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If there’s one thing we enjoy, other than DIY of course, it’s to travel.
Over the last few years, we’ve been lucky enough to visit a few fantastic and sometimes fairly exotic places like Cambodia, Budapest and South Africa but a couple of weekends ago we had an entirely new travel experience.
We spent a day as tourists in our home town and it was so much fun!
Having already stayed at the fabulous 25Hours hotel in Vienna for our anniversary last year (you can read about our lovely trip here) you can imagine our excitement to be invited to spend a night at the 25Hours Hotel Bikini Berlin.
Needless to say, we had high expectations, especially as the hotel is already one of our favourite spots in town to go out for food and drinks. Luckily, we weren’t disappointed!
From the moment you enter the building, you know that you’re in for a fun stay!
The retro Mini in the entrance, the animated walls in the lift up to the lobby and the fun jungle-inspired design throughout – there are countless surprising and creative elements everywhere!
I mean, seriously, this has got to be the coolest hotel hallway, ever!
As you can probably imagine, our room was pretty amazing, too!
Have you ever stayed in a hotel room with a hammock overlooking the monkeys in the zoo? Every hotel room should have one!
I could have spent hours relaxing in the hammock watching the people and animals in the zoo but with so much to explore in Berlin, we didn’t get too much time to relax.
Ideally located right in the heart of the city centre west, the hotel is next to the zoo and just off the famous Ku’damm – the most famous and longest shopping street in Berlin.
Obviously, Berlin is always worth a visit, even if the winter months in Berlin are a bit miserable and it can get really cold (why did no one tell me this before we moved here?!). Luckily, there are countless sights, museums and shops – a lot of them in walking distance from the hotel – to keep you occupied and out of the cold.
Our favourite beer garden, the picturesque Cafe am Neuen See, is also only a few minutes walk away. It’s located right by the lake in the middle of the famous Tiergarten and is the perfect spot to wind down with a drink or two after a day of sightseeing.
The Neni restaurant and Monkey bar which I mentioned earlier, are both located on the top floor of the hotel and we’ve already visited them more than I care to admit.
The Middle Eastern inspired food at Neni’s is absolutely delicious (they have the tastiest and creamiest houmous I’ve ever eaten!) and the cocktails at the adjoining Monkey bar are quite frankly a bit too good (although I’m tempted to say that my headache the next day was down to Jan’s snoring!).
Both the restaurant and the bar have amazing views over the city (trust me when I say that you have to visit the bathroom) and are perfect for relaxing after a long day of sightseeing.
The restaurant is also where you can enjoy the fabulous breakfast in the mornings with a huge selection of everything breakfast related you could imagine. There was everything from cereal & fruit, pastries & rolls, right through to omelettes & rice pudding. You can even try the famous Berlin Currywurst! Oh, and why not have a cheeky glass of prosecco while you’re at it, too!
One of my favourite parts of the hotel is actually the lounge area near the reception. It has such a relaxed atmosphere. I don’t know if it’s the log burner, the super comfortable hammocks or the delicious snacks from the bakery that made me feel like I’d never want to leave!
If you have time, we’d definitely recommend spending some time in the gorgeous spa area, too. Relaxing in the sauna overlooking the zoo is really special – just remember that people in Germany tend to be naked in saunas (being wrapped up in a towel is fine though)!
As you know, I like to be really picky when it comes to reviewing things but it is hard to find fault with this hotel. It’s just so fun and quirky with so much attention to detail. That being said, both Jan and I found the beds a bit too firm for our liking. It’s obviously a personal preference and, as I said, I’m being super picky here.
Spending a day in a city you live in is a novel experience and it’s one I’d totally recommend. Berlin should obviously be at the top of everyone’s travel wish list, though!
If you do visit Berlin (you totally should!) we would definitely recommend treating yourself to a stay here. It’s the best hotel we’ve stayed at in Berlin and the breakfast in both this 25Hours hotel and the one in Vienna are among the best hotel breakfasts we’ve ever had! There’s so much more to explore in the 25hours Bikini Hotel Berlin and it feels like there’s something new to discover around every corner.
The details:
- We stayed in a jungle room M which overlooked the zoo. On the other side of the hotel, there are city view rooms which have a different more urban design! Room rates start at around 110€ a night.
- Breakfast isn’t included in the standard room rate. We think it’s worth splurging on as it was delicious with a huge selection of tasty things to try.
- The spa is included and is so worth a visit! You can pick up bathrobes and slippers at the reception or have them brought up to your room. Don’t expect to be given boring hotel slippers, though!
- The food is amazing and both the restaurant and bar are worth a visit even if you don’t stay at the hotel. It’s one of our favourite places to take visitors as you have amazing views over the city, too. Be sure to book though – it can get very busy!
- The hotel is in a great location right in the heart of the city centre west. It’s roughly a 5-minute walk to the nearest train and underground station (Zoologischer Garten) and there’s a bus stop right in front of the building.
- If you’re wondering about the name of the hotel – it’s called Bikini because of the building it’s located in. Back in the 1950s when the building was first constructed, it was a factory for making bikinis (I think it was actually bras) and the name has stuck ever since.
Have you ever stayed in a hotel in the city you live in? Have you ever been to Berlin? What’s on your must-see travel wishlist?
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