HOTEL XANTENER ECK, Berlin

The hotel sits in a safe, pleasant neighbourhood in Berlin's Charlottenburg district. Adenauerplatz U7 station is a 3-minute walk, linking directly to the city centre in 20 minutes. The S-Bahn is 7 minutes away, and bus routes M29, 109 and N7 stop nearby. Kurfürstendamm's department stores, restaurants and cafés are a short walk, as are quieter residential streets. The Messe ICC exhibition centre is under 3 km.

Breakfast includes bread, pastries, cold cuts, cheese, hard-boiled eggs, cereal and coffee. The selection is simple and consistent - no hot dishes such as scrambled eggs are offered. The ground-floor German restaurant serves lunch and dinner with a wide menu of Berlin classics (knuckle of pork, currywurst, schnitzels) and Argentinian steaks, plus salads, soups, tarte flambée and desserts. The outdoor terrace is open for meals and drinks. A range of restaurants, cafés and bars is within a 3- to 5-minute walk on Kurfürstendamm.

Wi-Fi is free and generally reliable in rooms. Luggage storage is free of charge, useful for early arrivals or late departures. The hotel has a lift, but it is an older model. Reception is staffed from 10:00 to 18:00; outside these hours check-in uses a PIN code. A vending machine for drinks is available. No airport shuttle, pool, fitness centre or spa. Safety features include CCTV in common areas, smoke alarms and key-card access. Pets allowed on request (charges may apply).