Smart Appart Atelier Berlin

A spacious apartment right in central Berlin.

The exposed brick in places and the wooden floor made the apartment feel pleasant. It has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a big dining table in the kitchen. A large EDEKA with a very good product selection is about 300 meters away. The ground-floor glass door opens onto the sidewalk, which could be either a plus or a drawback. Wi-Fi from the kitchen router didn’t reach the two bedrooms at the back, so a repeater would help. A dishwasher, which the landlord was planning to add, and a microwave would also be useful in the kitchen. I’d rate it 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.

Getting to public transport takes about a 20-minute walk. The rooms also don’t match the listing: one room has been split into two, one of them has no window, and there are eight beds. The extra sleeping spots are sofa beds. There’s no dishwasher, and the pots and pans are too small.

The apartment is a large former bar, with enough space for the three families and five children in our group. The neighborhood is very quiet and close to almost everything, though Berlin is so large that the airport is an exception. I’d give the city three stars too. It didn’t feel especially remarkable to me, and compared with other European capitals I found it rather dispensable. If you decide to book, contact the owner directly. Going through an agency makes the price considerably higher. You have to find the apartment on maps and look for the email address.