Mercure Hotel Potsdam City

You’re right in the city center and close to the railway station, which made the location amazing. The rooms were clean and cozy, and the staff were friendly and helpful. A great hotel with good service.

We chose Potsdam because staying in Berlin on a Saturday night was three times the price of other nights. This place cost £80, compared with £250 or more for the Berlin hotels. It’s conveniently close to the train station, though a fair walk from Potsdam’s attractions. The hotel calls itself 4-star, but I’d say 3-star at best. The room had a great view but was small, with no coffee or tea facilities and barely any useful space. I also couldn’t charge my phone while sitting in bed, a pet peeve after walking 25k steps across two cities. There’s a gorgeous restaurant across the road that I recommend, and it’s much cheaper than the hotel restaurant. Even a couple of snacks from reception cost me over 10 euros.

Solid 4.5. The water downstairs is reasonably priced, and I thought the event buffet catering was decent too. Breakfast had lots of bread, milk, fruit and sausages, including liver, and there was a pancake machine. Best hotel desk for working, XD. I just wish the room had conditioner. That’s the kind of thing that separates four-star from five-star hotels.

For a whole week, loud, bass-heavy music from the carnival right outside blasted into our room every day from 2 until 10PM, and until 11PM on Fridays. The staff told me this event happens for a whole month. There was no warning when booking, which is absolutely unacceptable. We couldn’t rest before or after a flight, take a break during the day, or concentrate on remote work.