The Mandala Berlin, a Member of Design Hotels

We recommend The Mandala Berlin to business travellers chaining multiple nights who want to cook every other evening, as well as to couples who prefer a suite's space to a standard room's confinement. The address suits families too (connecting rooms, kitchens for warming bottles), but the clientele remains mostly adult, between 35 and 55. It's a hotel for those who know Berlin and seek discreet comfort, not the iconic.

The building dates from the 1990s, the post-reunification reconstruction era of Potsdamer Platz. Contemporary glass-and-concrete architecture, no historical frills. Minimalist design interiors: blond parquet, white walls, Vitra and B&B Italia furniture, indirect lighting. Suites feature an open plan with American kitchen, separate lounge, bedrooms isolated by sliding doors. Standard ceiling height (2.60 m), but generous volumes thanks to the floor areas.

Qiu restaurant offers an Asian-Mediterranean fusion menu, open lunch and dinner, with seasonal terrace. The adjoining bar serves cocktails and light bites until midnight. Continental buffet breakfast served until 11h weekdays, noon weekends. Room service available 24/7, reduced menu after 22h. No signature chef or star, but honest fare to tide you over without venturing out.

The Mandala stands at the corner of Potsdamer Strasse, on the immediate edge of Potsdamer Platz, the quarter rebuilt in the 1990s over the former no man's land of the Wall. Berlin Philharmonie 5 minutes on foot, Gemäldegalerie 7, Brandenburg Gate 15. Potsdamer Platz metro station (U2, S-Bahn) 200 metres away, Brandenburg airport 35 minutes by taxi. The area buzzes by day (offices, Sony Center, cinemas), calmer evenings, very residential towards Tiergarten.