Mesa @ The Grand Hyatt Berlin, Germany

While staying at the Grand Hyatt Berlin (Please see also review) for one night in
April 2016 we went to Mesa for dinner.

We liked the sharing concept and the design of the venue by Tony Chi. It had very high
ceilings and floor to ceiling windows. Shelves provided some privacy. The dark
furniture was elegant and understated.

Staff was friendly and attentive. We received a breadbasket to start with and
ordered a bottle of still Seltzer water and two orange juice.

Studying the menu we decided to have an apple-celery soup with smoked salmon,
one Brandenburg mozzarella with cos salad, two curry sausages with fries, potato
wedges and two desserts, the lemon foam with rhubarb and strawberry and milk,
apple and chervil.

We enjoyed the modern interpretation of the dishes. Everything was of high quality, good value, light and delicious.

The bill was 51 Euro, ca. 55.75 USD.

When back in Berlin and the Grand Hyatt we would eat here again.

©2016

Gendarmentmark Berlin, Germany

When we visted Berlin in April 2016 we spent some time at the famous Gendarmenmarkt, a square not too far from the Brandenburg Gate.

It is a romantic place with the Franzoesische Dom and Deutscher Dom to each side. In the middle is the concert hall.

Sometimes there are buskers playing classical music.

The square dates back to the 17th century and was remodelled in 1773 by Georg Christian Unger.

The Franzoesische Friedrichstadtkirche is still active and integrated within the French Dome. The visit is well worth it and if you want take photographs of the interior it's 0.50 Euro / ca. 0.60 USD. Otherwise it's free.

It's only a small church and simple in decor.

There are some Free Mason elements visible as well. Check if you can find them, when you are next time there.

A nice touch, and something I haven't seen anywhere else so far, were copies in German of sermons from the previous weeks. It was interesting for me to read them from an outsider perspective, since I'm not Protestant, and from a philosophical angle.

When in Berlin we will return to the Gendarmenmarkt and the church again.

©2016

Franzoesische Friedrichstadtkirche Berlin, Germany

The Franzoesische Friedrichstadtkirche is still active and integrated within the French Dome. The visit is well worth it and if you want take photographs of the interior it's 0.50 Euro / ca. 0.60 USD. Otherwise it's free, when we visited in April 2016.

Since wanted to take photos we paid the obligatory 0.50 Euro cents, it's well worth it and goes towards the upkeep of this splendid church located on the Gendarmenmarkt.

It's a small, but beautiful church and simple in decor with memorable large windows and an airy interior.

There are some Free Mason elements visible as well. Check if you can find them, when you are next time there.

A nice touch, and something I haven't seen anywhere else so far, were copies in German of sermons from the previous weeks. It was interesting for me to read them from an outsider perspective, since I'm not Protestant, and from a philosophical angle.

When in Berlin we will return to the Gendarmenmarkt and the church again.

 

©2016

 

VAU Berlin, Germany

During my fiancé’s birthday travel in April 2016 we decided to have lunch at VAU. It has one Michelin star and is just off the Gendarmenmarkt, where the Franzoesiche Dom and Deutscher Dom are located, on Jaegerstrasse in the heart of Berlin, Germany.

It is in a quiet area and VAU has as a direct neighbor the Greek Embassy. The classic building has a vibrant color and a Mediterranean feel.

The interior was designed by Meinhard von Gerkan. He was also responsible for Le Canard Nouveau in Hamburg, where we had lunch only a few days earlier. Please see our review.

There are some things both restaurants have in common: The chairs and the use of wood. Otherwise Le Canard Nouveau is understated and Japanese/Asian, while VAU is inspired by the sunnier climates of Southern Europe.

VAU is divided into two spaces. One at the back, which contains the most of the tables, and another, bright space where ca. 10 people can sit. The window is very large, and reminds us more of a show window of a shop which lets in lots of natural daylight.

Another reason was the personality of the chef Kolja Kleeberg. He is very creative - not only in the kitchen. He is a musician and actor as well.

The first thing, when entering, we encountered was the bar, which looked stylish and right out of the 1930s.

We were warmly welcomed and brought to our table near the window.

There was an elderly couple already enjoying their lunch. Later a group and a single business man arrived. The atmosphere was good and the staff made us immediately feel welcome and at home.

The table was covered with a white linen cloth and had a flower in a vase as decoration.

We were offered Seltzer water, which was included in the price of the lunch, and asked if we would like to have an aperitif. We checked if they had alcohol-free cocktails. The bartender came to us and asked if we wanted a classic or modern one. We decided for the latter. It was made with Matcha green tea, lime, grape juice and soda and was served in a Martini glass. We both loved it. The combination was just right, not too sweet and not too dry.

Next bread and salted butter were brought to our table which we enjoyed, a good start.

We chose from the lunch menu and decided on three courses. Our starters were roasted cod, onion tarte fine, rocket salad and anchovies and asparagus ceviche, elderberry, pomelo and watercress.

It was followed by crisp pike perch, spinach, brown butter, almonds and pink grapefruit and pink fried duck breast with wild broccoli and radicchio trevisano.

Desserts were Piedmont hazelnut cake with cream praline and sea buck thorn and Tarte Tartine with rum raisins and walnut.

My fiancé wanted to try the other non-alcoholic drink with orange juice and Sun-bitters. It came in a long ball glass and was decorated with skewered orange pieces. The "classic" was equally memorable as was the "modern" non-alcoholic cocktail we enjoyed earlier.

With the choice of our coffee, Cappuccino, which was also included in the meal, we received Canele, the same pastry as we had at the FG Restaurant in Rotterdam, The Netherlands earlier during our travels. Please see also our review for more.

The menu was well prepared, the flavors balanced and fitting to the ambience of the restaurant.

The invoice came in at 115 Euro / ca. 130 USD.

The service was attentive, warm and very well aware of our allergies and dislikes.

The lunch was delicious, of high standards and beautifully presented, beside this we enjoyed the location and service, plus the overall setting of the Restaurant VAU.

When in Berlin, we would eat here lunch or dinner again in our future.

©2016 

Adlon Hotel Kempinski Berlin, Germany

Shortly after the Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin opened its doors for the first time in over fifty years in 1997 we visited it and were impressed by the grand lobby. We swore we would stay there at some stage. Our dream came finally true in April 2016.

We arrived by train from Hamburg and took a taxi from the main train station. It was maybe half an hour before official check in time. Our Executive Room - an entrance category room - wasn't ready yet. We went for a walk, taking in the sights of the Brandenburg Gate, which is just a few steps from the hotel and the Memorial of the Murdered Jews of Europe. When we returned it was after check in time now, but our room was still not ready. We went around the block again to get another perspective of this landmark hotel and finally the room was ready.

The area surrounding the reception was crowded and the Lobby Lounge and Bar was also nearby, which would lead to a security issue later.  I will come back to the incident in a few moments.

We had chosen the entrance category room, because we liked the looks and design from images on their website.

The walk to the room was long and it was located in the new wing, the Kempinski Palais. We didn't mind, since there were photographs of former famous guests, an attractive indoor garden area and the stunning lobby with a cupola and elephant fountain all which beckons to be explored.

Our room we received was luxurious as expected with its own hallway and the furniture was top notch and classical. The color scheme was different shades of brown, beige, grey and green.

We were located beside the British Embassy and had views over the roof tops of Berlin and the TV tower in the distance.

The large wardrobe contained the safe and minibar. There were some interesting items in the minibar, like vodka, brewed in Berlin, Thomas Henry soft drinks (Ginger Ale, Bitters, Tonic), Talent iced tea and Charitea, a selection of Ruinart Champagne half bottles, Berliner Kindl beer and sweets, like yogurt gums, gummi bears and jelly beans.
The soft drinks and beer started from 5.50 Euro (ca. 6.25 USD), the Champagne from 65 Euro (ca. 73.80 USD) and the sweets from 6 Euro (ca. 6.85 USD). We had some of the gummi bears which had been packaged especially for the hotl. They were lovely.

There was also a club chair and coffee table, a writing desk with a tablet. At first the tablet wasn't working, because it hadn't been plugged in, but after this it functioned well. The writing desk had two chairs.

The large bed was comfortable and allowed for a good night’s rest. Inside the top drawer of the night stands on each side were switches for the lights and to raise or lower the automatic blinds.

We appreciated turn down left a large bottle of Evian water every night and that the wakeup call each morning was personalized with tea or coffee and a pastry provided and was punctual on the dot.

The environmentally friendly message was on a little felt tree shaped figure. It had to be placed on the bed, if the linens shouldn't be changed.

Artwork consisted of four etchings of Italian landmarks and a flower and bird painting in the bathroom.

Of course there was also entertainment including My Kempinski, fashion and life style magazines and the LHW catalogue and a flat screen with regional and international channels. They could be sorted by language or alphabetical, because there were so many.

In room dining was 24 hours available and we used it for one dinner and two breakfasts during our two night stay.

We had the vegetable curry with rice, the Adlon currywurst with Havellaender apple fed pork and fruit salad "Three Flavors". All was very good.  It cost 51 Euro (ca. 57.95 USD).

We tried two different breakfasts. One was the Continental with hot chocolate, carrot juice, bread and pastry selection, butter, Rosenrot & Feengreen jams, Berlin honey, Nutella, cheese, cold cuts and fresh fruit salad. We had a French Toast with it as well. All was beautifully presented and delicious. It cost 41 Euro / ca. 46.60 USD per person.

The other was the European, which was the same as the Continental, but included a hot dish - our choice was the egg white omelette with Nuremberg sausage - and gravad lax, smoked trout and mackerel. It cost 47 Euro / ca. 53.40 USD).

We enjoyed our meals through room service, it represnts good quality and value IMHO.

The bathroom was large with separate bath tub and shower, double sinks and Kempinski own branded toiletries, which we liked.

The toilet and shower were in separate cubicles and there was storage space under the sinks.

Since the Adlon is a grand hotel it has many amenities, including diverse restaurants, lounges and bars including Le Petit Felix, Restaurant Quarré (where we had dinner and a review is going to follow.), Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer and Sra Bua by Tim Raue.

Of course there is also a spa and a clef d'or concierge service desk.

Now to our problems with security and billing.

The TV has the function to connect you to your invoice. We checked it one morning and were surprised to find a charge from the Lobby Bar on it, since we had not used it. When I called reception I was thanked for informing them and promised this would be removed. Checking again later on the TV it was not showing anymore. We thought this was now done and dusted.

Wrong!

We believe someone must have overheard our name and room number, when checking in and used it. This is easily possible, since there were so many people lingering about near reception. A fraudster could easily pretend to wait for someone or to be in the queue. Our name was dropped quite frequently. Of course I understand this is a sign of luxury, but prefer not to be addressed by it due to privacy concerns.

When checking out we received a printout of the bill and the incorrect charges were still there. It was a bit disappointing.

We believe the layout of the lobby should be rethought or only staying guests and customers with a restaurant reservation allowed entry. This may change, because the Adlon Hotel Kempinski is going through a renovation currently as of Sep. 2016.

Another thing we disliked was the prohibition of taking photographs in the lobby. Security was discreet about telling my fiancé he wasn't allowed to use his camera, so that was good. As soon as we were advised he stopped doing so and never used it again in the public space, so the reminder on another occasion was unnecessary and not appreciated.

Having now experience with a few Kempinski hotels/resorts around the world and there were always some issues we came to the conclusion that this hotel chain is not really suitable for us and probably will not stay with them again in our future with the execption in markets where Kempinski operates hotels and it looks like there's no suitable alternative available. However, overall we might not "gel" with Kempinski and what they offer and how they offer their product.

Would we recommend this particular hotel to a friend? Maybe, depends on the occasion.
Would we want to stay again at this particular hotel in our future? Maybe yes, maybe not, as we experienced some serious flaws at this hotel, but equally we experienced also some "highs" at this hotel, interestingly we equally stayed at Das Stue [earlier in 2015] and the Grand Hyatt [after the Adlon. Review to follow] in Berlin, both of which are flawless in what we experienced with them in terms of especially service, design, F&B and room product.

©2016 

Reinhard's @ The Bristol Kempinski Berlin, Germany

After our lunch at The Casual by Paco Perez at Das Stue (Please see reviews.) we strolled through West Berlin, passing the Zoo, Kaiser Wilhelm Gedaechtniskirche and a few hotels, like the Waldorf Astoria, the Palace Hotel, Swissotel and Hotel Zoo.

We stopped at the Kempinski Hotel Bristol for refreshments.  Reinhard's was clearly visible, because they have outdoor seating.

The weather was beautiful and warm, so we decided to sit outside.

It wasn't clear for us, that there was a separate area for the bar and restaurant section. We weren't that hungry, so we didn't come for a meal and had to change tables. It was a bit strange in my opinion and slightly embarrassing.

From then our visit was pleasurable.

We ordered one Evian Pure, one cherry juice, one non-alcoholic cocktail called "Long Distance Runner" and fruits and sorbet.

The cherry juice was just right between tangy and sweet. The Long Distance Runner was prickly, slightly spicy and dry.

The fruits and sorbet were very generous and we could easily share it. They were delicious and refreshing.

The service was attentive and friendly.

We paid 24.20 Euro (ca. 27.35 Euro).

If you're looking for privacy we wouldn't recommend to sit outside. While we were there, passers-by stared at us.

Afterwards we used the opportunity to check out the public spaces. We liked the shopping arcade and the grand classic design and would consider staying there in the future.

Near the entrance is also a plaque commorating the Kempinski family, some of whom lost their lives under the Nazi regime.

We recommend Reinhard's, but next time we might try the Gobelin Hall instead, which is located in the expansive lobby of this luxury hotel.

©2015

Das Stue Berlin, Germany

We spent a lot of time on which hotel we should book for our 2night/3days in Berlin, where he was also going to celebrate his birthday.

Making up our mind was difficult. We had wittled down our list to two hotels - The Adlon and Das Stue. Should we take a classic hotel, which was similar to the other two hotels we had chosen in Oslo and Stuttgart, these destinations were part of the same itineary, or should we break the mold and check into a design driven hotel?

What spoke for The Adlon was the Leading Hotels of the World membership, the location, being in the center of everything, having a wide selection of restaurants including Sra Bua, which we always wanted to try (and still have to in our future), the heritage and the prestige.

What spoke against it was the location, the prestige and the value.

We were already quite busy in Oslo and Stuttgart. We thought we would overdo it, if we were out and about in Berlin too and it would be more suitable to have a celebratory and quiet birthday.

Having experience how overrun some famous hotels, for example The Arts in Barcelona, can be and how even staying guests are treated, we were a bit wary. We also followed the reviews on Trip Advisor. There were indications we might not be able to enjoy our stay to 100 % at the Adlon during this time.

Our stay was from a Saturday to Monday. We were comparing rates and found out that The Adlon was available during the week for half the price when booking an entrance category room, so we thought it wasn't worth to spend much more for the same category.

Of course we know rates are demand driven and that Berlin is a weekend destination.

As a note: Some Berlin hotels up their rates during weekends, while others require a minimum stay of two nights we found out during our research.

Das Stue had a slightly higher rate on the Saturday to Sunday than Sunday to Monday.

What spoke for Das Stue?

We had followed the progress since we heard about the development of the hotel. Das Stue opened in 2012. We liked the contemporary design, unusual concept and playful elements.

We also liked the membership. The hotel had joined Design Hotels. Das Stue was our first.

Even though the hotel was new the building has a history.

It was opened in 1939 as the Royal Danish Embassy. The architect was Johann Emil Schaudt, who was also responsible for the Kaufhaus des Westens (short KaDeWe), Germany's largest and best department store.

Later the building was used as a training center for Deutsche Telekom and the Postal Service.

When Das Stue, which is Danish and means the living room, was redeveloped as a hotel, different architects were engaged.

Axthelm Architekten from Potsdam was responsible for the modern extension.

The public spaces were designed by Patricia Urquiola and the rooms by LVG Arquitectura.

Patricia Urquiola is Spanish, but lives and works in Milan, while LVG Arquitectura is based in Spain.

We also liked the dining concept, which includes two restaurants, Cinco and The Casual, and Das Stue Bar by Paco Perez.

The location of Das Stue was also good. On the one side it was in a quiet residential upscale neighborhood and near embassies; on the other side it wasn't too far from the zoo, Kaiser Wilhelm Gedaechtniskirche, the Kudamm and the KaDeWe.

We thought Das Stue was a better fit for our needs and had to decide what room type to take. We were considering the Embassy Room or Junior Suite. In the end we thought the Embassy Room was large and if we were able to get a balcony too, which is offered in selected rooms, we would be very happy indeed.

We contacted Das Stue via email and advised them about our wishes and the anniversary.
 Since rooms with balconies are rare, we weren't promised anything. The replies were warm and very quick.

We took a taxi from Berlin Tegel, arriving from Oslo with SAS. It was an enjoyable flight. The taxi journey took approximately 20 minutes and the cost was slightly below 20 Euro ca. (22.25 USD) each way.

While the facade of Das Stue is classic, the interior isn't.

We were greeted by a crocodile (sculpture), a reminder that the hotel is bordering the zoo, and a long stylish hallway. It was filled with natural daylight and there was also a contemporary seating area and the original staircase. The staircase was beautiful and the views from the top amazing. There were books and magazines on each landing. Guests can make themselves comfortable at the many designer seating arrangements and order drinks or some snacks, while browsing through the libraries.

The concierge and reception were hidden from view to the left and right underneath the staircase.

Check in was very friendly and fast. The receptionist remembered the birthday. When all formalities were behind us we were accompanied to our room.

We were given a brief tour and then left to explore it.

The room was dominated by the large bed, which was on the harder side, but very comfortable and allowed for a good night's rest.

The design was clean cut, stylish, luxurious and comfortable.

The color scheme was black, brown, grey, gold and cream.

There was a touch screen for all light features and the airconditioning - it took a few attempts to understand how it worked, but after that it was easy.

Our room had wooden floors and very high ceilings. To our delight we also had a fully furnished balcony with views over the residential area and the Tiergarten. We spent there considerable time. We were lucky with the weather during our stay. It was warm and sunny.

Another favorite place was the seating area with a contemporary chair, coffee table, a colorful carpet and reading lamp.

There were also electronic blinds and two telephones - one was cordless, both by Jacob Jensen.

The writing desk was large with an Apple TV, which was very sensitive. The contemporary writing desk chair looked like sitting a long time would be problematic, but it was the whole opposite.

TV channels were varied, ranging from local ones to Asian, including the complete line up of Sky Germany, Arirang, BBC World, CNN, Bloomberg and much more.

Our artwork was a bit unusual. One was a woolen giraffe in all imaginable rainbow colors, ranging from blue to orange, a photograph of a windblown curtain and a painting of an ostrich, playing tennis.

The mini bar was very tempting and fairly priced. We loved especially Charitea, the coconut water and Candy Kittens Sours.

Snacks start from 2.50 Euro (ca. 2.80 USD). Alcoholic beverages included Mama Vodka, three types of Gin and a half bottle of Louis Roederer Champagne, which was the most expensive item with 45 Euro (ca. 50 USD).

Beside the minibar we had also a Nespresso Coffee machine.

The wardrobe and drawers were interesting because they hadn't any visible handles.

Another interesting feature was the alarm clock. It was cube shaped and completely black, but when pushing the back the time came on digitally, like magic.

In room dining is available 24 hours and is catered by Paco Perez incl. dishes from his Casual restaurant.

The bathroom was large with separate freestanding bathtub and rain fall shower. The shower was huge in space, as was the oversized rainshower head.

We had two sinks and a separate room for the toilet.

The bathroom amenities were by Floris and Gilchrist & Soames. It was the most complete set we've ever seen in a European hotel and included a loofah, lip balm and mouthwash.

The bathroom was filled with natural daylight and had it's own blinds and curtains, which were drawn each night at turn down.

Turn down included free water from Austria.

We had in room dining incl. dinner and breakfast twice.

The in room dining menu is similar to The Casual.

Paco Perez is a famous Spanish chef and holds 5 Michelin stars.

We tried different dishes including Wiener Schnitzel - the only nod to German cuisine -,  Gnocci from my friend Zio, Quinoa salad, monkfish and peas "Catalan Style" with "Buttifarra" and mint and the chocolate bonbons (chocolate flan, Cacao biscuits and coffee ice cream).

Needless to say the in room dining was high restaurant quality and served on white linen.

I will also write a review of our lunch at Casual. As you can expect from such a high-caliber hotel, our lunch was memorable for the right reasons.

We had twice in room breakfast. Once the continental and once the continental plus a hot item each.

The continental breakfast included a hot beverage and juice of our choice. We had Cappuccinos, freshly squeezed orange juice, two water, one milk, four bread rolls, different jams, including strawberry, blueberry and apricot by Faller from the Black Forrest and two large organic yogurts by Coop Latteria Vipiteno from Italy - each time a different flavor, like Forrest Berries or strawberry. It was 25 Euro (ca. 27.45 USD) per person. It might seems high priced, but the quality was matching.

Our hot items were scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and omelette.

We used the shoe shine service as well. It was reliable. Our shoes looked like new after they were returned.

On my better half's birthday a cake was delivered to our room. It was delicious and shaped like a flower. The cake included berries, citrus flavors and chocolate - everything he likes. We appriciated the gesture and thanked the staff later in the day.

There is also a spa, which is reasonable priced. Products used are by Susanne Kaufmann. Massages start from 75 Euro (ca. 82.25 USD) and facials from 85 Euro (ca. 93.20 USD). One of us might give it a try, when staying again at this hotel in our future.

The staff was warm and efficient. Switching from English to German and visa verse was not a problem for them.

Some of them recognized us and greeted us by name.


Our take:

The hotel took it's inspiration from the zoo. Some rooms have views over the ostrich enclosure and it is also visible from the beautiful staircase.

We liked the luxurious atmosphere, the peaceful location, how detailed Das Stue was, the history, the wonderful food, the contemporary design and the friendliness of the staff.

This is a hotel we would gladly return for more beautiful memories.

©2015