Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin

Not quite the Adlon of yore, which burnt down following World War II, this new, more generic luxury version was rebuilt by the Kempinski Group in 1997 on its original site next to the Brandenburg Gate. Although it's still considered one of Berlin's finest hotels - popular with movie stars, royalty and anyone keen to make an impression - the 409 rooms (including three bullet-proof presidential suites) are decorated in a generic international-executive style. The staff can be frosty if you don't look the part.