In short… A ridiculously cool boutique hotel in Berlin’s Mitte district, with a strong focus on art, comfortable rooms, and a great F&B program—perfect for a city break, or even for a week in the city
The surroundings… Chateau Royal is incredibly well situated in Mitte—roughly the equivalent of New York’s West Village, Soho, and the Lower East Side blended together. At the heart of the neighborhood, you’ll find a great cross-section of cool coffee shops and wine bars alongside more well-known historical attractions like Brandenburg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie.
The vibe… When you walk into Chateau Royal, in a historical building renovated by architect David Chipperfield, it feels understated and intimate, with a small check-in desk just below the main staircase. More than 100 artworks, including paintings, sculpture, and installations, are displayed around the hotel—the founders started out in the framing business and wanted to honor Berlin’s reputation as a home to emerging artists—and you feel as if you’re visiting the very tastefully designed home of a stylish friend. Touches of velvet and vintage lighting are not overdone, and feel in line with the city’s cool vibe. The guests – mainly European – are uniformly stylish, and during your stay, hanging out in the common spaces and the bar area, you may find yourself gradually beginning to feel like a Berlin local.
The rooms… The rooms are comfortable, with colorful tiled bathrooms and Viennese bath and body products. The rooms show some design restraint as a backdrop to the art on the walls. Vintage coffee table books are stacked on bedside tables, and thoughtful tea and coffee selections replace an espresso machine.
The wellness… While there’s no gym or wellness program within the hotel itself, it has a partnership with nearby Holmes Place gym, a 10-minute walk away. The gym is huge, with tons of specialized machines, a pool and a full steam and sauna. Walking to the gym and working out alongside the locals means you really begin to get a feel for the neighborhood.
The food & drink… The hotel restaurant—just off the lobby bar, so a great option if you arrive late—was excellent, as the team behind the hotel also owns Grill Royal, one of Berlin’s iconic restaurants. We had some Italian-inspired starters and a delicious steak, kind of all you need. The bar program here is also really strong and inventive—a family favorite was the Naked and Famous (featuring chartreuse, mezcal and aperol) and the Gin Basil Smash (invented in Hamburg, with gin and basil). Chateau Royal’s breakfast buffet was one of the best I’ve had—they make an effort to be seasonal and local, so you will most likely not see an avocado here at breakfast. The muesli selection is delicious, and their freshly baked bread makes you want to get up early to catch it while it’s warm.
Be sure to… Have a drink at the hotel bar. Château Royal’s bar team includes several Italian bartenders who really know what they’re doing. A combination of un-fussy mixology and great classics, their cocktail menu is inspiring, fun, and delicious, and they also have incredible bar snacks.Sit there for hours, or opt for a quick drink before heading off to dinner.
Date of stay… April 14-20th, 2025.
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