Traumberg Flats

The only real positives were the quiet location and how quickly you can get around. At about €100 a night, though, the price felt outrageous. There's mold in the apartment and damage in several places. It might be okay for a single night, but not longer. It's advertised as wheelchair accessible, with rooms supposedly on the ground floor. As a wheelchair user, I couldn't have reached the keys or gotten into the apartment without my wife and friends, because there are two high steps.

Apartment No. 3 was okay for one night, but at the price we paid I expected more. It was noisy, with sounds from both the neighbors and outside. Some outlets didn't work, there weren't many cups or dishes, and the kitchen had only one hotplate and no oven. The furnishings were pretty sparse. We did get in before 3 p.m. after asking, and the place was clean with a modern bathroom. For less money, it would've been perfectly fine.

The location is fantastic, and the interior layout is clever, but the building needs a lot of attention. The furnishings look dated, though they could be updated easily, and the place feels neglected. There was even a used women's razor left in the shower. A fresh coat of paint and some maintenance could make it wonderful. The neighbors were disappointed for the same reasons.

We managed, and we'd still love to visit Berlin again, but Apartment 1 was very bare. There were no coffee cups or spoons, and you had to wash dishes at the bathroom sink. We were also expected to take out the trash ourselves, which was awful over six days. I bought cups, but there was no way to have them brought to me. Not seeing staff was fine on its own. But when the key wasn't in the safe, I had to call several times to ask someone to bring it. That was poorly organized.