Review: Grand Hyatt Berlin (a very good hotel in an excellent location)

A Traveling for Miles review of the Grand Hyatt Berlin.

Berlin is a city that has fascinated me for years. It’s steeped in 20th century history from the rise of fascism, to the second world war, to the post-war airlift, to the division of the city in 1961, to the fall of Communism in 1989 and the reunification of Germany in 1990.

Berlin has lived through it all and been a centerpiece of most of it, so it’s an incredible city to visit, and when I got the chance, I chose the Grand Hyatt Berlin as the base for a 3-night stay.

Location

The Grand Hyatt Berlin sits at Marlene Dietrich Platz 2 just three minutes’ walk from Potsdamer Platz, and that places it right at the heart of the city.

If you’re arriving from Berlin Brandenburg Airport, a taxi/Uber/Bolt or equivalent to the hotel will usually cost between €50 and €60 (~$58 – $69) and outside of terrible traffic, will take between 35 and 45 minutes (all correct at the time of this visit).

If you’re on a budget or not traveling with much luggage, a better option will be the local train service (FEX or Flughafen-Express) which operates every 15 minutes, costs €5, and will deposit you at Potsdamer Platz station (3 minutes’ walk from the Grand Hyatt Berlin) in approximately 18 minutes (there’s only one stop between the airport and Potsdamer Platz).

In the area immediately around the hotel (within a 5-minute walk) you’ll find numerous eateries, bars, a shopping mall (with a supermarket and more eateries), and even a movie theatre.

If you enjoy walking (large parts of Berlin are very walkable), there are a lot of key sights and locations within reach of Grand Hyatt Berlin.

• Tiergarten (Berlin’s large park): ~10 minutes (700 m)
• Topography of Terror Museum (a must see museum detailing the atrocities and rise of the Nazi regime): ~14 minutes (1.0 km)
• Brandenburg Gate: ~17 minutes (1.2 km)
• Reichstag Building: ~21 minutes (1.5 km)
• Checkpoint Charlie: ~20 minutes (1.5 km)
• Siegessäule (the victory column in the Tiergarten): ~27 minutes (1.9 km)
• Museum Island (home to a large number of Berlin’s museums): ~36 minutes (2.6 km)
• Berlin Cathedral: ~39 minutes (2.7 km)

For those who prefer not to walk, those who are less mobile, and those who would like to venture a little further, Potsdamer Platz station is the solution. It’s one of the best connected stations in Berlin.

A large number of key sights (e.g. Berlin Zoo, the 1936 Olympic stadium, the main concert hall, the German Cathedral, etc…) can be reached from Potsdamer Platz without the need to change trains. If you don’t mind changing trains, Berlin is yours 🙂

Admin

The Grand Hyatt Berlin sits as a Category 4 property in the World of Hyatt, so this 3-night stay was paid for using two Category 1-4 Free Night Certificates and 12,000 World of Hyatt points.

At the time of booking, the cost of a 3-night stay in an entry-level King Bed room that I booked was €893/~$1,027 making the average nightly rate ~$342.

$342 for each Free Night Certificate and 2.15 cents for each point that I used made this one of the best uses of certificates and points I’ve had in some time.

Because Hyatt doesn’t allow members to use Suite Upgrade Awards alongside Free Night Certificates, I was in the hands of the upgrade gods in the days leading up to check-in, and on this occasion, they smiled on me.

On the morning of our arrival (Joanna was traveling with me), the Hyatt app showed that we had been given a complimentary upgrade to a Junior Suite which, after a quick check, turned out to be the highest-level “standard suite” that the property was selling for the dates of our stay.

If I was a fan of Berlin before this trip, I am a slightly bigger fan now 🙂

Arrival and check-in

We arrived into Berlin just before 12:00 and thanks to an absence of hold ups at the airport and an efficient train service, we were at the hotel just before 13:00.

The hotel has two entrances – one is on the pedestrianized area between Potsdamer Platz and Marlene Dietrich Platz (the entrance if you arrive on foot), and the other is around the corner on Eichhornstrasse (the entrance if you arrive by car/taxi).

The check-in desks are a short walk from either entrance and as there were no other guests ahead of us, we were seen to immediately.

First impressions were good. The lobby is large and spacious (I forgot to take pictures so you’ll have to settle for stock images), the front desk agent was friendly, our upgrade was confirmed and less than ten minutes after we arrived (and under 90 minutes after we had landed) I was taking my first pictures of our Junior Suite.

That was German efficiency at its finest.

The junior suite

Our Junior Suite was on the 5th floor and this is the view as you open the door.

Immediately on the right, in the short hallway leading into the room, is one of two entrances to the en suite bathroom. Just past that, the junior suite opens up into the sitting/sleeping area.

The junior suite covers 516 sq ft/48 sqm and as soon as you walk in, it feels spacious (it’s worth noting that an entry-level room at the Grand Hyatt Berlin covers 409 sq ft/38 sqm, so you’re unlikely to be short of space whichever room you book).

The first part of the room that you step into has a chair and glass table which has access to a US-style 2-pin power outlet and a UK-style 3-pin power outlet (strangely, I couldn’t see a European-style outlet).

This is also where you’ll find the room’s coffee maker and coffee pods.

Turning to face the sleeping area, you’ll find a sofa bed (with USB-A and USB-C ports built into each arm), a small coffee table, a large window (which allows in a lot of light) and, of course, the king-size bed.

Both sides of the bed have nightstands, but they’re not the same. One side has access to a European-style power outlet and two USB-A ports, while the other has access to two European-style power outlets, a USB-A port, and a USB-C port.

Both have access to the room’s light controls.

The compulsory large flat screen TV lives on the wall opposite the sofa bed and can be pulled away from the wall and angled to allow it to be viewed from the bed.

Under the TV is a cabinet which opens up to reveal the in-room safe, a mini bar, snacks, glassware, and a kettle.

Needless to say, the mini bar is not complimentary.

A key thing I should point out at this stage is that, as you may have noticed, the room has quite a bit of dark wood in its decor (that’s a theme here), but that doesn’t make the room feel dark or make it feel smaller than it actually is.

That probably has a lot to do with the light coming in from the large windows behind the sofa bed, but whatever the reason, I should reiterate that there’s a good feeling of space here.

That feeling of space follows you into the bathroom.

To access the en suite bathroom, you either enter via the doorway in the entrance hallway (mentioned earlier) or via a sliding door next to the bed.

There’s a large double vanity unit with a black granite top, and a large mirror.

There’s a good-size tub and a separate shower cubicle (the water pressure in the shower was very good).

And the toilet sits in its own cubicle as well.

The bathroom floor is heated, and just when you think that you’ve seen everything the bathroom has to offer, you’ll notice a set of doors which, when opened, reveal a walk-in closet.

Ordinarily, I’m not a fan of bathrooms with a lot of patterned marble or with a lot of dark wood (both of which are present in abundance here), but somehow this one seems to work and, somehow, it doesn’t feel as old-fashioned as I would have expected it to feel had someone described it to me.

On the toiletries front, they’re full-size (as is now standard) and supplied by Balmain.

I noticed this brand of toiletries when I stayed at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok a couple of years ago, so it could be that this is the house brand for Grand Hyatt.

It’s worth noting that alongside the toiletries, there are other amenities/accessories also on offer and you can call down to the front desk to request other items as well.

Finally, before I sum up this Junior suite, I should mention the view which, from this room, looked like this:

Not exactly a view to write home about, but you can see the home of the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra (on the right) and because the room faces west, you get a good amount of sunshine in the afternoon and the evening and, importantly if you have jetlag, not much sunshine in the early hours of the morning.

Overall, we had a very nice stay in this Junior Suite. It offers plenty of space, there’s more than enough room to store clothes, the bed is comfortable, there is no shortage of power outlets by the bedside (a pet peeve of mine), the bathroom is well designed, and we never heard any noise from the street below, so the room’s soundproofing appears to work well.

Dining and bars

The Grand Hyatt Berlin has four food and drink outlets, all of them within the hotel, and between them they cover breakfast, all-day dining, dinner and late-night drinks.

VOX Restaurant & Terrace

VOX is the hotel’s main restaurant and it’s also where, on this trip, breakfast was served. Very recent reports suggest that breakfast is served in Bisro Mitte (see further on in the article).

The hotel describes it as a “magnet for gourmets on the Berlin gastronomy scene since 1998” (a bold claim which we didn’t get to test), and outside of breakfast, the food on offer is a combination of Japanese sushi and what the hotel calls “Modern Dining”, with separate dinner and sushi menus.

Dinner is served seven days a week between 17:00 and 23:00, although the kitchen closes at 22:30.

There’s no lunch service at VOX, so between the end of breakfast and 17:00 you’ll need to head to Bistro Mitte if you want to dine at the hotel.

The dress code is smart casual and reservations can be made through the hotel’s website.

Link to VOX Restaurant & Terrace menu page

VOX Bar

VOX Bar sits alongside the restaurant and claims to stock over 300 spirits and whiskies, along with cocktails, classic drinks and cigars from the bar’s own humidor (which can be smoked in a separate, small, cigar lounge).

Opening hours are:

• Monday to Thursday from 17:00 to 01:00
• Friday and Saturday from 17:00 to 02:00
• Sunday from 17:00 to 01:00.

We didn’t spend any time in the VOX Bar, but it looks elegant and nicely put together and, we’re told, live music is usually on offer towards the end of the week and at weekends.

Link to Vox Bar 

Bistro Mitte

Bistro Mitte is located just off the lobby (it’s open to the lobby) and serves what the hotel describes as “international classics” and, if very recent reports on FlyerTalk are to be believed, where breakfast is now served.

It’s open Monday to Sunday between 11:00 and 17:00 and, occasionally when the weather isn’t too warm, you’ll find an open fire on offer here.

There’s a single all-day dining menu, the dress code is smart casual, and the hotel also runs a monthly “Grand Brunch” here.

Link to Bistro Mitte menu

1838 Deli

1838 Deli is the property’s coffee and grab-and-go option, offering pastries, snacks, coffee and juices, with vegan food and milk alternatives available.

It’s open Monday to Friday between 07:00 and 15:00, and Saturday and Sunday between 08:00 and 16:00.

Fun fact: The Grand Hyatt Berlin named its Deli 1838 and gave it a locomotive logo to honor the opening of the very first long-distance railway station in Prussia at nearby Potsdamer Platz in … 1838.

Breakfast

Breakfast is served Monday to Friday between 07:00 and 11:00, and on Saturday and Sunday between 07:00 and 12:00.

If you don’t have breakfast included in your rate or as part of your elite benefits package, the breakfast buffet will cost you €39 ($45) per person.

The expandable thumbnails (below) will give a good idea of what the buffet offering is like, but here’s a selection of items that I noted down:

From the hot selection:

• Gyoza filled with chicken
• Scrambled eggs
• Soft boiled eggs
• Bacon
• Nürnberger sausages
• Meatballs
• Mixed vegetables
• Bread pudding

From the cold selection:

• Cold meats:
  • Smoked turkey breast
  • Beef salami
  • Turkey salami
  • “Schwarzwalder” ham (Black Forest ham)
  • Boiled ham
• A selection of prepared seafood:
  • Butter mackerel rolls
  • Black halibut
  • Scottish smoked salmon fillets
  • Smoked salmon slices
  • Smoked rollmops (herring)
  • Pollack cubes
• Breads:
  • Wholegrain
  • Walnut date bread
  • House bread
• Cheeses:
  • Maasdam (Emmental-style Dutch cheese)
  • Bonbel cheese
  • Wild garlic cheese
  • Bergkäse (hard German mountain cheese)
  • Cream cheese with chives
  • Blue cheese
• Honey (two types both from bees kept on the hotel roof)

I need to stress that this is a selection of items on offer. There were other items on offer as well.

Included with the buffet, you can order a “sweet dish” such as pancakes, waffles, French toast or porridge (which I didn’t think was a sweet dish).

There are also some à la carte options available costing €7 or €9 (at the time of this visit) which you can use to “upgrade your breakfast experience”.

The buffet is certainly extensive and, generally speaking, of a good quality (the breads and honeys deserve a special mention) and as we didn’t have to pay for it (complimentary breakfast comes as a benefit of my Hyatt elite status), we enjoyed it on all three mornings of our visit.

Had we had to pay, however, I don’t think we would have bothered as I don’t think it’s worth $45.

That seems steep, so unless there are two of you staying and you’re going to book a room rate that includes breakfast (the difference between the cheapest rate and the bed + breakfast rate is often no more than ~$50 and the difference from the flexible rate is usually a lot less) or hit the buffet like you’ve never seen food before (please don’t), you may be better served by enjoying breakfast outside of the hotel at one of the many eateries in the area.

Note: As mentioned earlier, very recent reports now suggest that breakfast is served at Bistro Mitte, but the same reports also confirm that nothing else has changed from what you see above. 

The lounge

World of Hyatt Globalists and guests who purchase a room with club access get access to the hotel’s Grand Club on the 7th floor.

The lounge is a good size and there are a variety of seating options here which makes this a space where you can work as well as relax. A few more power outlets wouldn’t go amiss, but on the whole, this can be a nice place to spend some time.

Throughout the day, the lounge offers guests tea and coffee making facilities, and a few snacks and non-alcoholic drinks.

In the mornings, a continental breakfast is served (Hyatt Globalists can choose between this and the main buffet in Vox):

• Mon – Fri 07:00 – 11:00
• Sat & Sun 08:00 – 12:00

Between 16:00 and 17:00 the lounge offers “tea time” when a selection of cookies and cakes are offered.

And between 18:00 and 20:00 the lounge hosts snack time when alcoholic beverages are served, alongside various food bites which, if you really wanted to, you could make into a light evening meal.

This is pretty standard fare for a European lounge – considerably better than the swill served up in what lounges remain in the US, but nowhere near as good as most lounges in Asia.

The fitness center/pool

The Grand Hyatt Berlin is home to Club Olympus Spa & Fitness which is a day spa (open to non-residents as well as hotel guests) which covers ~8,600 sqft/~800 sqm on the top floor of the hotel (8th floor).

It includes the usual spa facilities, a pool and a fitness center and for adults, is open between 07:00 and 21:00 daily (children are admitted between 10:00 and 20:00). Hotel guests can access the fitness center 24/7.

There’s an understandable “no photography” policy in the pool area and the rest of the spa and fitness area was always busy when I visited, so I’m forced to use stock images (courtesy of Hyatt) for this section.

The fitness space isn’t large (what you see above is just about it), but it’s well equipped and thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides, it’s also very bright which makes it a nice place for a workout.

During the months when weather permits, there’s also a roof terrace here which is opened up and offers a stretching & yoga area.

The pool is another area with floor-to-ceiling windows and these overlook Berlin on 2 sides.

The images above make the pool and the pool area look larger than thet are but it’s not tiny.

The pool itself measures 15m by 5m (~49ft by 16ft), is just 130cm (a little over 4ft) deep and has a good-size hot tub at one end.

There are indoor sun loungers on one side and when the weather is playing ball, you can access a set of sun loungers on the outside terrace as well.

The last thing to note here is that the locker rooms here are nicely appointed and there are dozens of lockers available in the men’s and women’s sections.

In summary

I’m a fan of the Grand Hyatt Berlin. Yes, breakfast is overpriced, but the property has a lot going for it.

It’s conveniently located (for the airport and for a lot of what Berlin has to offer), the entry-level rooms are large, our junior suite was excellent, breakfast is good quality, elite benefits are honored, the staff are very friendly and helpful, the Grand Club lounge is a nice place to work, the spa and fitness facilities feel good, and as a World of Hyatt Category 4 property, this is an excellent place to use Free Night Certificates..

Would I stay here again? Definitely. Without a shadow of doubt.

The cost of the rooms (which offer very good value), the size of the rooms, and the location make this a great place to be based in Berlin, so this is where I’ll be staying the next time I’m back in this fascinating city.

A request: If you want to make sure that Google serves up more of our articles and more of our in depth reviews the next time you’re searching for information, please select us as a Google “preferred source” by placing a checkmark in the box here next to travelingformiles.com (you can have as many “preferred sources” as you like).