Westin Berlin

I stayed at the Westin for eight nights during a business conference. I did so partly because it was very convenient to my conference and partly because I knew it had been the flagship fancy hotel of East Germany during the GDR. The public spaces--especially the lobby--are beautiful, but the rooms are sadly in dire need of renovation. There's an air of shabbiness about the room fixtures and furnishings. Breakfast was okay but overpriced even by European chain hotel standards, especially with the cafes of Unter den Linden only steps away.

That's the main plus of this hotel--great location in the heart of Mitte, with an express bus from the airport stopping only a block away. And almost everything I wanted to see in my off hours was an easy walk from the hotel.

Service, however, is appalling for a chain hotel of this calibre and price range. When I arrived at 1 pm, I was told that I couldn't check in till 3. That's not unreasonable. I was told to leave my bag at the front desk and it would be taken to my room when I came back. Well, arriving at three, I checked in, got a key, walked into the room, but surprise! My luggage wasn't there, though somebody else's was. Traipsed back to the front desk, waiting for the front desk staff person to finish a phone call. When I told him about the problem, he asked "Are you sure?" C'mon, the one thing people are likely to be really sure of is what their suitcase looks like. They issued me a new room key and told me to wait for a bit till someone could help locate my bag. Half an hour later, waiting in the glittering lobby, I had to get in line again at the front desk and ask when someone could help me. This time I was told to accompany a non-English speaking guy into the baggage room and he pantomimed to me to see if my luggage was there. Frankly, as a woman traveling alone, I wasn't crazy about being alone n a secluded part of the hotel with a male staffer. But it was equally disturbing that hotel guests' property wasn't better secured. Honestly, I could have taken as many bags as I wanted for all they cared. As it turned out, my bag wasn't there. Back to the front desk, who suggested that I go back to my room and when the bag was found, they'd call me. Two hours went by without a call. I asked to speak to the manager and was told that I could file a lost baggage claim for compensation as long as I had proof of the contents of my bag. I think that's about when I lost it.

After a small but well earned public tantrum, the manager said he would look into the situation himself. Twenty minutes later, they found the bag--apparently another guest found it in his or her room and had brought it down to the main desk hours earlier.

I don't have to have effusive service to be happy, but this was in the Fawlty Towers category.

Rooms are beautiful and nice to find the "Heavenly Bed" in Germany! Hotel is very close to many historic sites of the old East Berlin and Excellent shopping is right outside the front door.

I found the hotel to be quiet and relaxing. the Grand Staircase in the Lobby is beautiful and rooms are decent size. Staff is very accommodating and friendly.

My overall impression of the hotel is no doubt influenced a great deal by the room I had during my stay there. I booked what was essentially a standard room for a recent business trip to Berlin but, upon check-in, was upgraded (thanks to Starwood Preferred Guest status) to a 1-bedroom suite, which was one of their themed suites (themed suites are individually appointed and decorated according to who they are named after, such as Bach or Goethe or other historical and artistic notables).

The suite was large, wonderfully appointed, had a great deal of character and charm, and was ideally situated (fourth floor, right at the front of the building with a large balcony). Tons of closet space, wood paneling in certain areas, a huge bathroom (with dual sinks, walk-in shower, seperate bathtub, lots of counterspace, and a separate toilet area also with its own sink and a bidet), work desk, sitting area, yet more and more closet space, flatscreen TVs, minibar, and so on. Like the hotel itself, I found the room a great blend of charming and modern. They didn't sacrifice character for their recent renovations, clearly.

Service throughout my stay was also very nice. Everyone spoke excellent English - likely better than my own, really - and requests were handled quickly, competently, and with a smile.

The location of the hotel couldn't be better, either. It's just a block off of Unter den Linden, and just a short walk to the Brandenburg Gate, Museum Island, the Tiergarten, the Holocaust memorial, and other sites. There's plenty of shopping and dining nearby, as well as plenty of public transport options right outside the door.

Dining in the hotel was quite good, and their breakfast was fantastic. Restaurant on the ground level was very nice also, and the lobby/foyer area at the base of the grand staircase was a nice place to hang out and relax, as well as meet up, with afternoon tea and snacks as well as a full bar.

Given the experience we had here and the overall feel and service at the hotel, I found it to be quite well priced, as well.

Would highly recommend the Westin Grand Berlin!

In early September we made our second trip to Berlin and based upon our excellent experience there in 2002 we chose to return to the Westin Grand. And again we were extremely pleased with our stay. First, the location is perfect. Located directly on Freidrichstrasse at the corner of Unter Den Linden it is in walking distance of many of the the reasons you come to Berlin for a visit. For those locations which are not in walking distance, a U Bahn station is just a few feet (meters?) away. The hotel itself is both pleasing to the eye and the person. The lobby with its giant staircase makes an impressive statement, and the four efficient elevators will take you to your room with no waiting. The room itself is exceptional with extremely comfortable bedding, attractive furnishings and with one exception a very efficient bathroom. The one exception is the shower which like many European showers is not up to American standards. But that seems to be an European failing, not specifically one of this marvelous hotel. We overlooked Freidrichstrasse from our room which made for an interesting city view. There was no sound from the street which made paying for the upgraded garden view unnecessary. The breakfast buffet was included and with a wide variety of hot and cold foods, breads, and even German bubbly (sekt) it made for an excellent start to the day. If we ever have reason to return to Berlin it will be to the Westin Grand.

I stayed at the Westin in mid september after having stayed there in 2005. I have always like the location and was very impressed with the recent improvements. The room was great with a modern updated decor. Most importantly, the staff were very helpful and friendly. This had not been the case in 2005 when folks seemed cold...so I really highly recommend.

I'll make it short!

** The hotel is a 5 stars deluxe - realy impressive!

** rooms are well designed very luxorious and quite (when window is closed)

**The hotel has a very nice Gym and Spa floor.

**The food is expensive, and probably adequate to the guests who can afford staying there.

**the location is realy first calss, in the middle of the buisness center and quality shops. Its a walking distance from alot of sites in Berlin, and the sub-way station (U-Ban) is only 30 meters from the entrance of the hotel!!!!

IN COCLUSION - if you can afford it - GO FOR IT !!!

I read a couple of not so favorable reviews so was a bit concerned. We used points to pay for our rooms, so was concerned with the room we would receive.

The hotel has a luxurious old world charm, yet the rooms were remodeled. A flat screen television, a comfortable bed and modern furnishings were more than adequate. Although the room was smaller than US standards, there was ample storage. The location was perfect for major sight seeing attractions. We did not eat there for we were out and about early each day. We would stay here again !!

We used points to stay at the hotel and found it to be a fabulous hotel. Extremely clean, heavenly bed was wonderful, and bathroom was great.

Location was perfect. Super convenient to the S or U stations and plenty of food choices right around the hotel.

Food at the hotel is pricey but what hotel restaurant isn't expensive? Service was great too.

No complaints and definitely recommend, this was a great hotel!

Good location not too far from central things. Beautiful building, great service. Highly recommended.

Wonderful Hotel, Great rooms, Stunning Hotel Lobby (although a bit pricey, if you are just after a coffee), Great Pool and location. Berlin is fantastic at christmas time, The hotel is a short walk from the wonderful christmas markets.

Top Class hotel in Berlin. Only 20 minutes from the airport, about a 20 euro cab ride. From the moment you enter the hotel, all of the staff are very helpful and friendly. The main entrance is very beautiful with a large open area bar. The room was totally updated clean and modern. This hotel is in a very central location to all attractions in Berlin. The breakfast buffet although very good was a little pricey at 28 euros per person. There is a nice restaurant around the corner on the main street which was very good at 38 euros for a family of four versus, 112 euros. Very beautiful and historical city worth visiting!

Very good location. Walking distance to Brandenburger Tor and in the same street as Checkpoint Charlie. A short walk to excellent shopping and som of the best restaurants in Berlin.

My room was fine and quiet, with a view over the hotel garden.

Westin Grand is undergoing a successful renovation. The style is impressing.

Kind and good service from all employees I met.

I know that the hotel is currently undergoing a significant renovation and guests' opinions depend on a type of room they get. We were lucky, got a fresh and new double room on the 3rd floor. We loved the hotel's location and the area. The room was quite large, had a huge, lovely bed and was nicely furnished.

I love this hotel, have stayed here twice. It is in a great spot on the east side of Berlin right in the heart of fabulous shopping and walking distance from some of the sites such as Checkpoint Charlie. Everything is new as it has been totally rennovated, the hotel staff is top class and the restaurant is really good (althoughy fairly American). I look forward to Berlin because of the Westin!

After staying in a not so "grand" hotel in the German capital as the name might have suggested, the Westin Grand was a pleasant surprise! When I asked for a quiet room I was upgraded to a room with garden view free of charge.

The rooms are ideal for business travel. It's possible to work and relax in convenient and comfortable surroundings, no big fuzz about "designer" somethings... And it's soooo QUIET right in the center of Berlin! Unless you step outside. The location is extraordinarily good for sightseeing as well as for doing business.

And the champagne breakfast is a real treat...

Following a disatrous experience at the Westin Turnberry last month the Westin Grand Berlin restored my confidence in the Westin Group

We arrived at 1010 am following an early flight form Terminal 5 Heathrow (superb incidentally, with no delays) to find our suite not only ready but containing complimentary flowers champagne and chocolates

Fro the moment of exiting the courtesy car at the hotel we were treated like royalty. The Concierge was superb and set the standard of service throughout our stay. All staff we met could not do enough but without being over the top

The furnishings and cleanliness throughout was excellent and someone is doing a good job in managing all of this and there was not a complaint thoughout the weekend

The food was good ,well presented and whilst expensive you never felt you were being ripped off; the beers and wines tip top

The Hotel is situated off the Unter den Linden on Friedrichstrasse and used to be the place to stay for the top communist politicians pre 1989.

A thoroughly good hotel offering excellent service and well recommended

i stayed at the westin grand for 4 days and it was great.the rooms were big enough and very clean. the hotel staff were really helpful and the breakfast was superb. There is also a spa inside the hotel which was really great and very very clean.I recommend it !!

Stayed on an SPG deal for $50 and got a brand new room (which was superb, wonderful bed too).

The only building work going on now is in the pool area (finishing in May) so all the other public areas are clear. The Westin is a stunning hotel, with a really lively upmarket piano bar.

I can agree with some of the previous postings, but we had an excellent stay here last week. The rooms may not be huge, but they are well furnished and decorated, with quiet efficient aircon and amazingly comfortable beds. There was a faint hint of sulphur in the bathroom, but it wasn't a problem, and the room had good fittings with a powerful shower and excellent lighting.

We found the staff courteous and helpful. The breakfast was amazing- although expensive at 28 Euro. I have never seen such a wide choice of fruits,meats ,fish ,breads, pastries and hot foods, as well as eggs and omelettes cooked to order. Although the hotel was busy we never had a problem finding a table free.

The best thing about the hotel for a tourist is the position- perfect for exploring the eastern city on foot.The Brandenburg Gate was about 400 yds, as was the Museum Island. The beautiful Gendarmesmarkt with its restaurants and bars was even nearer. To get to the western sights the number 100 and 200 buses stop 50 yds away, and they go to all the places a tourist would want.

All in all I would highly recommend this hotel. Get a good deal on the net that includes breakfast ( we got one with GTA) and you won't be disappointed

I have visited the Westin Grand Hotel in Berlin on 4 occasions now and apart from the problems with the credit card payments on departure I only have good things to say. The location of this hotel is brilliant, round the corner from the Unter den Linden and all the sites.

The staff are very helpful and pleasant, the rooms are spacious and clean and the beds are so comfy you struggle to get up in the morning. The breakfast is the best I have ever had anywhere, it's the only place I have ever stayed where you can have a bucks fizz in the morning. It is also the only hotel I have stayed in where i can get a Grasshopper cocktail. If I have one critisism to make it is the pool is far too cold, you can only stay in there for a short while. Having said that I would recommend this hotel to anyone.

This is a quality hotel in a great location. Well placed for all the tourist attractions with easy links to S & U Bahn (Trains) and the main bus routes. Easy to get to from Shonefeld airport. The staff are friendly and eager to help, overall hotel is what you would expect for 4/5 star in city centre. Booked through lastminute.com for best rates and this was very reasonable. Drinks etc are expensive within hotel however that is to be expected, take a stroll outside the hotel and drinks and food are half the price. We will return to this excellent hotel soon.

My husband and I stayed at the Westin Grand Hotel in Aug this year for 3 nights.

The hotel foyeur is lovely, with a massive grand stair case running through the middle.

Check-in was easy and concierge staff were quite helpful. We were asked if we would like to pay to upgrade our room to a room with a garden view, which would be more quiet- we declined and couldn't have been happier with the room we were put in, facing the Street- very quiet and nice modern room with fantastic-very comfortable beds!!!

Bathroom was a little tired looking, but still had nice toiletries.

In a great location, within comfortable walking distance to many of the main sites, and very close to Unter De Linden, where you could hop on a bus if you didn't want to walk.

Also has a nice pool!

Overall, very happy with the hotel. Would recommend it highly.

This is an upscale business hotel, not a luxury hotel. The location is great, breakfast was excellent and the beds are fabulous but it lacks character and charm. There was no luggage rack although a call to housekeeping solved this problem. There was only 1 chair and the room was small. This was the last place we stayed after 2 weeks in Germany and it was disappointing to end our trip in a place that was so sterile and impersonal.

We booked through the Starwood web guarantee that if there is a better like for like offer available than on their own web site then they will match it and then deduct 10%. I don't understand the logic or the mechanics of hotel pricing but a non-Starwood site offered an exceptional price and the hotel chain honoured their promise.

It was our second visit to the hotel and we were less impressed than first time round. The room was well furnished and a reasonable size although there was only one seat - in a double room! There was a safe, a mini-bar (with no price list), good lighting but mediocre air conditioning. The bathroom was good but at least one set of the bath towels was well past its best.

The hotel is very well situated just off Unter Den Linden which may well be the best part of the city for tourists. There is a U-Bahn station just outside the entrance.

The breakfast was good but try to get an inclusive B&B rate for it cost 28 Euros a head (we had it once in four mornings but if the hotel had offered it at something like 20 Euros we would probably have had it every day - as I have said I do not understand hotel pricing). That takes me nicely to the overall prices on offer! There was a bottle of water sized 75cl on offer in the room for 8 Euros 50 cents. I have travelled the world but I never ever come across such an extravagent mark up. Does anybody actually buy this? A small beer (30cl) in the foyer was 5.50 Euros and a slightly larger beer was 8.50 Euros. Internet access was 7.50 Euros for an hour or 19.50 Euros for 24 hours. I could pay these prices but I will not out of principle. Fortunately there are alternatives nearby.

We had a good stay and The Westin is certainly a high quality hotel by any standards but for some rather indefinable reason it failed to charm us on this occasion.

This is a five star hotel at reasonable prices; really close to everything from a siteseeing point of view; Brandenburg Gate is a few minutes walk, as is Museum insel and Checkpoint Charlie.

We stayed for 4 days and didnt need to use public transport once - all the main things to do and see are right on your doorstep.

The beds (which they have trademarked as "Heavenly beds" !) are unbeliveably comfortable and the rooms are clean, modern and of a decent size.

We only had one drink at the bar (£30 for a bottle of red) and didnt eat there. It did all look very pricey and to be honest, there are plenty of places to eat and drink nearby for better use of your Euros.

My one and only complaint is the view (we could see the patched up roof of the building opposite) but that is a tiny price to pay for such a lovely hotel that really is close to everything!

i was in Westin Grand Berlin 2006 christmas with my couisen.

it was really nice experience for me.Hotel is located in city center.

The only problem is there is no sits on the beakfast and somtimes you sould wait to get a breakfast.

The main advantage of this hotel is its location. Perfect located at Friedrichstraße and Unter den Linden is simply close to everything. I had the impression that the building seemed a little old and the carpets a little outdated. On the other hand the rooms had everything you need and especially I really enjoyed a fantastic mattress and pillow something very important for people like me who spend a lot of time in hotels for business purposes, simply because you can have a good night sleep.

I was in Berlin July 2006 (for the worldcup final) and I decided to return because I loved the city. For my first stay I stayed at the Steigenberguer hotel, quite nice, but I didn't love the location so for my second visit I decided to go to the Grand Westin, since Westin had never let me down.

I browsed their site and I saw amazing pictures, great rooms, very modern... an amazing hotel! When I got there, and my room was asigned I was in shock! My room was in the furthest wing from the lobby and it couldn't have been worse, it literally was more than 50 years old, the beds were very stiff, the bathroom was not very clean and it was very disfunctional.

After going through a lot of talking with the managers they changed our room, but it was still quite old (like 30 years) and not much of a 5 stars room.

I must say as well that location was incredible, and the service wasn't bad. But if you would tell me about going another time there I would really reconsider it.

I must recommend the adlon hotel, right in the brandenburg gate, and an awesome 5 star hotel.

Stayed here for business in late April 2008 and it was a pleasure. The internal architectural structure is beautiful, friendly staff and room was very pleasant.

Be warned that the pool is being renovated at present, so you can't use it.

Also, I got a room overlooking some tired concrete roofs - not sure if better views are available upon request...

The Westin Grand is a bit of a contradiction. Its location is outstanding, right at Freidrichstrasse next to the fabulous Gallerie Lafayette department store in what used to be East Berlin, walking distance to Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag and Checkpoint Charlie, etc.

The hotel continues to undergo renovations and expansion.

During our 5 day stay, the concierge was only available during the day, which is bizarre for a hotel of this class. There was no one at the concierge desk who knew what they were doing during the early evenings when we came back. I don't know if someone is on vacation or the hotel is just cutting corners.

We asked for and got a better room than we were given at first, which was noisy and not impressive. We got a slightly better room than standard which faced the inner courtyard and gardens.

Breakfasts were very good.

There was just something lacking in terms of service quality and ambience. It really comes down to what you paid for your room which raises (or lowers) your expectations.

If you can get this hotel for a good price, you'll be content. If you pay for what you thought was a 5 star hotel, you won't.

I stayed in this hotel for 2 nights in March on business. The hotel is situated in the old East German quarter. In the local area you have lots of great shops and it is about 600 metres from the famous Checkpoint Charlie. It’s a great spot.

The lobby is lovely and reception is very friendly and efficient. The rooms are all recently renovated with flat screen television and nice décor. I also understand they are finishing the spa in May which will complete the renovations in the hotel.

I thoroughly recommend this hotel if you are spending some time in Berlin and especially if you plan to visit the high end shops and department stores. The Buggati dealership is right across the street and they have the Veron supercar on display for the car fans. The only issue I can think of is that it on the other side of town from the airport; it’s about 25 euros in a cab.

We stayed here in September for one night, but I have just got around to writing my reviews.

This was our first hotel in our visit to Germany. Although it was the most expensive, it was our least favorite in room quality. The rooms were tired and small. The location (wish there was a side door off Unter den Linden) was great and the breakfast was AWESOME!

I would recommend this hotel for anyone who is not going to spend much time in the room and wants a central location with excellent breakfast.

Note: The hotel is in the middle of a renovation so all this may change soon.

We booked a Starwood Preferred Guest point stay online. The bulk of the hotel is in the middle of a renovation. Most of the lobby was blocked off, only one restaurant was open, and there were hardly any guests at the hotel. That being said though, our room was newly renovated, looked and smelled brand new, was appointed with modern furnishings, had what seemed like new linens, and had virtually no signs of wear. We heard virtually no construction noise during our 3 night stay. Although many of the facilities were reduced, room service was in full operation and arrived quickly, the front desk staff was helpful, and the bell staff eager to please in helping us to rapidly get a power adapter and ethernet cable.

The best part of the hotel is the location. It is about 2 blocks from the Brandenberg Gate, right across the street from a series of three luxury malls, 50' from a U-bahn stop, and about a 15 minute walk from museum island.

Overall a very pleasant stay, and an absolute bargain at only 7,000 SPG points per night!

Great location. The hotel is one block from the TXL Express Bus Stop. There are many restaurants and shopping around the area. Rooms are up to the standard of a 4 stars hotel.

Would stay again.

Stayed in this extremely well-located hotel in Oct 2007. I found the staff to be extraordinarily friendly and were incredibly helpful in handling a pickpocketed wallet episode. The lobby atrium was magnificent and the location could not have been better.

The room was modern, well-equipped (except as noted below) and had excellent temperature control.

However, the mattress on our bed was probably the worst I have slept on since my college days. It must have been 30 years old and sagged in the middle. How a hotel of this caliber could have provided such a mattress is beyond my comprehension.

Another negative, was the lack of ice machines.

This is a very nice hotel in a very nice location. The service is above average, and the indoor pool is the nicest I have ever seen. The only downside to this hotel is the small rooms with no king-size beds. The rooms are nice and quiet, but not what you would expect after walking in to the stunning lobby.

My husband and I are just back from a wonderful weekend in Berlin.We stayed in The Westin for its convenient location.The room was very nice with the usual expensive mini bar.The bathroom only ok but clean and had slippers and robes.The staff were friendly and effecient.The best thing about the Westin apart from the location is the breakfast.It was excellent and could not be faulted.If you can get a good deal The Westin is an excellent hotel.

Stayed 3 nights in late April (07) at Westin Grand. Great location with good access to transportation but from here you can walk to Museum Island , Reichstag, Brandenburg gate, Kulturforum,Philharmonie. (Last two about 20 to 25 minute walk but in interesting area. ) Very nice breakfast. Concierge was very helpful and the best of hotels we stayed at on this visit. Rooms were bright and clean and were standard size. Lobby area was quite atttactive and the hotel staff in general were very pleasent. There are many nice things about this hotel and I would stay here again if only for the excellent location.

In fact this hotel could be anywhere. But it's in Berli. It's well situated for museums and shopping. Friendly and efficient staff.

I picked this hotel because it is directly next to Komische Oper and I had to attend a performance there and did not want to walk through the bitter cold late at night. The hotel is nothing special except it is located on Unter den Linden and across the street from shopping on Friederichstrasse. The Deutsche Guggenheim is one block away and museum island 4 blocks away. The rooms themselves are adequate, and food was decent as well. This really does remind me of a typical American chain hotels, but with a bigger lobby. The staff is efficient, but not friendly. Compare to many other Berlin hotels that I have stayed in, they are better alternatives. Try the Regent or the Hilton which is within 1-2 blocks in the same area as the Westin.

A bit like an airport terminal hotel with groups arriving and leaving., Excellent breakfast buffet and superb location. They are presently refurbishing so lots of scaffolding and noise. Concierge only just helpful. Its very impersonal. The lobby is overpriced but there are many good bars and cafes outside nearby. Taxi cab rank right outside.

Westin's are normally of a pretty good quality and this hotel seemed fairly typical of the brand.. Most of the expected amenities were present and correct and my stay was comfortable enough..

I had a day to kill in Berlin and booked the Westin as a base.. I chose it because a) it offered a good rate (the Grand Hyatt was twice the price), b) I participate in the Starwood preferred guest programme and c) my previous experience of the brand was +ve.

Firstly, I only really used the room as a base, so I didn't use most of the hotel's facilities and cannot comment on food/beverage/service etc..

The room (a renovated one) was nice enough, if a little "gold and brown" (as is the whole hotel, which can feel a little old style).. But comfortable, nonetheless.. the amenities were as expected..

Located in what used to be part of East Belin, the hotel's location was absolutely fantastic for a walking tour of the main parts of the old Berlin centre (Mitte).. certainly, in my opinion, in a better location that the Am Zoo area (in the former West Berlin) if you want to see the sights.. The hotel is close to a U Bahn station, so you can also explore further afield using a day pass for the U-bahn and s-bahn..

Luggage service and valet parking all worked as it should.

Bottom line.. nothing particularly worng with my stay,,

Me and my wife went to the Grand Westin Hotel, Berlin for a 3 night city break. We found it to be lovely hotel and in a good location, with the Unter Den Linden just round the corner. The room though was a little dated for a four star hotel. The hotel bar was lovely and the reception area was very impressive. Also the pool area is well worth the visit. A Good hotel to visit Berlin.

I stayed at the Westin Grand this past weekend during my trip to Berlin to run the marathon. As a family member of a Starwood Hotels employee I have stayed at many Westin properties and this one was about in the middle in terms of quality. On the plus side, the location was great. It is close to public transportation, close to many of the city attractions and close to the start of the marathon. It also was great to have access to the spa and pool before and after the race. I also agree with many posters that the breakfast was great. They also did not charge me for my 7 year old son and he eats quite a bit. On the negative side, was the fact they did not change towels on one day and only stocked the bathroom supplies once for a 3 night stay. Additionally, room service for a pot of coffee took 1 hour. I stayed in an unrenovated room with a view out the window onto Fredrichstrasse. This was nice since I could see a portion of the race route and could watch roller bladers and runners go by from my window. Overall the stay was just above neutral.

We had a small trip to Berlin this spring and choosed this hotel because it is easy to reach and in the heart of berlin. Breakfast is one of the best I ever had, but you have to wait quite a long time to get seated in this small and crowded breakfast room. As this is a quite large luxury hotel, the rooms are really small. The room we got was nothing special, small, clean, thats it. Overall the hotel is quite ok, but I had better ones.

We stayed at the Westin Grand Berlin for 3 nights in December 2005. The lobby and atrium of the hotel was decked out with Christmas decorations was quite stunning and certainly added an air of opulence.

We stayed in a standard double room which on first inspection appeared to be grand and comfortable. However after staying one night we found that appearances can be deceiving. Firstly, the pillows, although soft, we TOO soft and gave no support. Secondly, we noticed what many other contributors to Trip Advisor have already mentioned - the bathroom did have a distinctly unpleasant odour. Fortunately a closed bathroom door meant the odour was contained.

The fitness centre was well equiped however the staff were abrupt verging on discourteous. This was in contrast to the very polite and helpful front desk/concierge staff. Another issue which we had not encountered in other hotels in Europe is that the staff in the fitness centre had very limited or non existent command of English. This was a hurdle I would not expect to encounter in a first class hotel.

The hotel location could not be faulted - right on the corner of the busy shopping precinct and within walking distance to many of Berlin's famous sights.

Overall the hotel was a stylish "OK". The hotel certainly does not come up to the usual high standards of a Westin Hotel and definately does not deserve the "Grand" in its title.

I would probably not choose to stay at this hotel again on future visits to Berlin - next time we'll try the Radisson SAS.

There were both positive and negative aspects to our stay at the Westin. When we checked in, the receptionist tried to get us to move to a more expensive room, claiming it would be far quieter than the room to which we were entitled. We decided to refuse the offer. As it turned out, the room could not have been quieter. While the location of the Westin Grand was ideal, we found small amenities missing that should have been available in a hotel of the Westin's calibre. There was no luggage rack whatsoever, no hooks on the back of the bathroom door and most shocking of all, not one reasonable space to place folded clothing. Even though we had gotten an extremely reasonable rate for the room, you would have expected those basic items in any room at a Westin hotel.

Had been warned of a noiseless facelift but was unprepared to battle my way through a foyer of painters and then have to step over debris and rolled up carpets to find the room. Really not worth the money for such a top class hotel. They should have closed for such extensive work and I think it is just greedy to keep it open but treat it's guests as second class citizens. My request to speak to the Manager was ignored as was a letter whilst I was staying there.

Would not return as so much choice in Berlin but can say it's situation is ideal for walking to the sights.

I stayed at the Westin for eight nights during a business conference. I did so partly because it was very convenient to my conference and partly because I knew it had been the flagship fancy hotel of East Germany during the GDR. The public spaces--especially the lobby--are beautiful, but the rooms are sadly in dire need of renovation. There's an air of shabbiness about the room fixtures and furnishings. Breakfast was okay but overpriced even by European chain hotel standards, especially with the cafes of Unter den Linden only steps away.

That's the main plus of this hotel--great location in the heart of Mitte, with an express bus from the airport stopping only a block away. And almost everything I wanted to see in my off hours was an easy walk from the hotel.

Service, however, is appalling for a chain hotel of this calibre and price range. When I arrived at 1 pm, I was told that I couldn't check in till 3. That's not unreasonable. I was told to leave my bag at the front desk and it would be taken to my room when I came back. Well, arriving at three, I checked in, got a key, walked into the room, but surprise! My luggage wasn't there, though somebody else's was. Traipsed back to the front desk, waiting for the front desk staff person to finish a phone call. When I told him about the problem, he asked "Are you sure?" C'mon, the one thing people are likely to be really sure of is what their suitcase looks like. They issued me a new room key and told me to wait for a bit till someone could help locate my bag. Half an hour later, waiting in the glittering lobby, I had to get in line again at the front desk and ask when someone could help me. This time I was told to accompany a non-English speaking guy into the baggage room and he pantomimed to me to see if my luggage was there. Frankly, as a woman traveling alone, I wasn't crazy about being alone n a secluded part of the hotel with a male staffer. But it was equally disturbing that hotel guests' property wasn't better secured. Honestly, I could have taken as many bags as I wanted for all they cared. As it turned out, my bag wasn't there. Back to the front desk, who suggested that I go back to my room and when the bag was found, they'd call me. Two hours went by without a call. I asked to speak to the manager and was told that I could file a lost baggage claim for compensation as long as I had proof of the contents of my bag. I think that's about when I lost it.

After a small but well earned public tantrum, the manager said he would look into the situation himself. Twenty minutes later, they found the bag--apparently another guest found it in his or her room and had brought it down to the main desk hours earlier.

I don't have to have effusive service to be happy, but this was in the Fawlty Towers category.

We stayed in the Westin Grand Berlin in July 2007. In spite of the fact that the reservation we made through the Starwood Hotels website said our rooms would have Westin's renowned Heavenly Beds, we found that only a few suites actually have the beds. The beds we were subjected to were firm to the point of being like sleeping on a sidewalk. Had we not been told in advance how wonderful our stay would be because of the Heavenly Beds, we might not have been as unpleasantly surprised.

The beds and fitness center made it definitely not like a usual Westin stay. The pool was lovely but the work-out room was small, dimly-lit, and hot. There were only two treadmills (one of which was broken), a Lifecycle bike, and four computerized weight machines. There was also one ratty, old floor mat. Almost everything in Germany had English translations, but not the machines there.

With the highest breakfast prices we've ever seen, it would have been nice to have in-room beverage stations/coffee makers like one usually finds in Westins. There's a fantastic deli across the street where we purchased breakfast for four for half the price of a single continental breakfast at the hotel.

The hotel had two positives: the concierge service and the location. The room price was actually pretty reasonable.

Let's have a round of applause, please, for the Westin Grand, for taking discount bookings to a new low. I have long suspected that hotels reserve the smallest room, the one with the worst view, or the one by the elevator, for guests who pay a discounted rate ... but never before have I been offered a dirty, smelly room and then upcharged for a "renovated" (i.e. clean) room.

So keep this in mind if you choose to stay here: if, as you look for your room, you come to the end of a regular-looking hotel corridor, pass through a lounge, and into a narrow, dark and musty corridor with doorways just about your height and barely wide enough to fit your carry-on luggage ... well, you have been given a discount special! Turn around immediately and return to the front desk, where you will be charged an extra 30 Euros per night for a "renovated" room that, upon inspection, hasn't been renovated anytime in recent memory, but is at least cleaner and does not smell.

Our first room was very small, the upholstery and lampshades(!) were stained, the furniture desperately needed to be refinished, and it had a very strong, musty odour (mould perhaps?) At the front desk we were told that because they were fully booked, they could only offer us another room in the same grade, or a "renovated" room for an extra 30 Euros per night. (Fully booked? But they could still find a better room for an additional fee? I'm not sure that I follow that logic, but whatever.) After our overseas flight we really didn't feel like arguing, so we just paid the extra - no way to say now if the other room in the same grade would have been acceptable.

The second room, pictured here, was much better. It was larger, cleaner and updated (though the washroom was clearly not renovated, as I've noted in my pictures). I would have been perfectly happy if we had been offered this to begin with, and would have given the hotel a higher rating, but I consider our treatment unacceptable.

Having said that, I still ranked this hotel a 2 rather than a 1 because the breakfast buffet was fantastic, and the location was very convenient for sightseeing. The room service was also quite good, and the staff friendly and (for the most part) helpful.