The Westin Grand Hotel in Berlin

You may remember that I was in Berlin a couple of months ago to attend The Hive 2015 bloggers conference. During my four days in the German city I had the pleasure to stay at The Westin Grand, a stylish 4-star-superior hotel in Berlin’s historic centre. The hotel is situated less than ten minutes’ walk from city’s landmarks such as Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, the Museum Island and Checkpoint Charlie.

The Westin Grand Berlin was opened as the Grand Hotel Berlin in 1987. Later on it became part of the Westin chain (itself part of Starwood Hotels) and in 2008 it was extensively renovated to what it looks nowadays.

The Westin is indeed a grand hotel: it covers an area of 35,000 square metres and features 400 rooms and suites. The most striking features of the hotel are the open-plan staircase and the stunning 30-metre-high atrium with imposing glass ceiling.

It’s a sight that will surely put you in awe, especially when you enter the lobby during the day, the atrium brightly lit of natural light coming through the roof.

I stayed in a spacious double bedroom with views of the magnificent historical boulevard Unter den Linden. On my right side I could see the dome of Berlin Cathedral Church (and behind it, Berlin’s famous landmark: the TV Tower). On my left side I could spot the Reichstag and its striking glass dome, designed by Norman Foster, which is free to visit every day (book well in advance).

The room was very comfortable and I had the best night’s sleep in the king-size bed. It was decorated in soft colours, had a lounge area with armchairs and coffee table, a long desk and a coffee / tea machine which I used several times. I mostly loved coming back to my room every evening to find the curtains drawn-in, the bedside light switched on and a small chocolate candy by the bed.

The bathroom had a large basin with a marble counter for all my bags, good quality complimentary toiletries and a spacious rainfall shower.

Westin Grand hotel also features a modern gym, although the weather was so nice that weekend that I skipped the gym in favour of a run in the nearby Tiergarten and along the Spree. After my run, though, I couldn’t resist checking into the Spa for a relaxing swim, a dip in the whirpool and a relaxing session in the sauna.

My absolute favourite part of staying at Westin Grand Berlin was the excellent breakfast buffet. I couldn’t resist having a large meal every morning!

In addition to the continental breakfast buffet, there is a chef taking orders for eggs, which can be cooked in any way you want and topped with extra ingredients like cheese, salmon or chives.

Germany has a great culinary tradition for baking, so of course the offer of breads and pastries was large and of high quality.

I am a fan of Westin, having stayed also at Westin Excelsior in Rome. The hotel brand offers luxury, comfort, top service and excellent dining.

Westin Grand Hotel is a minute away from Französische Straße U-bahn station and five minutes from Friedrichstraße train station (with direct trains to Schoenefeld Airport), so getting around Berlin is very easy. I either walked or cycled every day (I rented a bicycle directly from the concierge), and I only needed to take the U-bahn to cross the city a couple of times.

Admittedly, the Mitte district is not the coolest part of Berlin, so if you are looking for the trendiest bars and cafes you might want to look for accommodation in Friedrichshain or Prenzlauer Berg. However, Westin Grand Hotel in Berlin offers a great base for tourists visiting for the first time, as it’s close to many of Berlin’s touristic attractions. It’s also great if you are coming to the city on a business trip, as most company’s headquarters and government offices are in this area. With daily rates for a Deluxe Room starting from €129, it’s not as expensive as you might think for such a luxury accommodation.

Disclaimer: I was a guest at The Westin Grand Hotel. All opinions are my own.