‘Comfortable, minimalist and elegant,’ say its fans. This hotel was built by the Austrian architect Johanne Nalbach in the lively Berlin-Mitte area. It is filled with original pictures by Georg Baselitz. ‘We are still enamoured,’ writes a regular reader. ‘We go for the top-floor back rooms where large windows look silently to sky and much of Berlin.’ Some find the designer style hard to take: ‘Tiny, uncomfortable armchairs, sinks with hard-to-use taps and no plug; little space around the bed.’ ‘No luggage carriers: trolley by door.’ ‘The air conditioning was so noisy we could not sleep; service was poor.’ But those in favour feel that ‘the most important things’ are right. ‘Great beds, soft towels, lots of hot water, friendly staff.’ ‘Excellent breakfast: copious fruit salad, 12 types of tea.’ The bar/restaurant, The Factory, serves ‘innovative dishes’; the short room-service menu ‘is great’. Nearby is an arm of the Spree, where the hotel has a boat with a summer restaurant. The sister hotel, art’otel city centre west, is filled with works by Andy Warhol.