Sheraton Berlin Grand Hotel Esplanade

The rooms were modern and well equipped, just as the marketing promised, and felt miles better than the public areas. The grand lobby came across as dated rather than classic, like an unwelcoming leftover from another era. The restaurant and bar beside it had no clear style and felt sterile, more like fast food than a premium place.

The hotel worked well enough, though I expected more from such an expensive official event hotel. The indoor parking garage was spacious, easy to get into, and had plenty of spots. The marathon entrance was about a 30 minute walk away, but subway stations were far, so the location wasn’t ideal. Our room was spacious, with comfortable beds and a good shower. The curtains kept out some light, but the fixed blackout layer didn’t cover the full window. The heating seemed to be central and was off, so it got chilly overnight, even in late summer. There were a few small maintenance issues. Restaurant and front desk staff were friendly and efficient, and the food was good but not great. They didn’t offer room service, so we had to carry our food upstairs on those big, heavy trays. The phone only worked about half the time, which made getting help difficult.

This felt more like a 50 euro hotel than a four-star one. The bathroom facilities were old, there was no exhaust fan, and heating was weak. In winter, airing the room by opening the window left it cold for a long time. The cleanliness was bad, too. I found several yellow, sticky spots on the toilet seat and had to wipe them off myself with wet wipes because I needed to use the bathroom. The tissues in the box were scattered around, and pulling one out brought a bunch with it. I don’t know what the cleaning staff were doing.

It was a miserable place. I always use Apple Pay, and this was the only time I had to hand over my card and have staff take it away. Later, I found fraudulent charges on my account, so I believe the card was cloned by the staff. I can’t tell whether the bleak surroundings were just Berlin or the hotel.