Westin Grand Berlin: the timeless luxury of historic properties

A long weekend is an opportunity to visit a European capital. This time it’s Berlin’s turn. Wanting a central hotel I opted for the Westin Grand Berlin. Located on Friedrichstraße it allows indeed to easily radiate in the city.

Arrival and check-in

Massive, the hotel occupies almost half a city block. It is one of those properties in Europe that have crossed the decades and generations, sometimes changing its name but continuing to occupy a quasi-statutory role in life, such as the Grande Bretagne in Athens, the Westin Palace in Madrid and many others. For the best when they have known how to be up to date, for the worst when they have made their business out of a charm that has become dusty.

No problems at check-in. The person who takes care of me has a little hesitant english but we managed to understand.each other On the other hand not chance me the hotel is full so no upgrade. Between a big public show with Obama and Angela Merkel the day before and the final of the German soccer cup the day after I had a bad time (except for the Dortmund supporters who offered beers to everyone but that’s another subject). On the other hand they did the best they could and if I keep a “superior room” it will be on the top floor, on a corner, on a half-floor that ensures a maximum of tranquility to the occupants of the two rooms that populate it. And a few square meters visibly gained compared to a normal superior.

Before going up to my room I take a look around the lobby. The building is “hollow”, the hotel being organized around a large empty central space, the balustrades of the floor corridors overlooking the lobby. Here is the plan to better understand the concept and size of the property.

It is both beautiful and impressive.

This, seen from the floors, is even more impressive.

Discovery of the “superior room

So I take the elevator and go through a long corridor to get to the stairs leading to my room. Nice to be away from the rest, not so nice to take a suitcase up.

For a standard room it is indeed large.

I really like the little “reading” area, which allows you to settle down quietly and gives the room a bit of space.

On the other hand the view is not good unless you like to look at roofs and gutters. The prospect is not exciting.

A good-sized dressing room is also located in the entrance.

The bathroom is very large compared to the bedroom and has a (large) shower, bath and separate toilet.

And the visit in video…

A room finally very pleasant but air conditioning problems. During the day it was really hot, especially because the room was directly under the roof of the hotel and I had to call 3 times before someone came to fix it even though each time I was promised an intervention within half an hour. Not convinced by the intervention done.

A solid catering offer

As for the “food and drink”, let’s start with the bar.

Inside you can see very well on this picture the bar itself and the tables scattered in the lobby that belong to it.

Outside, when the weather is fine, a very imposing and pleasant terrace.

I had an overall good experience but with a downside.

On the “inside”side at the bar during the aperitif, a very solid service, impeccably executed cocktails and a very friendly staff.

Outside, at the beginning of the lunch service, overworked waiters, an order that doesn’t arrive, then that is definitely forgotten before I miraculously find a waiter who deigns to respond to my signs…. Result: 30 minutes of waiting for a drink. The affluence does not explain everything: when one claims a certain status and that one aligns an impressive number of tables in terrace it is necessary to assume it. This was an isolated experience, but the fact that everything else went well should not make it acceptable.

The “solid” part now, starting with breakfast.

The latter is served upstairs in a very large room.

As is often the case in Germany,the offer is very, very wide: hot dishes, cold cuts, fish, fruit, eggs on request and even cheese and sparkling wine!

Undoubtedly one of the best breakfasts I’ve had this year.

I finally had dinner at the hotel. A relatively large and refined menu, impeccable service and flawless execution. This too is solid.

Swimming pool, fitness and spa: a nice DIY job

The pool, spa and fitness room are in the basement. To get there you have to take a specific elevator located at the end of a wing of the hotel which imposes to some guests a long walk through the corridors.

When you get out of the elevator, you are surprised to find yourself in a kind of cubbyhole that really contrasts with the rest of the property.

This is the spa reception. Not very engaging.

If you look a little bit you will find the fitness room. It is not very bigbut early in the morning I did not notice a huge crowd. The equipment is quite modern and it benefits from daylight.

It overlooks thehotel’s beautiful pool.

All around, tables and deckchairs allow you to lie down or to sit down. A bar even serves (among other things) beer, which is obviously very popular with the local clientele between two baths.

So much for the positive points. Let’s be honest, it’s one of the most beautiful indoor pools I have seen in a hotel. However, it is rather cold and the water would largely benefit to be a few degrees warmer and, above all, the place (even if it doesn’t show on the pictures) is starting to look a little old and worn. Nothing serious but a bit disappointing, knowing that it is not going to get better by itself. Worse, from the reception to the locker rooms, everything seems improvised and cobbled together. Not as much as at the Westin Kyoto, but it’ s in the same vein. The locker rooms for example where towels were lying around when I arrived and which are a little too small for a place where promiscuity is not necessarily appreciated:

And when it looks old, worn, and messyit looks dirty even if it isn’t. Add to that a very cold and impersonal touch in a large and echoing room… It is more of a dusty sports club experience than a 5 star spa. It’s nice but not sure if it feels really good.

Conclusion : a sure value but which can improve

In the end, the Westin Grand Berlin remains a safe bet. Its location, its standing, its statutory dimension, all contribute to make it a must-see. And yet there are still areas of progress. I will consider the negligence of the service on the terrace as an accident but if the swimming pool is superb, what surrounds it is not at the level of a 5 stars.

Ratings:

Room: good size but the view, the stairs to climb and the air conditioning problems encountered are all negative points. 8

Restaurant / bar:impeccable food and breakfast. Very good service at the bar but a bad experience on the terrace. 8

Check-in/out: Nothing to say. 10

Loyalty program application:I will not penalize the lack of an upgrade because the hotel was obviously full. The rest was perfect so 10.

Facilities: fitness room very suitable, superb pool but what there around started to make old not to say sometimes neglected. With a more ordinary pool the result could have been worse. 7

Experience for money: At 200 euros per night it was more than satisfactory but the pool experience largely spoiled my pleasure. 7

Service and attention: irreproachable except on two points which lower the note. The drink waited for more than 30 minutes on the terrace, the staff who took almost a day to come and fix the air conditioning and the SPA reception staff who were either not there or left the changing rooms in a not acceptable state of disorder. 7,5.

Hotel: Ideally located in beautiful center, superb building, well maintained, again it is penalized by the facilities of the SPA. 8

And I leave you with two photos in honor of the emblem of the city honored by the hotel: the bear.