The revamped art nouveau Berlin bolt hole loved by Brigitte Bardot

Times

2 days ago

Overlooking the small but pretty Steinplatz, close to west Berlin's Zoologischer Garten, this upscale but intimate five-star stands out from its residential neighbours with a striking art nouveau façade that dates back to the early 20th century. Taken over by the German Roomers brand in 2025, the interior's historic curves and arches are still embellished with modern Jugendstil designs that favour natural motifs, and the small lobby welcomes guests with plush armchairs and granite-and-marble floors. Rooms remain sumptuous with additional contemporary touches and facilities are top-notch throughout, ranging from an overhauled restaurant, bar and atrium lounge, and a top-floor spa area offering massages, treatments and nifty city vistas. Service is friendly and professional.
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Score 8/10Designed by German art nouveau legend August Endell, Hotel am Steinplatz originally opened in 1913 and quickly became a meeting point popular with celebrities such as Alain Delon, Brigitte Bardot, Romy Schneider and Vladimir Nabokov. Dormant for a while during the Cold War years, it was reopened exactly a century later, in 2013. The rooms, kitted out by Berlin designer Tassilo Bost, are all a little different in terms of layout and have restrained colour schemes (browns, beiges, blacks) and, more often than not, high ceilings and curving walls and windows, soft-leather furnishings and art deco lamps and mirrors.
The dapper black-and-white marble bathrooms have heated floors and glamorous images printed on glass walls, and new Roomer touches include Marshall Bluetooth speakers, Lavazza coffee machines and 19-69 Kasbah toiletries. The smallest rooms (Deluxe) are still a good size and have views onto the quiet central atrium. The suites facing the leafy Steinplatz square get more light, as well as more space — some have separate living areas — and bathtubs. Your splurge option is the Sauna Suite, with its own private sauna; the Balcony Suite, where actress Romy Schneider was once a regular, has a spacious private balcony.Score 9/10 The ground-floor restaurant is the dapper French-themed Manon Brasserie Nouvelle. It's a small but smartly designed space with stylish seating in reds and oranges, and offers a Francophile menu that spans baked camembert, salmon with potato pancakes, and steak frites; the wines are excellent.
Next to the restaurant is the bar, a plush and welcoming space, complete with a killer cocktail menu and regular DJs. Breakfast, served in Manon, is a buffet spread of cold cuts and croissants, warm dishes (sausages, scrambled egg, bacon), plus an à la carte menu of egg and pancake dishes — and, if you're in the mood, a glass of sparkling wine or a morning shot of Belvedere vodka.
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Score 8/10The primary public space here is a small art deco lobby near reception consisting of a couple of leather chairs, a double-sided fireplace and a library of art and design tomes; make sure to peek at the adjacent glass-encased guestbook from the 1920s. The light-filled top-floor spa and fitness area, on the other hand, provides treatment rooms, saunas and a range of high-tech cardio machines and free weights. The courtyard has a retractable roof and Riviera-style furnishings that make it perfect for lounging; in summer, you can also take advantage of the bar's small but pretty outdoor terrace.
Score 9/10The hotel is set on a quiet side street just off a busy one (Hardenbergstrasse) along which you can reach Zoologischer Garten in around ten minutes on foot. This is one of the main transport hubs for west Berlin and is surrounded by high-end shops and galleries. Plenty of cultural sights and great gastronomic options are also walkable in 20 minutes or less, including the C/O Berlin photo gallery, the Deutsche Oper, and the Helmut Newton museum, as well as the endless boutiques of Ku'damm and an array of great restaurants on Kantstrasse.
Price room-only doubles from £180 Restaurant mains from £22 Family-friendly YAccessible Y
Paul Sullivan was a guest of Roomers Berlin (roomers-hotels.com)
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