Hotel Bristol, Berlin

"This is the most terrible 5-star hotel of all the ones I have visited! I love the Kempinski hotel chain and always choose them! But the Bristol hotel does not meet those standards at all! I chose a grand deluxe upgraded room, and in the picture, everything looked very elegant and beautiful. In reality, the room just had a nice bed and a bathroom with fresh renovations; the wardrobe in the room was old and dirty, the balcony door had no handle, and the robe was so worn and old that it could only be used for mopping the floors. 🫣 The minibar was empty, and during our three-day stay, we were provided with only one bottle of drinking water. It’s unclear how to make coffee without water, and there wasn’t even a phone in the room to call room service or the reception. No one helped with the luggage, and I had to struggle with a suitcase, stroller, and a bunch of things all by myself with my child. The entire hotel is incredibly old and dilapidated. The only thing I liked was the breakfast, but even that was not in the hotel but in a neighboring restaurant. I can also praise the bar staff, who were very kind and friendly! To top it all off, when I had already checked out and was standing outside by the car, a receptionist ran up to me and said that the wall in the room was marked and accused my daughter of doing it. We went back to take a look, and I was shocked; there were some blurred stripes on the wall that looked like they were made with a dusty hand while we were checking out because when I left the room, there were no marks at all. This is simply outrageous, and I will be writing a complaint to the main manager of Kempinski and demanding moral compensation. 😤"

We booked a junior suite. It was newly decorated and pristine - it felt like we were the first guests to stay there. Wood effect floor with cost rugs and modern furniture. The large bed was very comfortable too. The fifth floor looked refurbished without any marks on the hotel corridors. All staff couldn’t do enough to help and assist our first stay in the city and always with a genuine smile. There was a large modern shower room as well as a small walk in wardrobe. Only thing I missed was drawers to pop book etc in by the bed. The Bristol Berlin will be our first choice of hotel for our next visit.

It is with some sadness I am writing this review. Over the past 30 years when traveling to Berlin we have stayed at the Kempinski Berlin now called the Bristol approximately 20 times or more. It was the only hotel we would consider. Upon arriving this year since the outbreak of Covid for a 18 day stay, there was no doorman to greet you so if you do not catch an available person inside you will have to carry your luggage up the steps into the lobby. We checked in and we had a Deluxe Room which is a new renovated room. The room was nice with a nice bathroom and living space but with absolutely no view with a wall in front of our window. We quickly noticed there was no phone. So no room service and no one to call in an emergency. Surely an oversight? There was also a brochure on the desk talking about a new “Green” program where your towels are changed as well as your room being cleaned and made up every 2-3 days. We went to the front desk and was told there is no phone? After some discussion, the hotel did provide us with a phone and provided clean towels and cleaned the room daily. The beautiful bar area is now permanently closed. There is no more concierge. I now understand why Kempinski has removed their name from this hotel. It is clear the new management team has chosen profit over guest accommodations and services. Only because of the exceptional location I can only give this hotel a generous 2 star review. We are now looking for new home in Berlin for our upcoming trips however will always remember the wonderful memories of the “Kempinski” Berlin. Please Bristol Hotel, no boilerplate insincere apologies needed!

Prior to our arrival, our travel plans changed, and we had to shorten our stay. The hotel staff were very helpful and adjusted that easily for us. On arrival, the desk staff were extremely helpful and knowledgeable - our first impressions were very favorable. The hotel public areas are quite beautiful, though as we were only staying one night, we didn't have time to check out the gym, pool and sauna, or the bar and restaurant. The room was large and the bed comfortable and there was a separate powder room in addition to a full bathroom with separate bath, shower and toilet. However, the amenities in the room were sadly lacking. There was an included bottle of water (much appreciated) but no coffee or tea service. There was a drawer in a cabinet that had clearly held something like snacks or coffee supplies at one time. The situation was the same the bathroom. Only shower gel and hand wash in the main bathroom, and just shower gel in the shower stall. No conditioner, no body lotion. The towels were rough and relatively small - they were more suited to a budget motel than a hotel like the Bristol. Overall we were glad to be staying only one night. It felt very much like a once-grand old hotel that has passed it's prime.

I travel a lot in my work but this was our first private trip to Berlin so we wanted to stay at a 5 star hotel on our vacation. As always, are there positive and negative things to an experience. Positive: - Very friendly and helpful staff. Excellent! - The breakfast was very good. Negative: - Room cleaning. Our room including the bathroom was poorly cleaned. - The bed was not changed during our 4 nights. - Coffee at the room was only for one person. They didn't refill the coffee every day so I had to buy my own capsules. - Poor air conditioning. The room was so warm during the nights so we ended up opening the window. - Tv. Only 4 German TV-channels. How can that be at a hotel for international guests? Where are the English speaking channels (CNN, BBC etc) for all non German speaking guests?