed to be a communication problem between the hotel and the agency and asked for help as hotel guests. The receptionist said he was “just a worker” with no authority, suggested we stop using that agency, and told us to book on the hotel’s own website instead. Poor communication, no support at reception, and an unsuitable room made this a very disappointing stay.