Hotel Sylter Hof Berlin

Breakfast was plain and simple, but fine for a short visit. The room itself was small, though reasonably clean. I was on the second floor facing the main street, and traffic was audible even with the window shut, making it hard to sleep. It was an okay stay, but light sleepers may have trouble with the noise.

We'd gladly stay here again next time we're in Berlin. The bus stop for line 100 is right outside, and that route passes almost all the city's main sights. The underground is about 500 metres away, with connections through the centre and to suburban trains for the airport. It's a quiet area in the wider centre, and the hotel is good value, with a generous breakfast buffet and friendly, helpful staff. When we needed an important service, Tahir at reception quickly found us the best solution. A small fridge and a telephone in the room would have made the stay even better.

The people were nice, and the rooms were tiny but clean and okay. Still, I wouldn't stay here on a business trip. They seem to have trouble handling reservations paid for through a travel agency, and I understood this wasn't the first time. I arrived at 11 PM, when there was no receptionist. The security guard was covering security, the bar, and reception. He was kind, but after an hour of trying, past midnight, he still couldn't see that the agency had paid. I was on the phone with the agency, and they confirmed everything was covered, but I gave up and paid myself. The next morning it took another 30 minutes for the hotel to understand the agency was paying and refund me. Hopefully that refund has reached my bank account by now. They didn't even offer breakfast or a coffee that morning. Also, zoological garten bahnhauf really isn't somewhere you'd want to be alone at night.

The location is fine, but the hotel badly needs renovation. Only one lift was working, and there was no hot water in my room. The best I got was murky water at dawn. Reception kept giving the same explanation, that the whole hotel shares one boiler and people were showering. For just a little more, you can stay somewhere more pleasant.