Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Comfortable Hostels with Hotelesque Rooms
$ Circus
is a brightly colored, well-run place with 230 beds, a trendy lounge with upscale
ambience, and a bar downstairs. It has typical hostel dorms as well as some very hotel-like
private rooms; for a step up in quality, see the listing for the Circus Hotel, earlier (€19/bed
in 8- to 10-bed dorms, €23/bed in 4- to 5-bed dorms, S-€43, Sb-€53, D-€56, Db-€70, T-€75,
2-person apartment with kitchen-€85, 4-person apartment-€140, breakfast-€4-8, no curfew,
elevator, pay Internet access, free Wi-Fi, bike rental, Weinbergsweg 1A, U8: Rosenthaler
Platz, tel. 030/2000-3939,
www.circus-berlin.de
,
info@circus-berlin.de
).
$ Meininger
is a Europe-wide budget-hotel chain with several locations in Berlin. With
sleek, nicely decorated rooms, these are a great-value budget option, even for non-hostel-
ers.Theyhavethreeparticularlyappealingbranches:inPrenzlauerBerg(SchönhauserAllee
19 on Senefelderplatz), at Oranienburger Strasse 67 (next to the Aufsturz pub), and near the
Hauptbahnhof,atElla-Traebe-Strasse 9(ratesvarybyavailability,butusually€18-19/bedin
6-bed dorms, Sb-€52, Db-€70, Tb-€86; rates at Hauptbahnhof location about €5-10 more;
all locations: breakfast-€5.50, elevator, 24-hour reception, pay Internet access, free Wi-Fi in
lobby, tel. 030/666-36100,
www.meininger-hostels.de
).
Backpacker Havens
$ EastSeven Hostel
rents the best cheap beds in Prenzlauer Berg. It's sleek and modern,
with all the hostel services and more: 60 beds, inviting lounge, fully equipped guests' kit-
chen, lockers, garden, and bike rental. Children are welcome. Easygoing people of any age
are comfortable here (€18/bed in 8-bed dorms, €22/bed in 4-bed dorms with private bath-
room—or €20/bed in dorm with bathroom down the hall, S-€38, D-€52, T-€66, private
rooms have bathrooms down the hall, includes sheets, towel-€1, continental breakfast-€2,
free Internet access and Wi-Fi, laundry-€5, no curfew, 100 yards from U2: Senefelderplatz
at Schwedter Strasse 7, tel. 030/9362-2240,
www.eastseven.de
,
info@eastseven.de
)
.
$ Hotel Transit Loft,
actually a hostel, is located in a refurbished factory. Its 62 clean,
high-ceilinged, modern rooms and wide-open lobby have an industrial touch. The recep-
tion—staffedbyfriendly,hipBerliners—isopen24hours,withabarservingdrinksallnight
long (€21/bed in 4- to 6-bed dorms, Sb-€59, Db-€69, Tb-€89, includes sheets and breakfast,
elevator, cheap Internet access, free Wi-Fi, fully wheelchair-accessible, down alley facing
inner courtyard at Immanuelkirchstrasse 14A; U2/U5/U8 or S-Bahn: Alexanderplatz, then
tram #M4 to Hufelandstrasse and walk 50 yards; tel. 030/4849-3773, fax 030/4405-1074,
$ Ostel
is a fun retro-1970s-DDR apartment building that re-creates the lifestyle and in-
terior design of a country relegated to the dustbin of history. All the furniture and room dec-
orations have been meticulously collected and restored to their former socialist glory—only
the psychedelic wallpaper is a replica. Guests buy ration vouchers (€7.50/person) for break-
