Hotel Savoy Berlin

The Scene

Known as the “Golden West”, Hotel Savoy Berlin’s location puts you within reach of Berlin’s dazzling Charlottenburg area. At times the area feels a bit like the roaring 20’s---the historic Delphi Theater is right across the street from the hotel---if not in style then in its constant hum of activity. Some of Berlin’s top shopping is around the corner on Kufürstendamm and Kantstraße where you can also find plenty of restaurants and cafes to fuel your journeys around town. The iconic Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church is a 5 minute walk from the Savoy and the scenic zoo is about the same. What we recommend though is after you hit the main sights and landmarks, explore the offbeat museums and shops in the area (the “museum” at the corner of Kantstraße and Joachimstraler Straße is one such example).

The Concept

From tip to toe, Hotel Savoy Berlin gives you an awful lot of hotel for a very reasonable price. While it doesn’t offer the things that other upscale hotels use to compensate for a lack of experience, it offers an encompassing vintage atmosphere reminiscent of the golden age of cinema---incidentally where many movie stars of yesteryear loved to come get away from it all. The popular Times Bar frankly makes us wistful for the “good old days” as we puff slowly on a cigar from the exclusive La Casa del Habano shop inside the hotel. The in-house (yet independent) restaurant Weinrot plays against the bar’s woody-heavy look with stylish, simple, and bright décor where Chef de Cuisine Stefan Förster has been creating modern German cuisine for well over a decade. For an extra-special experience, dine outside on the terrace (if possible) or in the adjoining and gilded Salon Belvedere. As an added bonus, the staff are worthy of every single (numerous) compliment they receive and will make your stay extra pleasant.

The Look

Hotel Savoy Berlin has very willingly made the decision to keep the décor in line with the elegant atmosphere of its historic heyday; the result is in fact quite refreshing for the traveler weary of the contemporary overload that characterizes Berlin’s hotel scene especially. Where the downstairs impresses with its opulent, deep reds, glittering gold, and dark woods set off by a gleaming white floor, the rooms tap into yesteryear for their color schemes. You’ll often find calming rose, soft emerald greens, and neutrals, but some room types like the Comfort Double use darker and bolder colors. Even in single rooms (where you have the charming option to completely close yourself off from the room via curtains surrounding the bed), rooms are spacious and offer plenty of storage. Some suites pay homage to artists and celebrities who once frequented the hotel and play with the space in a very different way. The Greta Garbo Suite, for example, elevated the master bedroom, enclosing it with a heavy curtain and framing the whirlpool tub with sturdy columns.

In Short

In a market crowded by hypermodern hotels, Hotel Savoy Berlin stands a world apart as a bastion of the way things used to be. Its phenomenal bar, restaurant, and service combine to create a welcome haven of the past in forward-facing Charlottenburg.