The staff of the hotel are extremely friendly.

So I was naturally excited last winter when I got an opportunity to stay in a hotel in the heart of the city as I landed in Berlin to cover the city's famous Christmas markets.

So here I was staying in the cozy, contemporary room of the NH Collection Berlin Mitte am Checkpoint Charlie, formerly known as NH Berlin Mitte Leipziger Strasse.

The vantage location in the commercial and cultural hub of Berlin is a big draw. Photo courtesy: NH Collection

Steps away from the Friedrichstrasse shopping street, attractions like Checkpoint Charlie and the Potsdamer Platz square are 10 minutes walking distance from this property.

Walk further and you will be at the historic Gendarmenmarkt Square, known for its Christmas market that attracts around 800,000 visitors.

This NH Collection hotel is spartan from the outside and can also be called minimalistic, but the muted comfort of the rooms and the vantage location makes it my preferred choice in Berlin. 

Rooms:

NH Collection Berlin Mitte am Checkpoint Charlie boasts of some 392 rooms for all kinds of travellers with different budgets. The décor is contemporary with a neutral palette highlighted by bright pops of colour- from bright red to green to violet. I loved the use of these colours as sofas or armchairs in the otherwise calming shades of white.

The rooms in muted palette are large and comfortable.

According to the hotel, for those who have trouble sleeping, there are ultra-quiet rooms.

The Junior Suites have sitting areas with sofas and armchairs to spread out in, and you can enjoy a separate sitting room and dining area when you reserve a Suite. There are honeymoon suits and Mood Rooms with the option to change the room's ambience, aligning it with one's state of mind.

Slip on a complimentary bathrobe after a rain-effect shower and relax in the nice, feel-good rooms. I loved the comfortable mattresses. Oh yes, the rooms are quite large.

Food

The buffet breakfast is delicious at the hotel with a lot of dishes to choose from.

The buffet breakfast is delicious, while if you opt for lunch or dinner, the hotel restaurant offers a selection of international dishes. You can also chill with a drink at Grissini Bar, which is a lounge bar that features a Spanish Jamonería and an extensive wine list, all of which can be enjoyed on a terrace too during the warm days. Dark woods and red tones create a warm, relaxed atmosphere at the hotel’s restaurant, where you can enjoy tempting local dishes as well as international favorites. Vegetarian and children’s options are also on the menu.

Wellness

The hotel's modern gym will attract the fitness freak in some.

The wellness centre has a gym and relaxation room. The gym is quite modern and well-equipped for any fitness freak. Massages and beauty treatments are also available.

Business meetings

For business travellers, the hotel has 15 meeting rooms, with space for up to 240. Each room has Wi-Fi, and the hotel can arrange things like transport, as well as equipment like screens and flipcharts. Smart Room Systems for video conferencing is available. The meeting rooms are named after world leaders ranging from John F Kennedy to our prime minister Indira Gandhi.

The hotel has 15 meeting rooms, with space for up to 240. Some of them are named after world leaders like JF Kennedy or Indira Gandhi

This hotel is a four-star property in the heart of Berlin that is suited for both your business trip as well as vacation if you want to stay in the city's hub of commerce and culture for a price that is what I call "affordable luxury".

If you are staying here during this time of the year, the aroma of festive food and drink from a Christmas market is not far. The spirit of Yuletide is in the air in these markets as chestnuts roast by the open fire, and people hold mulled grape juice (read Gluhwein) glasses to cheer. You can walk back from one of the most happening Christmas markets of Berlin to the cozy comfort of an NH Collection room. 

Walk to one of the famous Christmas markets of Berlin from the hotel.