Berlin has long been a mecca for the budget-conscious traveller. Poor but sexy, and all that. Thankfully, despite its burgeoning status as Europe’s cosmopolitan capital, there are still plenty of cheap hotels and hostels scattered across the city if you know where to look. And, as Berlin’s biggest city magazine with 30 years of local expertise, tip Berlin knows better than anyone.
Here are Berlin’s 10 best budget hotels — big on style, easy on your wallet.
1. Lekkerurlaub
Kreuzberg
Lekkerurlaub-Hostel in the Graefekiez district of Kreuzberg is small and cosy. For travellers who like to feel at home and prefer a private atmosphere to the big hostel experience, the Lekkerurlaub is a great choice. Within a few minutes guests can reach various bars and cafés — the nearest is directly opposite. The neighbourhood also invites you to take a relaxing stroll, and central Alexanderplatz is only a few underground stations away.
Rooms from €65
2. Monbijou Hotel
Mitte
With two bars, a restaurant, a roof terrace and a particularly extensive luxury breakfast, the Monbijou Hotel offers travellers a great deal of comfort. The interior is simple but sleek and homely, and the location could not be better: the hotel is located right next to Monbijou Park in Mitte, where locals sunbathe on the River Spree in summer and the world-famous Museum Island is only a few metres away — Berlin’s most important museums are located on the UNESCO World Heritage site.
Rooms from €80
3. Bleibtreu by Tulip
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf
In this centrally-located four-star hotel, relaxation is everything. The Bleibtreu has a large wellness area and offers steam baths, massages, oil applications and acupuncture. The bright rooms with striped design are cosy and chic, and right outside the door you’ll find various cultural offers and sights.
Rooms from €64
4. The Circus Hostel/Hotel
Mitte
At Rosenthaler Platz there are two affordable accommodation options courtesy of The Circus Berlin. While the Circus Hotel entices with chic private rooms, peace and quiet and an inviting roof terrace, the hostel directly opposite scores points with home-brewed beer, live concerts and many offers such as free walking tours or bike rental. Both options are stylish, clean and well organised and guarantee a pleasant stay in Berlin in a top location.
Rooms from €18 (hostel) / from €90 (hotel)
5. Pfefferbett
Prenzlauer Berg
The Pfefferbett has everything a good hostel needs: comfortable shared and single rooms, breakfast and snacks throughout the day, a 24/7 bar, a billiard table, bike rental… In addition, the hostel is located on a former brewery site and in one of Berlin’s hippest neighbourhoods, Prenzlauer Berg, where the possibilities for going out are limitless. Just around the corner are the Jewish Cemetery and the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Strasse.
Rooms from €20
6. art’otel
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf
Andy Warhol fans take note: the art’otel Berlin is entirely dedicated to the Pop Art icon. Over 250 of his works can be found throughout its rooms. In fact the hotel is almost a real museum — it even offers guided art tours to help you learn more about the man himself. But visitors can also enjoy a normal stay at the hotel — which is located close to Ku’damm, Berlin’s most illustrious shopping boulevard — and visit the hotel’s sauna, in-house bar and breakfast restaurant, or step outside and make the most of the central location.
Rooms from €66
7. Grand Hostel Classic
Kreuzberg
The Grand Hostel Classic feels more like a noble but very affordable hotel — with shared rooms. Large rooms, a well-renovated old building with alcoves and hallways and a cosy ‘Libary Bar’ let budget travellers experience the greatest possible comfort. Located only five minutes from U-Bahn station Möckernbrücke in lively Kreuzberg, hostel guests are surrounded by clubs, restaurants and legendary currywurst stand Curry 36 in the midst of city life.
Rooms from €22
8. Hotel-Pension Funk
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf
The preserved ’20s charm of Hotel-Pension Funk lets one drift back into past times — both the building and its furnishings are largely historical. Guests can reach the famous Berlin Zoo and Tiergarten within a few minutes on foot. The hotel is also surrounded by many shopping and dining facilities, so you won’t have to travel far for entertainment.
Rooms from €34
9. St Christophers Apartments
Mitte
Having your own apartment in Berlin is a dream for many. The St. Christophers Apartments are centrally located between Alexanderplatz and chic Prenzlauer Berg, and offer great value for money. Simply kept but comfortably furnished with private kitchen and bathroom, guests enjoy complete freedom and are independent of hotel reception hours. But if you fancy meeting other travellers, visit the hostel bar located in the building below and enjoy a long, cool drink.
Rooms from €38.50
10. Die Fabrik – baxpax Hostel
Kreuzberg
Right in the middle of Berlin’s party district at Schlesisches Tor, Die Fabrik focuses on relaxation, deliberately dispensing with bedroom televisions and its own bar. This is not strictly necessary: it takes only minutes to reach countless clubs, concert venues, bars, cafés and restaurants. After long nights in Kreuzberg, guests can recharge their batteries in the cult brick building or its green courtyard before heading back out into the wild city.
Rooms from €15
Fancy staying in a treehouse? How about some quirky indoor camping? Here are 10 totally unique hotels in Berlin
[smbtoolbar]