Reply to: OMG hotel prices in Berlin...

[Sysman]

Was thinking of spending the summer in the place like this on the outskirts, just my thing - not a club/drinker type myself, rather sit out in the sun with a good book.

That does look nice. Private bikes as well.

[Sysman]

This is what I did at my last away from home contract, and what I'd do in the future. No cleaning, no laundry, cheap rates.

The last time I did a long term stay in a hotel I got a staff room. Shared sitting room with a huge telly, balcony with barbecue, proper kitchen, and a laundry room. Yes those were shared, but the staff were all working or out on their days off when I wanted to use them. I basically had the place to myself.

Per month cost was equivalent to about 5 nights' stay in a normal en-suite, and it was the closest I've come to living in a proper home when away.

Did I mention the stunningly fit cleaning lady?

[darmstadt]

I stayed in a 4* in Münster the other week (my local was booked out) and I have to say that it was not a 4 *. Remember that there are different groups giving out these stars so that one organisations stars are totally different to another.

I've stayed in quite a few Best Westerns and the quality does vary. The one at Rotterdam Airport wasn't too bad except for the first plane in the morning flying at about 50m above your room is not good for your health. I gave a training course in one in Düsseldorf and that wasn't too bad. They organised everything for me and the lunch was provided in the brewery over the road. In fact we did a conference in one of the Best Westerns in Berlin and that was also reasonable, the bar had an excellent selection of single malt whiskys.

The Best Westerns I've stayed in in the UK tend to be pretty crap, in fact hotels in the UK are not all that. Why do they have to have a bath? A shower like most continental hotels is much more practical. Why bloody sheets and blankets? And the charges for parking, ****, they're extortionate.

Someone recommended the Museum Hotel in Delft, never again, in fact probably no hotel in Delft. The bloody church bells rang all night long.

[sasguru]

But Berlin is very grey and dull and hardly the vibrant city ....

The level of your ignorance is quite stunning.
berlin is one of the most vibrant cities in Europe - certainly the best clubbing city.
The fact that you were too stupid to find that out says volumes about you.
Oh and the standard of almost eveything in Germany: housing, plumbing etc isfar better than the UK.
So a 4 star there would probably be a 5 here.

[scooterscot]

I can beat that! Got a suite in the Hotel Berlin for 30 euro a night! Breakfast cost more but we managed to blag that at staff rates too, 3.50 Euro!

That's the key, staff rates, we knew someone!

I love Berlin, I'm insanely jealous of you! whereabouts are you staying (interested) and working (hopes to blag a gig there too)....?

I did have to get on phone to them to negotiate a deal, so you did well to find better, 30 euro is impressive.

My hotel is walking distance from the client, so I'm no telling!

[stek]

Just booked a 4 star suite for 60 euros!!!!!

The same room in boring bedfordshire would cost me £150 easily

I'm liking Berlin already....

I can beat that! Got a suite in the Hotel Berlin for 30 euro a night! Breakfast cost more but we managed to blag that at staff rates too, 3.50 Euro!

That's the key, staff rates, we knew someone!

I love Berlin, I'm insanely jealous of you! whereabouts are you staying (interested) and working (hopes to blag a gig there too)....?

[Mich the Tester]

True, I've stayed in a very modern BW in Norway, could not complain... Only in England have I had bad experiences with this hotel

I’ve stayed in several Best Westerns, primarily in Holland but also in other parts of Europe, as both my last employer and a previous clientco had corporate deals with them. Every single one was utterly dreadful. Uninterested customer service, dreadful food, incompetent waiters, filthy swimming pools, worn out bedsheets, cigarette burns on the 1980s furniture and wildly overpriced compared to the much more attractive B&Bs just down the road. It amazes me that any self respecting hotel owner would connect his business to this name, and I really don’t understand how they continue to exist. They are the Lada among hotels, the only difference being the higher quality standards of Lada.

So maybe there are one or two good ones, but that doesn't make up for the dreaadful ones I've seen.

[northernladuk]

yes went to berlin for brothers stag do

hotels were cheap but very good - never seemed to get up for breakfast so cannot comment on food!

if you are over there for a jolly do a search for walking tours - take about 3-4 hours and take in all the major sites throughout berlins history - i found it fascinating

one thing i did struggle to find was decent bars/clubs - plenty of places to buy beer but they all seemed a bit dull - maybe I was in the wrong area!

We did the same and agree, even had an outdoor pop concert infront of the gates while we were there so all the trappings of a lively city but dull it is. We trawled the whole place and didn't find anything approaching a vibrant night life. Plenty of places to drink, no doubt about that but not what you would expect for a city of it's size. It's definately got potential though.

[scooterscot]

Was thinking of spending the summer in the place like this on the outskirts, just my thing - not a club/drinker type myself, rather sit out in the sun with a good book.

[scooterscot]

Best Western is a franchise and not a chain so quality is variable. I've stayed in some nice ones and I've stayed in some real dumps.

True, I've stayed in a very modern BW in Norway, could not complain... Only in England have I had bad experiences with this hotel

[scooterscot]

Hi Scooter


Can you please be so kind as to let me know the name of the hotel that you booked - I ask as I am visiting Berlin to attend the Intenationl Space Station Symposium on Tuesday (http://www.iss2010symposium.com/iss/...istration.aspx) and need some accomodation - the cheaper the better !

Cheers

PM sent

[Lockhouse]

Best Western is a franchise and not a chain so quality is variable. I've stayed in some nice ones and I've stayed in some real dumps.

[AlfredJPruffock]

Just booked a 4 star suite for 60 euros!!!!!

The same room in boring bedfordshire would cost me £150 easily

I'm liking Berlin already....

Hi Scooter


Can you please be so kind as to let me know the name of the hotel that you booked - I ask as I am visiting Berlin to attend the Intenationl Space Station Symposium on Tuesday (http://www.iss2010symposium.com/iss/...istration.aspx) and need some accomodation - the cheaper the better !

Cheers

[NotAllThere]

And you can often negotiate a long term deal on a suite. Works out easier and cheaper, especially when considering all the bulltulip paperwork, than getting a proper flat entails....

This is what I did at my last away from home contract, and what I'd do in the future. No cleaning, no laundry, cheap rates.

[threaded]

Just booked a 4 star suite for 60 euros!!!!!

The same room in boring bedfordshire would cost me £150 easily

I'm liking Berlin already....

And you can often negotiate a long term deal on a suite. Works out easier and cheaper, especially when considering all the bulltulip paperwork, than getting a proper flat entails.

And they're way better than English 4*, even though it's supposed to be a standardised system, the *s that is.