Hotel 38

Set in the thick of Berlin’s Mitte action, the Hotel 38 was formerly a bland tourist hotel called the Hotel am Scheunenviertel. Today, the three-star urban retreat boasts a new interesting interior befitting its lively surroundings.

The Hotel 38 offers 32 guest rooms, many with unusual floor plans. Some rooms are rather spacious while others are very small. Furnishings are of the utilitarian (but still attractive) variety: streamlined wooden beds with built-in side tables and narrow desks with orb-like lights.

Each of the Hotel 38’s four floors has a different color palette, and rooms are decorated accordingly. First-floor rooms are minimally decorated, with black-and-white Berlin photographs to jazz things up, while rooms on the second floor are whimsical. The “China Room,” for example, features paper lanterns, lacquered Chinese furniture and deep red walls with metallic gold trim. Our favorite room is deliciously glam, with a bubblegum-pink accent wall, black vinyl bed, mirrored vintage-esque closet and black-and-white Matisse-style drawing.

Rooms on the two highest floors are cool and modern, with splashes of color (think hot-pink chairs or multi-colored throw pillows). We loved the exposed brick walls we saw in some rooms.

No matter what their layout or aesthetic, all rooms feature a phone, minibar and wall-mounted flat-screen TV with DVD player. Some rooms are air conditioned (request ahead)

Like the rooms, the bathrooms vary greatly, with some feeling ample and others quite cramped. Modest travelers should note that, due to the nature of the renovated building, some rooms do not have a separate compartment for the shower. Still, bathrooms are clean and modern, showers are powerful, and a hairdryer and toiletries can be found in each room.

Although it resides in a classic turn-of-the-century building, the Hotel 38 is all spruced up, and its vibe is both sleek and friendly. The included breakfast is served in an airy space with long wooden tables and mismatched white chairs, next to a small but swanky lounge. Wi-Fi is free throughout.

Location

Nestled above the popular, noisy, bar-lined Oranienburgerstrasse, the Hotel 38 is close to everything. Hackescher Markt, Museum Island and Friedrichstrasse are a short stroll away, and the U-bahn, S-bahn and tram are even closer.