Kempinski Hotel Bristol

Reviewer: Deirdre Elliott, Dublin Ireland

Date 27th February 2008

Myself and my husband stayed in the Kempinski Hotel Berlin for three nights (from 18th February 2008 checking out on the 21st February 2008). I have to say this is a very lovely hotel. Yes rooms may be a bit small but very cozy and clean. The staff of this hotel from the chamber maids to reception staff were extremely polite, friendly and very helpful (always saying "hello" as you passed in and out) and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay here. I would recommend it to a friend and I would have no hesitation about staying at this hotel again. The location is brilliant near plenty of shops, restaurants and sightseeing busses are just across the street.

I want to say a big thank you to the extremely friendly staff at this hotel who made our stay very special.

We stayed at the Kimpinski for three nights in mid September, 2008. The hotel rooms were nice, a bit old fashioned, but we found that charming. They were very clean and well maintained. Breakfast came with our room and it couldn't have been more delicious.

The location is wonderful in the midst of the shopping boulevard. The pool and health spa area was excellent after a long day of sight seeing. We were able to do a lot of walking to points of interest from the hotel. If we go back to Berlin, we would choose to stay here again.

H & P Friedman

I travel on a regular basis to Berlin on business and have just stayed three nights at the Kempinski Hotel Bristol .... I am very surprised at some of the comments I have read. Firstly the staff at receiption, the bar, and the pool area were simply fantastic. All etremely helpful, polite and very professional.

The room was fresh, very clean, and although compact very well laid out and extremely comfortable. I had a truely wonderful stay. The hotel is well positioned on the Ku Dam, yet quiet and the food was simply terrefic.

I have recommended that my company use this hotel in future it was a pleasure to be a guest at the Kempinski and I look forward to returning there in Qctober.

Great Hotel, nice location, The lobby area is nice, the breakfast buffet is one of the best I have ever seen. We stayed in 418 great room, big great views.

The service is first class, from arrival to check in, front desk and check out.

Great food and service at Cafe de Paris.

We will always stay there 5 stars.

Reviewer: Deirdre Elliott, Dublin Ireland

Date 27th February 2008

Myself and my husband stayed in the Kempinski Hotel Berlin for three nights (from 18th February 2008 checking out on the 21st February 2008). I have to say this is a very lovely hotel. Yes rooms may be a bit small but very cozy and clean. The staff of this hotel from the chamber maids to reception staff were extremely polite, friendly and very helpful (always saying "hello" as you passed in and out) and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay here. I would recommend it to a friend and I would have no hesitation about staying at this hotel again. The location is brilliant near plenty of shops, restaurants and sightseeing busses are just across the street.

I want to say a big thank you to the extremely friendly staff at this hotel who made our stay very special.

Stayed again at the Kempi - this time (our 6th) with a small group of friends; we all booked deluxe rooms and all of us were very happy indeed. We ended up with a Junior Suite with two bathrooms (just a bit of heaven). The new Reinhardt's restaurant on the Ecke now does the breakfast - and was well up to the Kempinski standard of having the best breakfast in town.

The front desk and lobby lounge staff are truly quite remarkable for their friendliness and knowledge.

Never hesitate to book the Kempi - we haven't since 1996.

We booked a Junior Deluxe Suite for three nights at the end of December, going in to the new year. The idea was to have a romantic getaway after the bustle of Christmas, and this is exactly what we got in this hotel. I was a bit worried having read some of the begative reviews, but fortunately without cause, once we were there. Flew in to Tegel, and from there it was a €13 taxi ride - save yourself a few Euros going through the city, rather than via the motorway. Room service was great, and the turn down service immaculate - a weather forecast for the following day, a mat with slippers laid by your bed. Breakfast was very good as well. I would suggest taking breakfast in the cafe/restaurant (Russell's?) instead of in the Gartensaal. Its just a lot nicer (Gartensaal is quite functional) and has small tables.

One negative was the pool area, where the service was more like in a boarding school than in a hotel, never mind a 5* one. I did complain to the reception manager, and the next day's treatment in the pool area was much more friendly. I would certainly stay in this hotel again, and would probably again splash out a little to make sure I got the same kind of (enormous) room / suite.

We have recently spent 3 days at the Kempinski Hotel Bristol. What a lovely hotel! The website doesn't do justice to the outstanding service provided at the hotel, from the concierge at the door on hand to offer you an umbrella at the hint of a raindrop, to the turn-down bedtime service at night, the little card with the following day's forecast, fresh slippers, and robes and slippers laid on at the pool. The room was lovely, with unusual features and a queen sized bed (we had booked the super deluxe room). We had requested an early check-in as our flight arrived in Berlin at 9am, and to our delight, our room was ready on arrival.

The location is suberb, a stone's throw from 3 u-bhan stops, the zoo and some great shopping streets, the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtnis-Kirche and some great Christmas markets. Whilst very close to the train line, there are double windows installed which let in next to no sound from outside.

Berlin was very beautiful with its leafy streets and sumptious yuletide decorations.

We flew in to Schoenfeld airport and took at a taxi to the hotel, well worth the €30 it cost to take us right to the door. Loved it!

This was a beautiful hotel in the best location - perfect for sight seeing and shopping.

We did the hop on hop off bus tour which was brilliant, plenty of freedom to see the city.

The Christmas markets were famnastic, beautiful food, drink and atmosphere.

The Kempinski was a brilliant hotel, staff were very friendly they rroms in my opinion were of a good standard too, the beds were very big and comfy, although a little warm.

The pool was lovely very relaxing after a tiring day walking round the city, didn't try the breakfast as we went to the Christmas markets and ate there.

Drinks in the hotel were as you would expect a little pricey but the do a fab latte macciatto!! If you go definately do the afternoon tea, great value for soming very special, as a Travel Agent i have staying in a few good hotels and this was by far one of the best.

Berlin is the most amazing city, very safe, clean and plenty to do.

You'll love it!!

Wonderful location right on Oliverplatz and close to Zoo station. The hotel lobby is pretty impressive, staff are friendly and polite. Service with a smile! The rooms are a good size, clean and pretty luxurious. There wasn't alot of English speaking channels on the tv though. I tried out the 'Bed Menu' option which allows you to choose bed linen and pillows from a wide selection. The pool and spa are worth visiting and there's a little reasonably priced juice bar for smoothies, juices and coffee down there. I didn't have breakfast during my stay but I did have afternoon tea one day and it was well worth the Euro13.00.

The plus points for this 5* joint is the location and the relaxed yet attentive charming staff. Well worth paying the extra bucks for this little bit of luxury.

I went here with my boyfriend and had a fantastic time. The staff were all really helpful, and didn't appear that embarrassed that we appeared in the lobby with your bathrobes and flip flops on.

The concierge recommended a fantastic German restaurant for us for my boyfriend's birthday and as the hotel is near the equivalent of Sloane Square, there were quite a few places to find some bars.

The pool and sauna are definite hightlights, but the pool attendants are VERY strict on the 'no bathers' policy, but that just made it highly entertaining.

The room was maybe a little small, but the robes were great, and I can definitely recommend breakfast in bed!

Excellently located in the heart of one of Berlin's nicest shopping areas. Several tours begin within a couple of blocks of the hotel and it is only a short distance to many restaurants and bars etc. The Zoo is also close by and the Zoological Garden Station is only a few minutes walk away.

Stayed in a superior deluxe twin room. Plenty of space. Two single beds, with several feet between then. Individual bedside tables, a desk, two armchairs, two wooden chairs etc. The overall standard of the hotel is excellent. Staff are exceptionally helpful and fluent in English. Checking in and out is fuss-free.

Both the Kempinski Grill and Le Restaurant are of excellent standard with fabulous gourmet food.They are not cheap choices, but you certainly get value for money.

HOWEVER two words to the wise: Bag took longer than would have liked to arrive at the room (around half an hour). If you are anxious to go out and explore I would suggest you take up your own.

Also breakfast does not come included in the price of the room and, although there is plenty of choice from meats and fish, to breads and pastries, fruit, yoghurts and muesli, and even freshly-squeezed orange juice, it is very pricey. It is hard for even the heartiest appetites to eat 23 Euros worth of breakfast! There are several lovely cafes just around the corner on Kurfurstendamm which serve breakfast at a more realistic price.

cracker 5 star hotel in a great location - we got a smashing deal on a superior room - wow wow wow.

if you get a good price on this place, book it quick!

After 5 years of being away from Berlin as a business traveler, my wife and I decided to go as tourists for a week at the end of March. Far greater value for money compared to London hotels and the room was spacious and all elements were in good repair: bath, bed, furniture, carpets, etc. Staff was very helpful in finding "out of the way" restaurants. Business center was also great for staying in touch via email, although the "Easy Internet" cafe across the street had a Dunkin Donut shop on the ground floor. Definitely recommend the multi-day travel pass as you can't beat the U-bahn or S-bahn or the bus system. Main restaurant on the corner was being converted into high end shops, but as we tend to eat out, that wasn't a negative for us. I've stayed at the Ritz-Carlton in Potsdammer Platz which is far more sleek and chic. The Kempi is comfortable in a traditional way.

Best regards for travellers from Finland, even though I just came back from Berlin with my 13-year-old son.

We selected Kempi for two nights to visit the western parts of Berlin and another hotel for rest of the trip in the Fisherinsel. It was a very nice combination in all. Before the trip, after reading all reviews, I knew what to expect from Kempi. The location was as excellent as I had gathered. The swimming pool was a very nice choice in a city visit like ours. My son really enjoyed the spa area, even though he is a teenager. With a very good offer via internet (hotels), the accomodation was worth every euro ( in all approx. 194 euros for 2 nights excluding breakfast). The service was very good, and the receptionist was very flexible with checking-in time. We really got what we expected! Thanks!

I stayed at the Kempinski Hotel with my girlfriend and we had a fantastic time. The staff were very helpfull and friendly. The pool was a great way to relax after a day of shopping and sight seeing. The room was very clean and spacious but the air conditioning didn't work that well, so it was very hot in the room at night. The ku'damm is a brilliant street filled with shops, cafes, restaurants and bars with beer gardens. The europa center on the ku'damm is a cool place to hang out, with many street performers and friendly surroundings. Also berlin zoo is 5 minutes away and worth a trip too. The only bad thing I can say about this hotel is the breakfast. It's very expensive and you don't get much for that price. We had a great holiday in berlin and in the kempinski hotel and we would definitely come back here again.

Just back from The Kempinski Bristol and can't understand some remarks about the location being poor.

Location: Turn right out the door and your on one of the best shopping streets in Europe -Kurfürstendamn. High end shops all the way to bargain stores and plenty of restaurants.

Facilities:

We got a great deal on a junior suite for €199, well worth it. Room was big with a great walk in closet, nice bathroom and large dining table as well as coffee table with couches. They offer 6 different types of bedding and are only too happy to accomodate with these requests, or any others at all.

Leisure: My fiance took advantage of a massage and found it excellent. The pool area is very relaxing with a bar. The hotel also offers a salon and sauna - al fresco!

Food/Drink: Large selection at the breakfast buffet, but the hot food was luke warm at best. The formal restaurant looked very nice but we really aren't into the artsy menu. A fillet steak was €34 which I seldom will pay and didn't. The hotel lounge was large, comfortable and great for champagne by the fire or afternoon tea. The hotel has the Bristol bar located at the back of the lounge but if you didn't wear a dark pinstripe suit and had celebrated at least 65 birthdays, you got looks!

Staff: All staff was top-notch, extremely helpful.

Overall: Having stayed in various 5 star hotels, I would highly recommend this hotel and I would not be one to do so without good reason. However, as far as 5 stars go this is at the low end. The good thing is the only people that will notice this difference are those hotel snobs who bring a briefcase on holiday.

The location was fantastic, right on Kudamm. The breakfast was amazing. The staff OK. Bur the room was too small. I had expected a bigger room at this hotel.

Thoroughly enjoyed our stay here. The hotel reception area is very impressive, the rooms are on the small size but very comfortable and the bed was big and extremely comfy. Good size bathroom. Staff were very professional. Breakfast was fantastic, served in a pretty mock- country kitchen arrangement, and you can sit in the hotel's cafe area to eat, overlooking the main street and watching the world go by. All kinds of breads, cakes, muesli, fruit, jams, hot buffet items, cheeses etc are available, and also excellent espresso coffee on request. Hotel is very well situated, close to the main shopping area, and buses and trains. Swimming pool is a good size (not crowded at 8.30am, people swimmming in well-behaved lines!) and sauna area is very pleasant, immaculately kept and run, but be aware that the showers are at the side of the pool not in the actual changing rooms. Bath robes are provided. Would certainly return for this hotel experience.

We stayed here for the weekend & certainly the location is great, just off the main shopping thoroughfare, Potsdamer Platz & very close to the train station & the Metro. The hotel is an old Art Deco property that has been rebranded by Kempinski, so with their refurb of the main lobby, many of the original featues have been lost. Breakfast & the food in general is good if not a tad pricey for the quality. The rooms however are small & the pics on the web have been cleverly taken to maximise the space, so be careful with the type of room that you book. The bathrooms are also small, but with very high quality giveaways, which is always good. Staff are very pleasant especially on the Concierge desk. We would recommend.

Also in Berlin try "Vapiano" Italian Restaurant, very close by. Fab food & a great swipe card system.....Enjoy!

We booked this hotel via a special offer on a Danish website (USD 350 per person for 2 nights including flight from Copenhagen). Having stayed at some great hotels in Berlin previously (Grand Hyatt at Potsdamer Platz and Louisa's Place on Kurfürstendamm), we expected quite a lot from Kempinski Bristol. Expectations we're only partially met.

The staff was every bit as service minded as you could expect on a 5-star hotel, and the rooms, lobby etc. was spotless. We got two excellent restauranttips from the reception desk. The service was great, including room service.

The rooms - which had an OK size including a quite large bathroom - were, however, a bit worn down and in dark colors. Not that the carpets etc. needed replacements, but the rooms in general just need to be shined up and taking into the 21st. Century. This also applies for the pool, which definetely needs to be given a refurbishment.

But, but, but - the hotel bar (Bristol Bar) has one of the best bartenders in the world (Thomas), and he gave us a treat of some of the best drinks we ever had. He's worth the stay alone.

All in all a defintely above average stay.

I wonder if some of the recent reviewers are talking about the right Hotel. 4 of us stayed at this hotel for 2 nights to visit the Christmas Markets (a must at this time of year) The Reception area is very big there are 3 large soffas in the centre (there is a very big christmas tree in the middle) a couple of corners where you could find a soffa and 2 chairs. (Not small!!!)

Our rooms on the 5th floor were not large but well equiped. Very comfortable beds (Tempur style) and a very nice bathroom. We found it unusual not to have a hospitality tray in the room for tea & coffee but room service was only 9 Euros for 2 people.

The staff were always very helpfull and you can leave your luggage there if you have late flights to carryon enjoying Berlin.

Overall it was a very pleasant stay and cannot see how people can give this hotel poor marks.

We found the staff here very helpful and polite and overall we had a great time, however we stayed in a standard room which did actually have air conditioning but it was very old fashioned and really was useless, therefore the room was always absolutely boiling and even though temperatures outside were 5-6 degrees the hotel room was so hot we had to have the window open at all times. We could not close the curtains because the room was airless if we did. All in all though it was a good hotel.

I visited this hotel many times in my "working life" enjoying the breakfast and the pool. Now private with my wife last septemberi we enjoyed it again!

Booking far in advance for one of the specialprices on one of the hotelwebs you get a "bang for your buck" for 120 euro's per night in this hotel for ..... location, international atmosphere and pool. Take a breakfast somewhere else, but the new restaurant with the rerrace upstairs is ok!

Just opposite in the Fassanenstrasse and around Fassanenplatz you find a lot of nice good italian and german restaurants. Shopping theater and U-bahn around the corner. Till next time again!

Very traditional hotel with excellent staff and facilities. Rooms are compact but fine and service very good. Needs a gym to hit the excellent rating..

Stayed here earlier this month for a 2 day conference. I would imagine 20-30 years ago this was one of the best hotels in Berlin. Public areas are very grand and the service in all areas really could not be faulted. I came without my european power adaptor and within 5 minutes of requesting one from reception, it arrived.

The rooms, whilst enjoying all modern facilites including Wifi, are very traditionally decorated and quite small with low ceilings giving a bit of a claustrophobic feel.

The hotel seemed to have a large number of elderly upmarket groups staying & I imagine they loved the traiditonal aspects of the hotel. Last year I stayed at the Marriott which was more to my taste.

I have stayed in quite a few four-five star hotels, and while this one qualifies, I would say there is nothing spectacular about it. The location is very good if you want to stay mostly on the Kurfurstendam. It is very convenient to the hop-on-hop-off bus tours. The room was nice, but the wear and tear of the years is showing. Be warned, although the room has air conditioning, it will never get colder than 76. For some that might be fine, but it is too warm a temperature for sleeping under the down duvets that are provided (no top sheet means sleep under the duvet or with no covers at all). Our phone was locked and we tried over and over to use it. My husband finally went downstairs to notify someone, and they came to fix it almost immediately. The staff was very nice, and the room service breakfast we ordered came quickly and was good. We most likely would not stay there again because for the price, you can find other hotels in Berlin that are probably a bit more luxurious and unique. The air conditioning situation alone would deter me unless it were winter. However, this hotel is definitely acceptable and worthy of four stars.

This hotel is very conveniently situated. There is a bus stop a few metres away on the Ku'dam. The Zoo centre for all transport is two stops away, close enough to walk.

The staff were without exception helpful and friendly.

The room we had was surpisingly small for a 5* hotel. We suffered from the drains smell in the bathroom mentioned in the reviews. It disappeared after a shower of rain.

The one thing that would make me choose another hotel is the lack of proper air-conditioning. We were there in early May and found the room too warm. The only thing we were offered was the use of a large fan! I hate to think what it would be like in high summer.

Tip: When visiting Berlin buy a City-Pass (24, 48 or 72 hours) It covers every type of transport and is great value. It even gets you reductions into some places. Can be bought at the bus station or at some street kiosks.

We checked in at Dec. 29 and out at Jan. 3.It was a group reservation part of the offered program and were told that is was a five star Hotel. Well, five stars maybe not, but it's close to four. Rooms were clean but not big, personel is very willing to help and well trained. Breakfast is plentiful but needs a special touch to be satisfying. We placed at the first floor at the 147 no which was a smoking room, without being asked when checking in. Therefore smoke was penetrating from the connecting door from the next room, which was completing annoying especially at the night sleep. The reception suggested moving to a non smoking room, but this was quite an ordeal when you have already place your stuff around. So we suffered the torture with a promise to our selves to be more cautious next time. Germany is a heavy smoking country.

Well, we have some mixed feelings about it.

We spent 3 days in thi hotel. Booked on a hotel website for a junior suite including breakfast. The hotel is 5 star but semed to be a little bit cheaper than some other 5 star hotels in the centre of Berlin. Stayed in Kempinski hotel in Dresden last year and absolutely loved it so we were looking forward to another lovely experience.

The entrance and public rooms are great!!! The reception people were very friendly and the same can be said about the Concierge. We were told that we were going to have a bigger room than a junior suite and were pleased at first. Well, now this is the bad point about the whole stay. The room (229) was indeed very big with a separate room in addition to the bedroom, there were two bathrooms. But there was no DECOR to it whatsoever! It was so BORING! It was ORDINARY and nothing could remind you that it is indeed a 5 star hotel!! The wiring, the furniture, the heating system, the curtains, even the bed spread looked so cheap and dated!!! Not to mention ugly looking drains on the floors of both bathrooms!!! It was quite a strange feeling coming from a grand reception area into such a room!!!

Breakfast was very good with lots of choice of food. We also had a very good dinner in the same restaurant.

Stayed in Berlin end of Oct 2008, first time to city.

Good points-

The hotel is in a fantastic central location, close to shops, with easy transport links nearby access to rest of city.

Staff, all very friendly, helpful, knowledgeable

Rooms clean, tidy all very presentable

Bad points-

Rooms very crampt, even the "deluxe/superior" rooms.

Air con just does not work, there is no way to control the temperature of the heating - its either on or off. (we had to sleep with the window open to maintain any sort of pleasant temperature at night!)

Breakfast was hugely overpriced 25euros each! The starbucks opposite hotel, or any number of nearby cafes a much better option.

Wifi was not free with room rates. At the price they charge, Id expect that to be free!

Overall -

The hotel is good, great location, but I dont think its really a 5* hotel. Its sells itself as the oldest grandest hotel in Berlin with a fantastic rich history, which it certainly cant be knocked. But as a modern 5* hotel, no.

Would I recommend this to others? Unlikely.

The hotel really needs to sort out the aircon/heating systems - a basic necessity of a 5* hotel

I booked this for a 3 night stay, on my own. I opted for a deluxe superior room which was being offered for the same rate as a standard.

My room, on the 4th floor overlooking Fasanen Strasse, was perfectly adequate, but as others have said not really up to 5 star rating. It was a warm (Berlin Marathon) weekend in late September, and the room was quite stuffy - the 'air cooler' switch did nothing but generate a trickle of air and some noise. Air conditioning it was not.

The furniture and fixtures were a little tired and knocked about too. The bathroom was quite reasonable, but the sink plug plunge/lift mechanism was broken leading to a lot of fiddling around to fill and drain the sink. And the bathroom smelt quite 'drainy' too - there was a steel grid in the marble floor through which I could see some foul water - nice! Someone else has commented on this bathroom odour elsewhere in these KB reviews.

Otherwise, pretty unremarkable really. I've stayed in loads of hotels in Berlin, and most were at least as good if not better despite lesser star ratings and cheaper prices. And I avoided the expensive breakfast - a coffee and a roll in a cafe in the Zoo S-Bahn or Europa Center is 4 Euros - and sufficed for me.

Stayed for three nights (Thurs to Sun) as part of conference.

Well located in modern part of Berlin, close to shopping and zoo.

Large hotel with lovely decor.

Rooms slightly disappointing - small, cramped, no air con.

Dined in the hotel Sat night - magnificent ballroom, great 5-course meal, and really good service.

Breakfasts bland.

Great concierge - very knowledgeable and helpful.

Overall a pleasant stay but not sure if I would revisit - there are lots of other Hotels to try in Berlin.

Ideal location for our first trip to Berlin as it is near shops, an underground station, the main station and strolling areas but......

rooms were very small (amongst the smallest I've ever seen) with the bed taking up most of the room so really no space to walk around at all, dated in appearance as if they needed a very overdue refurbishment and absolutely not the 5 star rating it was given. We have stayed in 5 star hotels and I'd give this 3 stars only. Staff OK but although we had a very late flight home, they would not even listen to any requests for a slightly extended check-out. I was dismissed with a wave of the hand.

Can't comment on food as prices looked high so we eat elsewhere and there were good places for all meals close by.

Really enjoyed Berlin but I would not stay in this hotel again because of the room size.

Yes, the reviews of other guests are correct. This hotel is definately a mixed bag, all depending on the location of your room. The lobby area is nice, the breakfast buffet (if you get a rate where it is included) is one of the best in the city and the location at the Kudamm really is top-notch. Ah yes, but back to those rooms. We stayed at the Bristol a total of seven nights on two seperate occassions. The first room was terrible. Although we had booked a "superior deluxe" room, wall paper was torn, barely functioning heat and a window where the frame looked like it was rotting. The hotel offered to move us once they could not get the heat to work, and we promply accepted. What a difference a few hundred yards can make. The second room was bright, freshly renovated, and everything you could ask for. On our second stay - same story. First room assigned was sub prime and we immediately asked to move. The second room was great. My suggestion if you stay here: see your room before you check-in. Overall the hotel is a solid B+, it just depends where you get your room ....

Lobby and rooms were beautiful and clean (upgraded to deluxe)but breakfast was appalling for 5 star, confusing menu (despite speaking German) and not very helpful or friendly staff. They forgot our eggs which were overdone by the time we got them, coffee not included in deal which is standard in most hotel breakfasts and the jam pot I was given (just one pot, mind you) was half empty as already opened - overpriced and not what you expect from a 5* hotel. Bill included drinks from pool bar but we never went to the pool! The worst was when we collected our bags from the store room for the airport, they had 'lost' the camera bag with all the expensive equipment in it-the reception staff did not seem bothered at all and if it weren't for the porter who checked another guest's room in case of a mix up, we would not have found our bag. No-one took responsibility or seemed at all concerned. I overheard another couple complaining about their room and, again, the reception staff did not seem bothered. Nice decor but not up to 5 star service or standard at all. Staff need customer service training and someone to take responsibility. No wonder we got such a cheap deal!

The Kempinski Hotel is surely an ok stay in Berlin, however I am sure there are better stays for less money! Let's just say this place is a bit overpriced and snobby. The front desk staff were very helpful and accomodating! The restaurant staff were really snobby and rude at times. I was expecting better from the kempinski, the hotel room was a bit dated and looked worn, however the room was a good size. The bathroom was ok, but not the cleanest. The hotel claims to have air conditioning...do not be fooled...it is fully controlled by the hotel and it turned on very very low if even on at all! We had to ask for fresh towels daily and had to get a fan as the room was really very hot. Overall it was an ok stay.

We visited this hotel for a 4-day, 3 night Christmas Markets break at the beginning of December.

Having got a good deal on Expedia (£266 for three nights room only), we were not expecting huge luxury and boy, for the first night we did not get it either!

Our room was tidy and clean and on the first floor. We later discovered it was directly above the 'Bristol Bar' and that there was a private function that evening.

The music was so loud in our room that glasses on the bedside table were vibrating and you could actually hear the words of each of the (cheesy) songs. It took 4 calls to reception to speak to a manager and, as the hotel was full, we could not be offered a different room. As it was so bad, the manager sent out for earplugs for us, which arrived an hour later (around 1.30am) and the music stopped around 2.30am.

So far, so poor.

However, as guests were checking out on the following day, the hotel did move us to a much nicer room higher up in the building for our remaining two nights, which was very pleasant. A complimentary bottle of champagne also eased the trauma of the first night.

So overall "null points" for the first night and probably 4 for the last two.

The hotel generally is in a great location and has a super pool and spa for relaxing after those long days around town.

The service is unexceptional (slightly uninterested, but you get what you ordered.....eventually) and all of the public bars and restaurants are smoking areas.

The Grill Restaurant is an enjoyable 80s throwback experience and I noticed that many of its dishes also appeared on the other Kempi restaurant's menu at about E10 less...

The buffet breakfast is delish, but not great value unless you eat your main meal first thing. Head round the corner to the Uhlandstr "Rosti" cafe for breakfast and fantastic fresh coffee.

You should assume you won't be able to get the English language Film channel at busy times of the year as this has extremely limited availability.

I strongly recommend refusing any rooms on the ground floor and paying a little more to avoid their lowest class rooms. If you can do that - this hotel is definitely a great choice.

I would go back because of: the pool and spa, the location.

In many ways the Kempinski is a fine hotel. Location excellent, public rooms impressive, staff friendly and courteous. breakfast first class with the advantage of being available from 6.30 am which was handy for us as we had a 7.30 am departure.

On the downside, the furniture in the (smallish) bedroom was a bit dated and tatty. Despite the fact that we had the heating turned off it was still warm and stuffy in the room which necessitated opening the window. This was ok during the day but at night the noise of the frequent trains from the nearby railway made a good night's sleep difficult. Also be careful in the shower as the bath was particularly slippery when wet as there are no ridges or strips or a rubber mat with which to grip your feet.

We found the hotel on a lastminute.com special, and booked it based on reviews. Typically we stay in hostels so we expected a bit more luxury than usual - we were a bit disappointed.

The rooms were clean and an average size for a major European capital. The decor looked a bit out of date, and the room felt 'tired'. It looked as if it could do with a bit of a revamp.

There was no kettle (!) and the room was heated to within an inch of our lives (we stayed in late Oct, it was 'coat - cold' outside, but not yet 'glove and hat cold'). We couldn't find a way to switch this off so we had to suffer through it.

Having said all that, the location is amazing. Perfect for exploring West Berlin and close to a major station (Zoological Gdns) so really, couldn't ask for more.

There is nothing wrong with the place, it was perfectly pleasant - it just didn't match our expectations of four star luxury. If we got the same special again, we wouldn't hesitate to book it - knowing that we'd expect 'Holiday Inn' (minus the kettle) rather than 4 star luxury.

My wife and I enjoyed our stay although the room was on the small side but well appointed, beds very comfortable.

The Bristol bar had live music of a fairly high quality on each night throughout our stay, going on untill 01:30 each night.

The staff were smart curtious and professional at all times.

So why beware. The excellent leisure centre,if you wish to use the part with the sauna and steam room, are obligatory mixed sex nude bathing, this may come as a surprise to some, particularly if you have a family with you. You only find out this once you have entered as there is no notice on the outside of the entrance door.

That said this hotel still provides excellent service at a reasonable price.

The plus points - in a great location. Near to Zoo, which is great for transport to the rest of the city. On the main shopping street and close to some good restaurants around Sevigny.

As for the hotel - rooms were clean, swimming pool is great and beds were comfortable. We got it at a great price and as we were there as tourists and really did not spend that much time in the hotel so if that's your plan then it's a good place.

It is not worth spending big bucks on though - I would certainly not put it in the plush or deluxe category, more 'comfortable tourist'. The lobby is quite elegant, but the bedrooms are small and furnished in cheap looking wooden furniture. The soft furnishings did seem clean, but quite dated and not luxurious at all. The bathroom was standard, again no touches of luxury there i.e. no body lotion, no toothbrush, but there were robes.

They are also doing building works on one side of the hotel - we weren't that disturbed by them, but there was definitely drilling going on late morning/early afternoons so do check where your room will be.

Stayed here on business for 8 days recently. As the other reviewers noted the lobby is beautiful but the rooms are shabby. What irritated me most is the fact that the rooms don't have any noticeable airconditioning. There is just a switch that you can flip that says "airconditioning" but no individually adjustable temperature. In my room there was no noticeable difference between leaving airco off and turning it on. As the whole week was very warm (temps up to 31 degrees C) sleeping was virtually impossible. Also the beds were very hard and uncomfortable. Upon inquiring at the front desk the person there acknowledged the problem and said he could not do anything about it. I will not stay here again as there are many very good and cheaper alternatives in Berlin. Think twice before spending your money here.

The hotel lobby is beautiful, and when you arrive, the check in is fast and nice. Then they escort to your room and surprise! The room is tiny and shabby. The room has rundown carpets, broken window frames, ugly and dirty bathroom. Actually the bathroom is uncomfortable and very badly designed. The furniture is old, and the beds have a dust odor.

Breakfast is okay in quality and variety but service is not good.

The only five star thing the hotel have is the price.

The Bristol Kempinsky USED to be a wonderful hotel. I have stayed here many times in years past. When this was the American Sector this hotel was alive with luxury and glamour. This time it was sad to see how far this hotel has fallen. I was shocked to see it's obvious decline from a top hotel to where it is now. It looks like they might be getting ready to close it. Nothing appeared to be maintained. The carpeting in the halls was threadbare in places! The walls were seriously banged up and marred and in need of painting. The rooms were very worn and in "budget" condition. What kind of message are they sending when this is how the areas are kept?

Where once this was a lively and beautiful luxury hotel, it is now just depressing. Very sad.

Stayed at the Kempinski in Nov 06. Its pretty much as described by other reviewers. Great location, helpful staff, plush 5 star lobby, very very expensive bar with terrible night club singer (quite fun) and nice spa/pool. (Rooms are more 2-3 star rather than 5) Had a problem with drains smelling v badly in room. Room was big (paid for larger one) but very dated. Brown wall paper and style of paintings depressing rather than evocative of faded grandeur......matched drains. All in all had a very nice time in Berlin and at Kempinski. Was not in room enough to complain about smell although use of bathroom etc for showering not pleasant. Spa much as described by other reviewers. Had a great massage there!

Dont visit this part of Berlin without a visit to Ka de Wa the big dept store and its amazing food hall- great fun for sitting on a bar stool with feet dangling and good glass of wine. You can snack on anything from oysters, pasta, fish, anti pasta, chocolate, sausages etc etc.....and really watch the world go by! We sat down at 5pm just to rest our feet for half an hour and were still there at 8pm with no sign of store closing. Great bar next floor up aswell that we never knew existed until we were leaving. Hotel handy for open top bus etc which was great way to get around when only had 2 nights. Jewish museum very moving and excellent. Turkish quarter great night out. All in all I would return to Berlin but would definately try another hotel. Popped in by chance to the other kempinski in East Berlin and that looked so much nicer. That said what the Kempinski lacks in nice rooms (they have had their day!!) it makes up for in room price, service, experience, location location location and spa. If you have booked already I am sure you will have a good time. Got train (Airport Express) there from Schonweld which was ok but very long wait on a Saturday as not very frequent.

Taxi back to airport from hotel was 35 euros and only took 25 mins but not at rush hour.

To be honest i dont have words to express how i feel after wasting 210 euros in this hotel.

first impression, the lobby.it is a small 50s decorated space with only two seats to rest.if it is freezing outside you have problem because the cold comes through the entrance and you can really fill the chill.Approaching the desk now the staff does not welcomes you at all (VERY APPROPRIATE for a 5 star hotel) they give you your keycard and the instractions how to go alone to your room.And here comes your biggest surprise.

OUR ROOM. Was on the 5th floor and by the time the elevator door has opened a terrible smell[--] hit us.We thought that this would be only in the corridor but boy we were so wrong.Our room had the same horrible smell and espessially the toilet.The misfortune did not stop here.The decoration of the room was shoking, the firniture were 60 years old, some of them broken, and by the side of the window there were vitrines with scaring statues inside. We were so disappointed but we could not go anywhere else because these were the only 5* rooms that we found in the internet for these dates. So we started to joking about this with our friends(we were two couples) and late at night we went to sleep.

Around 8 in the morning we wake up from the noise.So long my sweet sleep. We thought that the housekiping ladies had a fight and shouting to each other but after this continued for two hours and the other couple told us that the same thing happened to them(their room was far away from us) we realized that this was the staffs attitude problem and lack of respect.Around 10.30 i went down to the lobby to tell my beefs and ask for another room.But the girl in the reception was not polite at all and seemed not to understand me.At the end they gave us a new room same as the other but not so smelly on the 4th floor.

I must say thet there was a good thing about this hotel, the breakfast.Delicious with variety of products.

Concluding this humid old hotel should not be pronounced a 5 star hotel.its a shame.

Every year we travel 2 times to Poland and have a stop in Berlin. Last time we stayed in Radisson SAS and Marriott, 2 wonderful hotels. On our way back last august we stayed in a 3 star hotel, Sorat(see review there) which was much better than Kempinski.

We have a little baby so we need some room, but our room was so small that she could almost only sleep in the bathroom. We requested for a bigger room which we got (friendly service). The rooms however are very out of date. Maybe the people who stay there, average over 70 (I guess), like that. Breakfast was very poor, very little choice. The worst I have ever seen in a 5 star hotel and not comparable to Sorat mentioned before. Location is great but for the price/quality is absolutely far too high. We'll never stay there again.

I stayed Istanbul Kempinski hotel and it was marvellous &gorgeous and

thats why I didnt care about the bad reviews. Unfortunately they were

right! We got a suite looking at the backyard of the hotel where pipes and gas etc were. Room was very spacious but 50 years ago maybe it was luxurious! Old window frames, carpet, bed, bed covers, cassette player (!) old eveything...The bathroom welcomed us with a lot of stink from the old pipes. When I tried to open the windows then old and dirty curtains amazed me this time! IThis hotel doesnt deserve 5 star at all. Maybe 2 or 3 I would give. It is such a shame for Kempinski chains..It needs complete renovation from top to toe.

The location was great for shopping but definitely not good for historic sites cause they are miles away. We didnt eat or drink at the hotel because we just hated to be there. Never again!

A BIG warning to anyone thinking of staying here. Beware - this is not a luxury hotel, however it might describe itself. It may have been once, many many years ago, but it is most certainly not one now. If you normally stay at budget hotels you’ll doubtless be very happy, but if you’re used to better standards you’re likely to be very disappointed.

The standard rooms are very very small indeed - certainly not what you'd expect from a supposedly 5 star hotel. Think in terms of a budget hotel chain such as Travelodge in the UK and you'll have an idea of what to expect.

Furnishings are OK, but nothing special. Best description would be adequate and tired. Light fittings were very worn, for example, and needed replacing. No room safe. No coffee making facilities. Space to store only one small suitcase, and very limited wardrobe and other storage space too - would have been OK for a single traveller, but not for two of us. Beds were also small: again I expected better than this from a supposedly 5 star hotel.

Bathroom was OK, but nothing special. The shower was a basic ‘over the bath’ type, with a weak flow rate. It was not even thermostatically controlled. Old-fashioned stuff, this.

The heating was either on or off – again no thermostat to control the temperature of the room. Even with the heating off, though, the room stayed far too hot unless the window was open (this in November too). Trouble was, once you opened the window there was even less space in this tiny room.

Our view was of a ventilation system (see photo).

Check out the required standards in Germany for a five star hotel and you’ll find that there are certain minimum standards. For example:

* Double rooms 26 m2

* Personalized guest welcome with flowers and/or sweets in the room

* Second service in the evening

We saw no sign of either of the last two, and the hotel’s own website says that the standard rooms are only 21m². This is in line with UK budget hotel room sizes – draw your own conclusions. If you’re happy with that, fine. If you’re expecting a luxury hotel you’re going to be very disappointed.

Oh, and if you take a look at the guestlist on the website, you might initially be impressed. You’ll see names like Walt Disney, Ronald Reagan, Gregory Peck and John Wayne. Fine, but this was many years ago – where are the stars staying now? Not here, I guess.

Then there are the Famous Quotes, also on the website. The last ones shown are as follows. Draw your own conclusions.

Ronan Keating, singer, 2002

"All the best and thanks for everything"

Armin Mueller-Stahl, actor, 2003

"Yours loyally..."

Uwe Ochsenknecht, actor, 2003

"A little like at home"

Melanie C, singer, 2003

"Thank you for a lovely stay"

On the positive side, and to give a balanced picture, the breakfast was very good. All the usual fare for a decent international buffet breakfast, eggs, bacon, sausage, cheeses, meats etc etc. You wouldn't go hungry! And the croissants were fresh too - highly unusual these days. Pastries were good too. It will cost you 25 Euros, though, so maybe it should be good.

Staff were pleasant and very helpful, particularly at breakfast.

The big problem remains the rooms. Which is a shame, because that's what you're really paying a hotel for, and if they can't get that right............

The standard rooms are budget rooms dressed up as luxury. Luxury they are not. Even four star would be too generous. Think Travelodge and you'll be nearer the mark.

We stayed two nights at this well known hotel - which turned out to a great disappointment! The standard of the rooms are terrible, and does indeed give ugliness a face (see the pictures). If the slightest beauty is important to you - chose another place to stay!

We were also disappointed with the service. Coming home late, finding only towel in the bathroom, one doesn’t expect to wait for 30 minutes to get a clean one, making it possible to take a shower…

However, to mention something good, the breakfast buffet was very good.