Steigenberger Hotel am Kanzleramt

The hotel is just a few dozen meters to the right from one of the train station exits. Make sure not to take the wrong exit; other reviews mention which one to use. The room was very spacious, more than enough for two large suitcases. The only issue was that for the Deluxe Plus room we booked, you had to shower in the bathtub.

The hotel is just a stone's throw from Berlin's main train station, a typical quiet oasis amidst the bustle. It was surprisingly peaceful outside the window. I really didn't encounter any issues, except for the absence of a lobby bar that's open during the day. Great value for money, definitely recommend it.

I want to specifically address the issue with the Black staff member mentioned below. All other hotel staff were incredibly welcoming and professional, except for the Black individual making omelets in the ground floor breakfast area – I won't name you here. However, as a 'Chinese Preferred' hotel, I experienced severe racial discrimination, which is absolutely intolerable. I hope the manager can provide a clear response. I had breakfast for three consecutive days. On the first two days, this Black staff member's attitude was very cold. When I asked him to make two fried eggs, he completely ignored me and didn't make them. My girlfriend and I even wondered if it was because we went late and he was tired after a busy morning; I was even trying to empathize with him. It wasn't until the third morning when I was queuing for an omelet that I noticed he was very friendly and smiling with the previous Caucasian guest, even thoughtfully serving them some mushrooms. When it was my turn, he instantly dropped his smile and, after hearing my request for two omelets, only made one. I don't understand why he was consistently targeting my girlfriend and me. Is it simply because we are not Caucasian? This made us extremely upset, and we require a formal response.

The hotel facilities are good, but I'm quite dissatisfied with one thing. Our flight landed at 10:55 PM, so we expected to check in past midnight. Fearing the hotel wouldn't hold our rooms (I'd heard stories of German hotels not holding rooms past midnight), I specifically made an international call from Shanghai to the front desk. I explained the situation and asked them to hold our rooms. They confirmed they understood and said someone would be there to check us in after midnight. Still feeling uneasy, I contacted Ctrip customer service and asked them to follow up with the hotel. Ctrip later confirmed they had arranged a pre-check-in for us. I thought we had double assurance. However, when we arrived after midnight, the front desk told us they only had one room available, even though I had booked two rooms for two nights. They suggested we stay at a nearby hotel for the first night and then move here on the second day. I had already looked at that hotel, and the environment was significantly worse. Plus, as a family of three staying for two nights, I didn't want the hassle of checking out and checking back in the next day. I firmly refused. There were other Asian guests checking in after us, so it was impossible that there were no rooms at all. Eventually, they gave us a room at the very end of the hallway. German hotel service can be so unreliable! I'm angry.

Right next to the train station, I was worried it would be noisy, but it wasn't at all. Plus, you can just grab breakfast at the station. All the attractions are easily accessible by public transport, and for the price, I feel like the room was worth it. While it might just be a standard business hotel back home, the overall stay was pretty good.

The advantage is its proximity to Berlin Central Station, but the downside is that the area isn't very safe at night. Even for a suite, the furniture was too basic for a five-star hotel. The biggest issue, though, was only getting one free bottle of water per day. I've never encountered such a stingy five-star hotel, even abroad.