Who's Going
Katarina Witt, Helmut Lang, Matt Damon
Reason to Stay
Historic Location, Design Chain, Health Spa
Hotel Type
Luxury Boutique Hotel
Located within the old "Ministerium" district opposite Humboldt University on Bebelplatz, the stately Hotel de Rome is housed in the former East Berlin Central Bank and pre-1945 headquarters of Dresdner Bank. Built and operated by the posh-Italian Rocco Forte Hotels, the hotel's stone facade dates back to 1889 and is one of the only true "historic hotels" in Berlin. Designed by the same interior architect as the flagship Hotel de Russie in Rome, the chain is known for mixing antique pieces with decidedly modern furnishings to give their hotels a dignified yet stylish twist.
Guests are welcomed by a youthful doorman in top-hat opening a set of black lacquered doors leading to a marble-strewn foyer lined with Mao-red earns. Check-in is processed by a Swiss-trained staff arranged along a long sewn-leather counter surrounded by black-painted walls with striped-black marble. An adjacent lobby lounge features four U-shaped deco loungers arranged at the room's four corners and topped-off with a glass-encrusted ceiling.
With local restaurants and cafes being a good jaunt away, in-house Parioli Restaurant offers an upscale Italian eatery with two separate dining areas decorated in plush metallic fabrics and dark woods- yet with a less ambitious design than the rest of the lobby area. Around the corner is the more-hip Bebel lobby bar with its bright-white walls, stainless-steel counter and distressed wood floors that add a good dose of cool to the conservative hotel. The basement health club and Dynasty-style pool with its 18k-gold mosaic tiling are two strong components of the in-house spa offering European-style facials and even better massages.
The Room
The Berlin Wall may have fallen in 1989, but the style barrier in local Berlin hospitality is only now beginning to recede. Local luxury palaces like the Adlon Hotel, Regent and Ritz Carlton seem stuck in the '80s with oppressive decor and Greek-meets-Vegas architecture of columns and fountains. With the exception of a few well-situated design hotels (Lux 11, Schlosshotel), Hotel de Rome is hottest hotel in Berlin. From the exterior the building looks like an sprawling annex of neighboring Humboldt University, but in actuality the structure has just 146 rooms each amply portioned with high-ceilings and generous living areas. Glass bridges illuminated by natural light and abstract artwork connect many of the guest accommodations, as well as an elaborate marble staircase intersecting the spine of the hotel. Room categories vary greatly with the standard rooms offering a more compact space with dramatic oversize headboards, small writing tables and compact marble bathrooms. More spacious accommodations are found in the Deluxe and Junior Suite range with separate living areas offering elaborately upholstered couches, abstract artwork and spa-style bathrooms with soaking tub. One of the few design chains to master interior spaces, stylish travelers are comforted by modern design elements like rounded bolsters, hip settees and luxury linens that are also appealing to the eye. Although we would prefer a more friendly location, Hotel de Rome does master the ultimate hip luxury hotel to the German capital.
Preferred Room
Junior Suite
Special Features
Spa, Butler Service, Private Car
Amenities
Pool, Spa, Health Center, Restaurant, Lounge, Bar, Conference Room, City Central
