Melia Berlin Hotel, Berlin

We were delighted with our stay at the Melia and with the fantastic rate we found on agoda. I shared a room with an 18-year-old who received the trip as a graduation gift from her uncle, who stayed in a second room. For 2 adults the room was adequately sized, not overly generous but just fine. Our stay was quiet, we never heard a sound from the elevator right across the hall (which worried me at first), and cleanliness was impeccable. The standard room is not sized to spend a lot of time in, but in Berlin that's unlikely anyway. Staff members were all courteous and helpful. We never tried the hotel breakfast, which seemed inordinately priced, but found a great breakfast spot just around the corner on the river, Guten Morgen Franz. And one of the best coffeehouses in Berlin is a 10-minute walk away and serves fine breakfasts: Kaffee Einstein on Unter den Linden. The Melia also has a number of good choices for nice restaurants or quick eats, all within a 5-10 minute walk. In short, being so close to a major transit hub (Friedrichstrasse Station), it was almost hard to believe the Melia was such an oasis of comfort and understated style. One note: Don't count on being able to check in before the official 3 p.m.

When searching for a hotel in the center of Berlin, the Melia is very highly recommended. The front desk staff was very courteous, friendly, multi-lingual, and able to answer myriad questions. The room was quite comfortable with soundproofed walls. The bathroom was very fine. The only word of caution is that a person must insert the room key in the switch next to the door to get the lights to work. I have stayed in another hotel where that feature was present, but my traveling companions were baffled by the lack of lights. I recommend Melia Berlin very highly.