Hotel Sarotti-Höfe Berlin

The hotel is in Kreuzberg, on a busy street, but I stayed in Hof 3, which was set back very far from the street and extremely quiet. The location is great: there are loads of lovely cafes on Bergmanstrasse and an indoor market about 10 minutes away. It's a three-minute walk to the underground; a 25-minute walk to the canal; and a lovely 40-50 minute walk to the major museums in Mitte. There was a heat wave when I was there, but even though the room had no AC, it remained reasonably cool. Both the room itself and the bathroom were very large, which felt luxurious, even though the furnishings themselves were quite plain. (Note that the bathroom had a separate tub and shower.) Note that the Nespresso machine is not free: 1 euro per cup, which is reasonable, but it wasn't clearly marked that it cost anything at all (often this is free). The receptionist arranged for a cab to collect me when I had to leave at 5 am, and it arrived promptly.

There is racist imagery of a cartoonish dark-skinned figure in a turban everywhere: in the cafe where one checks in, in the hallways, on a plaque in my room, reproduced on the back of my invoice and receipt. It seems related to the cafe being famous for its hot chocolate.

Great Location. Friendly staff. Very good breakfast.

No air conditioner. Small room with an old roof fan. Very hot and humid at night.