Scandic Berlin Potsdamer Platz

The room had a huge floor-to-ceiling window looking onto a green space where locals walked their dogs, and I loved looking out each morning. There was loads of closet space, plus a desk, desk chair and lounge chair. The bathroom was big and modern, and the beds and pillows were really comfortable. Dahoud was so friendly at check-in, and the front desk was great whenever I called. I was genuinely sad to leave. This was easily my favorite hotel of our 3+ week trip through Poland and parts of Germany. The location worked really well for me. Scandic is right by public transport, and there’s a mall with a grocery store about a five-minute walk away, though the store is VERY hidden. The sights are spread out, so calling the hotel close to them is a bit more complicated. You may or may not want to spend all your time in the neighborhoods around the sights. Alexanderplatz is, in my opinion, hideous and a bit scary, and I wouldn’t recommend staying there. For me, this location was best. Highly recommend!

The food was decent, nothing fancy but nothing terrible. I won't be staying at this Scandic again. The rooms feel dated, like Grandma's house, and the hard beds left my back hurting terribly each morning. The air conditioning was unbearable: it only went from 19°C to 25°C, and the fan speed wasn't adjustable. I had to keep the window open just to breathe. I understand the environmental angle, but it wasn't comfortable. In the family room, you could basically see through the glass despite the attempt at art to block the view. The minibar fridge temperature couldn't be changed, so drinks wouldn't get properly cold. I was in Germany for a quick shopping trip and stayed three days. I booked a family room, not the Presidential Suite, since it was my first time at the hotel. The staff hadn't set it up properly, so I had to go to reception and ask someone to fix it. Then I found a lot of dings and scratches, and the bathroom door wouldn't stay shut, it kept opening on its own. I was moved to another room with the same problems, then to a third room that worked. Two workers sent to fix the bed in the first room laughed and made fun of me as a guest while I was on my way back. I overheard them. Apart from those two, the staff were generally okay. Parking out front was tricky because they didn't communicate well. I was locked out despite there being an open disabled parking space. When I told them, they said, "parking full." They only put a reserved sign on the disabled space in the underground garage the following night. Be careful in the bathroom: the doors make it very easy to get into the tub and shower area if you haven't locked the main door.

The hotel was clean, with spacious rooms and friendly staff, and I'd definitely stay again. It's a five-minute walk from Potsdsmer Platz Railway and the U/S Bahn station, and just one minute from the U bahn at Mendehlsson Bartholy. We skipped breakfast here, but there are plenty of good local breakfast spots within five minutes. Several good dinner places are within a ten-minute walk, and there's a Lidl nearby for things on the go. The hotel bar doesn't open until 1700.

Pretty much what I need from a hotel: nice rooms, a good breakfast and a good location. The one thing I wasn't so keen on was the bar on the 3rd floor. Not sure why, but I didn't feel comfortable there.