Striking volumes and tranquillity in one of Berlin's hearts
Right from the start, the Best Western Premier Hotel Steglitz International strikes the visitor by its singularity. It is unusual first and foremost by the dimensions of its volumes, all the more remarkable when you remember you are in the heart of Berlin, just a few minutes' train or underground ride from Brandenburg Gate and Unter den Linden. This impression of space is particularly spectacular in the marble paved lobby, which offers a handsome perspective of the immense staircase leading up to the restaurant. Equally in keeping with this grandiose picture, the hotel's walls are adorned in reproductions of classical and impressionist art, among which a striking self-portrait by Rembrandt.
The structure was initially intended to be a shopping precinct, but following a number of ups and downs, it was converted into a prodigiously grand hotel, ideal for seminars and conventions but whose ambience is nonetheless pleasantly hushed. Indeed once you have got over the surprise of its architectural dimension, it is the establishment's sheer calm that strikes the visitor. Most of the rooms overlook the side opposite to the main avenue, commanding a surprising view of a landscape of clipped green and brown plants, quite unlike what you would expect to see in the heart of historic Berlin. The landscaped scene, highly evocative of the tundra, is dominated by the lofty aluminium facades of the various wings of the Best Western Premier Hotel Steglitz International.
Some of the guestrooms boast waterbeds, whose comfort is little known but truly extraordinary. All the guestrooms are particularly spacious, compared to the usual hotel standards of European capitals and all are flooded in daylight. They are depicted by a cosy charm, free of ostentation and above all with no compromises to comfort or practicality.
The hotel's restaurant offers a wide choice of local cuisine, particularly in the form of subtle fish- and pork-based recipes, together with an extensive selection of beers, the likes of which can only be found in Germany. The restaurant's windows command a handsome view of Hermann Ehlers Square, where the Steglitz market is held and the famous Gothic outline of the town hall. The Best Western Premier Hotel Steglitz International cannot however deny its roots, if only by its incomparable location. It stands on the crossroads of Schlossstraße, one of Berlin's finest shopping streets, and the Bundesstraße 1, Germany's first motorway. It was initially laid down and paved in 1792 to enable the Emperor to travel from his castle in the heart of the town to Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam. En route, he halted at the farm of Steglitz, then just a village, the traces of which are just a stone's throw from the hotel.
Berlin boasts an imitable Art de Vivre of its very own that owes its uniqueness to the fact that it combines the cultural wealth of a major metropolis with the quality of life of a small provincial town. Berlin does not have a city centre per say, but rather several centres, each of which has its own distinctive character and cultural or natural appeals. On fine days, Berliners picnic in the Tiergarten, take the underground to go swimming in the lakes surrounding the capital or go bicycling along the many paths that crisscross the surrounding woodland. The Best Western Premier Hotel Steglitz International is one of the most comfortable departure points you could wish for to discover all the capital's different "Berlins".
| Best Western Premier Hotel Steglitz International |
| Albrechtstrasse 2, Berlin, DE, Berlin, Germany - 12165 |
| Phone: +49 (0) 30 79 00 50 Fax: +49 (0) 30 7900 5550 |
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