Winters Hotel

This hotel is no where near town. To far away from everywhere.

We booked this 7 months in advance with what we thought were no problems, when we arrived we were told that our booking had been cancelled. They did have a room available but not the type of room we requested. After speaking to the agents i booked this through they informed me that the reservation hadn't been cancelled. Staff didn't seem to care. Would NOT recommend to anyone. You could get better for the money, and alot closer to civilisation.

Booked it through lastminute. My german is poor and I was greeted at the desk with polite efficient english, we arrived earlier that the normal booking in time and were pleased to hear our room was ready and we could book in early, no problem. We booked a 2* room, yes standard and not en-suite and we were very happy it was clean and bright and on a non-smoking floor which we had specified. 4 days later we left, very happy, great food and drink at the hotel and in the city centre.

Yes the Hotel is a way for the city centre it's in a leafy quiet suburb, but there's no need to take a taxi.. Simply take the S or U-Bahn at the end of the road and discover Berlin. Tickets are purchased from a machine on the platform in english with an Underground train every couple of minutes and a S-Bahn train every 5 minutes or so. Berlin has a wonderfully integrated publiic transport system use it, become a Berliner during your stay!

Date of stay: October 2006 (4 nights)

Winter's Hotel Berlin is a cheap, clean, tidy and comfortable hotel. If you want luxury then this isn't for you, but if you a nice, basic hotel to return to at the end of the day then I can recommend this one.

Rooms:

This is a cheap hotel so the furniture may be from Ikea. Personally, I don't mind Ikea furniture if it is a good condition (which this certainly was.) It would appear (from these reviews) that rooms vary in size quite a bit, but we had a good size twin room (7m x 4m) at the far end of the hotel. Plenty of room to sit on the sofa and watch TV (including Sky News and CNN in English).

Location:

The hotel is 5 minute walk, down a quiet residential street, from the U-bahn and S-bahn stations at Heidelberger Platz. From here it takes about 20 minutes to get into the centre of town.

Food:

The breakfast buffet was an excellent way to get fuelled up, ready for a hard day's sightseeing. Bread, cheese and cold meats were available in the evening as well. The only place locally serving food was the "Doner station" so we ate in the city centre before we returned to the hotel.

Hotel Bar:

Pricey but not stupid. Are any hotel bars cheap?

Staff:

We found the staff very friendly.

I feel I really must clarify some of the points raised by the previous reviewer. My intended and I visited the Bernie Winters hotel at approximately the same time as this reviewer and feel that they have been a little unfair about Bernie.

I agree that the hotel was scrupulously clean - maid service for each of the three days we stayed. Both U-bahn and S-bahn were within easy walking distance despite the snow. The "Doner Station" represented excellent VFM, with friendly staff and regular punters (which I felt the owner viewed us as, after three mornings breakfasting in his establishment)to keep you entretained. Highlights were the doner kebap and whisky/Jagermeister chasers at whatever time of day you fancied and all for tuppence ha'penny. I would avoid the currywurst if you've had a heavy night in the Bernie Winters bar previously.

With regard to Cap'n Pugwash on the desk (usually between 9pm and the wee small hours) he was top entertainment, but then I was never at the sharp end of his tongue. Be prepared to be shouted at in English if you can't speak the lingo. Whilst tolerance is not his strong point, as long a you make sure you're not the one asking for your key you are guaranteed a fun experience.

The bar was pricey but open as long as you wanted it to be, and although service was sometimes a tad slow (as only one member of staff had been trained on pulling pints) the complementary peanut butter flavour Wotsits were out of this world.

Overall, the accommodation was clean, warm and very comfortable (entirely furnished from IKEA it would appear) and our room didn't smell. I have to admit though the 7th floor was a bit whiffy but that could have been because of its only inhabitants who were suffering a bit from bowel inactivity.

Oh, and we had an extractor fan, mirror and seating area.

Stayed here with my girlfriend for a week at the beginning of September and we were very impressed with the hotel. The furniture is fairly basic Ikea but is in very good condition and was in immaculate condition. The room and ensuite bathroom were small but a good size for two with a desk and wardrobe.

The hotel is very close to both the main road and to 2 U-Bahn stations and getting into city centre was really easy. Breakfast is very extensive (though it is 10 Euro each) and dinner is available if you need and is of excellent quality.

The staff were fantastic and spoke excellent English and were very helpful.

Only main tip is that we ended up with a twin room instead of a double room as I asked for "ein Zwimmer vor zwei" rather than a "Doppelzimmer". We were ok with it but useful for anyone else attempting German.

Stayed at this hotel recently and it was excellent value for the money. It is out of Berlin but the city's transport links make it very easy to get around and the hotel is only about 5 stations from the centre of town on the U/S Bahn. Staff were very helpful. Breakfast is cheap and plenty of variety.

Rooms are furnished by Ikea but they are clean and comfortable.

Ideal for those who are using a hotel as a base for exploring the city.

Well a few points, yes i agree with the point that for elderly people that U/S stations are a slight distance away, but if you are relatively fit, it should take no more than 5/10 minutes to reach the station you can walk through the lovely park to get to the U bahn station, the park also includes a play area for children and young at heart adults.

We have stayed there twice now and found the hotel staff to be friendly and helpful. The breakfast was a delight and the room more than adequate, clean and comfortable. Overall good value for money highly recommended...............People from the UK.

Our flight to Germany was quite early in the morning and consequently our arrival to the hotel was before the check-in time. The Hotel staff were very friendly, letting us leave our bags with them while we went exploring and making us coffees when we got back.

The room while simple was very clean, comfortable and was exactly what we needed. The price we got the room for again was very agreeable.

All of the desk staff were extremely helpful with directions and other information. Their english was very good.

Perfect place if all you need is a roof over your head and a good night's rest. Very nice and clean; staff didn't know much english but were very patient and ready to help. The location is a bit out of the way, but the underground system in Berlin is fantastic and getting around isn't difficult. I think some rooms are shared facilities, but ours had a private bathroom so all you need to do is ask for one. Excellent value for money.

The previous reviews recently are pretty accurate with this hotel. Location is not great, I guess coming from London this would be the equivalent of staying in Fulham in London as far as geographical location is concerned- i.e. southwest and 35-40 mins to central places.

We stayed in one of the nicer rooms, the bathroom looked nice and clean. The lack of a supermarket or shops close by is not great - although you could go to the petrol station or the bakery during normal hours. 10 euros for the hotel breakfast we didn't try because of the price.

The hotel is really not expensive for Berlin. The en suite room we got was not big, but big enough, clean and quite confortable.

The hotel is located in a residential area along a major freeway (no problems with traffic noise, though). There's no place to eat near the hotel (besides the very limited offer of the hotel itself), and subway and train station is about 400m walking distance. The subway trip to the major attractions take from 20 to 40min. Nothing very disturbing, but you've got to have that in mind when you book the hotel.

The only disappointments were that they charged for the open unattended parking spot (we could as well have parket on the street) and when we finally noticed that they haven't discouted the 10% we payed in advance during the reservation, they simply said they could do nothing, since we should have complained before they charged in the credit card.

The hotel was well priced, we stayed two nights and cost only £57 for the room. However the hotel details said only 8km form Shonefeld airport, but it was actually 18km (32 euros), and the underground was a 5 minute walk but you have to get on and off quite a few times before you arrive at the shopping or tourist areas!

The receptionists were very vague with directions and how to use the transport system so we had to work this out for ourselves. We also got the tram (S Bahn) to the airport when we left which was advised by the receptionist, but they failed to say that the airport tram was very infrequent and sometimes doesn't run, and so we waited over an hour for the tram and only knew it was going to the airport because a german passer-by told us! we could have missed our flight! The hotel is modern and comfortable and clean which was just what we wanted, but the location let it down (no eating or drinking places within walking distance). Makesure you research the hotel yourselves before you book.

We booked through Expedia and stayed 3 nights in August 2007 while touring Berlin. The bottom line: we probably got what we paid for, as the room was not particularly expensive. By the end, though, we were starting to wonder if we'd overpaid.

Our en suite room was sparse and box-like, and appeared to have been furnished largely with decor from IKEA: acceptable, but not fancy or particularly comfortable.

We brought our laptop along, but found that there was a considerable extra charge for use of the hotel's internet access. Breakfast, likewise, was not included in the room price, which was disappointing. At around 8 EU per person...we opted to go out of the hotel, so I can't comment on the food quality.

The most disappointing part, though, was the distance from the hotel to the S/U-bahn stations. A brisk walker can make it to the Heidelberger Platz station in 10 minutes, but the stop isn't central to any of the major tourist areas. We wound up spending a lot of time trekking back and forth to the S/U station and then on trains to and from what we wanted to see which was tiring. If you stay here for 2 or 3 days, consider buying the Welcome Card for public transport from which we definitely got our money's worth. Berlin's public transportation system is excellent...we just wished it wasn't obligatory to use it for every little thing, but due to the hotel's location, it definitely was.

On the positive, the hotel was clean, the staff friendly and accomodating. If I had to do it again, I'd probably spring for something more comfortable with an included breakfast. It was alright as a strictly budget hotel, but certainly nothing extraordinary.

The Winters hotel was an excellent choice for us as we were on a budget holiday. The hotel is in a very quiet area of Berlin although the city in general isn't overaly loud. We got exactly what we paid for so we can't complain. If your looking for a more fancy hotel then this isn't the place to come .The rooms were very basic but clean nonetheless. We had a shared bathroom but it was very well maintained at all times. There is running water in the room for those who are not getting a room with a bathroom. The staff were very friendly and helpful - providing us with information on how to get to all Berlin's major attractions.

If your looking for a hotel in the centre of Berlin then this isn't exactly ideal but the metro system is both very cheap and easy to use. The metro stop for the hotel is heidelberger platz. Upon leaving the station cross the street and turn right and take the first left past the car park. It's about a 3 minute walk from here.

Stayed at Winter's Hotel in August for six nghts with my husband and child. It's a budget hotel with very small rooms (about 12 square meters) furnished with Ikea's products. We stayed in two connected rooms with private shower and, considering the price we payed, I must say they are OK. I booked it through Needahotel and never payed less in a european capital. The breakfast is really good and the staff is, in general, friendly and helpful.

Despite other members said before, the tube station is not far - about 600 meters or 5 minutes walk - and if you just walk 1 more minute you'll have a bus that leads you to the centre of the city(Zoologischer Garten).

So, considering the price, it's a nice hotel, basic but clean, with everything that matters to those that want to know the city without spending too much money. Don't count with luxury of any kind.

One more recomendation: the website shows you only the biggest rooms (on the reception building, I supose) the others are much smaller.

This hotel was nice and clean, excellent for the price. Location not the best but near S and U bahn station. Our room was also much smaller than our travelling companions and there was no mirror in the bedroom or a seating area. The bathroom had no extractor and no window so smells lingered - particularly if you had paid a visit to "Doner Station", near Heidelberger Platz, earlier. The chap on the reception desk at night was particulary rude - He looks like he might promote a range of fingers of cod in golden crumb. This hotel also has a 24 hour bar - be warned, its a bit pricey!

Overall, above average, but because our room was on the top floor (which was the only one occupied)and very cold its deserves 3 points. The room was also slightly whiffy.

Actually, this hotel is very nice. Nice and spacious room, nice bathroom, very clean and modern, good value, a free welcome drink in the bar, nice service.

BUT... the location was a bit of a problem. It was simply too far away from everything. You had to walk 15 minutes just to reach the U-bahn! If you are a sight-seeing tourist in Berlin, that is simply too much. Also, the breakfast was not included in our room rate, wich is always a disappointment.

Oh, I forgot to mention, a very nice thing was that the hotel offers free parking!

Booked hotel with Expedia for a standard room, on arriving it was standard alright. The room was like a prison room!!!!!! and stunk of smoke. Yes it was cheap but a little more comfort would have been nice.

Don't be mislead by the pictures that you see of the rooms on the web, the standard rooms are nothing like the superior rooms. They are tiny, basic with little or no comfort apart from a roof over you head and a bed to sleep in. Ok for a few nights but no longer.

We eventually managed to get a 1 bedroom appartment which was all they had left. We had to pay a lot extra, but it was worth it for the space. Instead of a drab and dreary room we had a bright and charming appartment with our own kitchen and bathroom. We were away from the Hotel but still part of it as we still had our appartment cleaned every day.

We did not find the location a problem as the Berlin transport network is excellant, and we were olny 5 stops on the underground from the main centre.

If we were to visit Berlin again we most certainly would book the appartment.

The Winter was the cheapest hotel in a air-hotel package deal through Expedia. It's undergoing renovations on some floors to add en suite showers and toilets; mine was down the hall. But everything was spotless, the restaurant was good, and the staff very accomodating. They even have a wireless access point. HOWEVER: they are in a residential neighborhood about 6-8 blocks from the metro trains, and there are no restaurants etc available except the one at the hotel. If this doesn't bother you, you'll enjoy its quiet location.

The Albatros is an old name, not currently used.

-CD

This hotel is no where near town. To far away from everywhere.

We booked this 7 months in advance with what we thought were no problems, when we arrived we were told that our booking had been cancelled. They did have a room available but not the type of room we requested. After speaking to the agents i booked this through they informed me that the reservation hadn't been cancelled. Staff didn't seem to care. Would NOT recommend to anyone. You could get better for the money, and alot closer to civilisation.

500m from nearest subway located next to a highway is not suitable for not sportive elder people.

standard room without douche + wc was UNDER PERFORMANCE. room was awfull with no cleaning at all the four nights we had spent.

No possibility to change for other room WITH Douche + WC.

Only the breakfast is perfect and worth ***rating.

Location in suburb between flats is no enjoyable invitation.

For this rate there enough **class hotels to be found in Berlin itself in a enjoyable neighbouhood.

I will come back in Berlin but no more this hotel please.