It was the electric shaver and toothbrush that finally did it for me. I had left them, as you do, lying by the sink in the bathroom and came back to find them both tenderly lying on velvety cotton cloths
A small but elegant gesture from housekeeping that finally convinced me that actually, The Hotel Adlon Kempinski in Berlin is without doubt, quite possibly the finest hotel in the World.
There, I’ve said it. While other mere mortals in the hotel business feebly attempt to provide what they consider to be 5-star luxury, The Adlon Kempinski, with its enviable position right next to The Brandenburg Gate on Berlin’s famously elegant Under den Linden boulevard merely turns its imperious nose up at the lot of them and shows them all how it’s done by redefining five-star service.
It was made more famous perhaps by Michael Jackson dangling his new baby out of the window of his Presidential Suite, but that tasteless episode aside, you can mix with all manner of rich and famous simply by sipping tea in the famous lobby and watching them come and go. Spend a few minutes just sitting here and you’ll soon realise just why this is one of the most famous meeting spots in Berlin. This was once the only place to meet for the well at heel in Berlin’s decadent pre-war years. Sadly, the hotel suffered a great deal of damage during the war and today the magnificent chandelier is the only survivor of the original Adlon lobby.
Being a guest here, you feel very special. It’s by no means cheap of course, but let’s face it, if you know you’re going to be spending money, you want to at least feel that you’re getting the full value for it. From the fabulous rooms and the exceptional art deco spa to the impeccable service, everything, and I mean everything is taken care of. It’s a perfect example of what perfect hotel delivery is all about.
The night following my bathroom experience, true to form, housekeeping came back and got it all cosy for the night. Bed turned down, a delicate chocolate left on the pillow for a midnight snack, and slippers by the bed just in case I needed to walk somewhere in the middle of the night. It was the perfect end to a busy day. But there were more surprises to follow the next morning.
Breakfast at The Adlon is not an experience to take lightly. Having to make decisions about delicious food matters so early in the day can be difficult admittedly. And there are many decisions to be made. A copious buffet breakfast the likes of which you would have seldom seen before is indulgently laid out. All manner of wondrous things, some healthy, many more like guilty pleasures. My colleague happened to mention she had left her glasses up in her room and was finding it difficult to read the food labels when a waiter materialised holding a box full of glasses “We have a pair you can use madam, what strength do you need?”
Enough said.
Tell me more about the Hotel Adlon Kempinski in Berlin
£200 – £500 per night.
