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An excellent cocktail bar, a 15 minute walk from Berghain/Panorama Bar, and breakfast served until 2pm. If you’re partying in Berlin, or simply want some stylish digs to rest your head, the Michelberger is the place to stay.
A bit of a legend as far as Berlin hotels go, the Michelberger has been operating out of a former factory in Friedrichshain since 2009. Leaning into the factory setting, inside it’s all minimal and industrial, with light wood accents giving a warm, natural feel. So far, so Berlin. At the centre of the 113-room block is a lush, tree-laden courtyard, which becomes the centre of the hotel in the warmer months when it hosts alfresco food and wine pop-ups and live music. Come winter, the barrel sauna opens and a fire pit becomes the centre point of the square.
Most hotel lobbies aren’t somewhere you’d want to spend all day. Enter: the Michelberger. I’d happily situate myself in the bright communal area, where sun filters through the windows and people lounge on low Japandi style sofas, from noon until night. There would be plenty to sustain you, with pastries and coffee by day, and low intervention wines from local producers by night.
What are the rooms like at the Michelberger?
There is a fantastic range of rooms, depending on budget. Prices vary, but rooms can start from around €100 per night for a ‘Cosy’ – a 130-square-foot nook with a king-sized bed – if you book far enough in advance. I stayed in an ‘Overlook’. It was calm, bright and more spacious than the budget option. There’s a glorious rainfall shower, and bath products are the Michelberger’s own. Don’t expect a wardrobe or chest of drawers, as the hotel has opted for minimal open storage, but you will get a personal yoga mat.
The rooms have some quirks which seem very Berlin. The TV, for example: it has no regular channels, or airplay function, only a number of cryptically named Michelberger channels showing esoteric music documentaries, or very very old footage from black and white news casts. One channel, named the foreboding ‘Eternal Loop’, shows the Big Lebowski on a never-ending cycle. Not that I don’t enjoy the Coen Brothers’ stoner classic, but on the third watch it started to get a little old.
What is there to eat and drink at the Michelberger?
The food and drink offering at this hotel is really first-class. In the lobby you’ve got the Café and Wine Bar, serving inventive, if not a bit weird, cocktails – a mustard martini tasted like a cheeseburger in drink form, while the Queen of Flowers was a citrussy, lavender delight – and natural wines.
The 2pm breakfast is a real saving grace if you traipsed home after sunrise. I worked off my hangover with a slap-up spread of delicious homemade hummuses, beans, sourdough breads, cakes, and silky scrambled eggs. The Michelberger makes its own coconut water too, aptly called ‘Fountain of Youth’, which is supplied in abundance at breakfast.
The produce-driven Michelberger Restaurant is truly fantastic and worth a visit in its own right. It’s a farm-to-table, small plates concept, with produce supplied from the hotel’s own farm. This meal was worth it for the sourdough and butter alone, which was followed by buttery soft beef in peppercorn sauce, and some smoky mashed potatoes that I’d like to be smothered in.
What’s the area like around the Michelberger?
The location couldn’t be better. For clubbing, the Michelberger is within walking distance of Berghain, ://about blank and Renate. Then it’s just across the river from Kreuzberg and Neukölln, of which both are packed with great bars, restaurants, vintage shops and brunch spots. If it’s sightseeing you want, the hotel is a five-minute walk from the East Side Gallery and a 30-minute walk to Volkspark Friedrichshain.
Details
Address: Warschauer Straße 39-40, 10243 Berlin
Price: From €100 per night
Closest transport link: Warschauer Straße with links to the S-Bahn and U-Bahn