The Ritz-Carlton, Berlin

Art Deco at Potsdamer Platz, remains of the Wall outside the door

The Ritz-Carlton, Berlin is part of the Beisheim Center at Potsdamer Platz and was designed by Hilmer and Sattler and Albrecht as a modern interpretation of Art Deco and a homage to the roaring twenties. The building was opened in 2004, together with the rest of the Beisheim Center, in which David Chipperfield, Modersohn und Freiesleben, and Bernd Albers were also involved. The location for a luxury hotel is unusually diverse: it’s about a seven-minute walk to the Brandenburg Gate, Tiergarten begins right next door, and preserved remains of the Berlin Wall stand directly in front of the building. The main train station is quickly reached, and the Potsdamer Platz underground station is in the immediate vicinity. Those arriving by car will find hotel-owned parking spaces with valet service and charging stations; an hour costs 5 euros, a day 52 euros. The hotel is barrier-free throughout, from the parking lots to the main entrance to rooms with roll-in showers, grab bars, and a wheelchair-height toilet. Restaurants, fitness center, and conference rooms are also steplessly accessible, and assistance dogs are welcome free of charge and without proof. Dogs up to twenty kilograms are welcome for a fee of 50 euros.

303 rooms, the Curtain Club, and a ballroom of 944 square meters

The 303 rooms and suites at the Ritz-Carlton are consistently designed in Art Deco style, with categories ranging from the Deluxe Room and Deluxe View Room to the Deluxe Suite and Carlton Club Suite. For families, a suite and up to three rooms can be combined into an ensemble, and those who book on the Club floor have access to the Club Lounge on the tenth floor. Dining takes place at POTS, which serves modern German cuisine in an open kitchen and has a terrace facing the Sony Center and Henriette-Herz-Park; copper accents refer to German brewing kettles. In addition, there’s the Curtain Club as a cocktail bar with a stage for live music, The Lounge with Afternoon Tea, an outdoor Secret Champagne Garden, and a Cigar Club. The wellness area offers a lap pool, a Finnish sauna, a steam bath, and a relaxation area; the fitness center is open continuously. The Grand Ballroom measures 944 square meters and can accommodate up to 900 guests for a reception, making it the largest in the city in this category. There is also a Grand Foyer of 470 square meters and eight smaller salons named after Potsdamer and Berliner locations, from Bellevue to Tiergarten to Pfaueninsel.