In our detailed review of the Ritz-Carlton Berlin, you will experience first-class service, an outstanding lounge, and a deluxe experience with points bargains—only the check-in was unfortunately not up to Ritz standards. Read on to find out why a stay is still worthwhile and what the hotel has made up for in terms of surprises, service, and style. Be sure to check it out – especially if you want to book with points!
Review #77
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The Ritz-Carlton Berlin currently offers you the following benefits by booking with us:
- Free breakfast for two guests per room every day
- Hotel credit worth USD 100 (once per stay)
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- Early check-in and late check-out (subject to availability)
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Content
Location
The Grand Hyatt Berlin is centrally located on Potsdamer Platz in Berlin Mitte, right in the heart of the German capital. The area is bustling with tourists and vibrant with life. Many of the city’s attractions, such as the Philharmonie and the Neue Nationalgalerie, are within walking distance, and virtually all others can be easily reached by public transportation.
Getting there
If you are coming from the surrounding area, you can easily reach the hotel by car – a parking garage directly below Potsdamer Platz offers numerous parking spaces for a fee. From BER Airport, you can reach the hotel by taxi in about 35 minutes, or by S-Bahn in about 45 minutes.
Those arriving by long-distance bus can also reach the hotel stress-free: Berlin Central Bus Station (ZOB) is well connected – from there, you can reach the Ritz-Carlton Berlin by subway in about 25 minutes or by taxi in about 20 minutes, depending on traffic conditions.
How you get to the hotel
We walked to the Ritz-Carlton Berlin from our previous hotel, the Grand Hyatt Berlin, which is only a five-minute walk away.
Check-in
We had a birthday to celebrate, so Fabi had organized a few surprises in advance. Even before we arrived, we exchanged a few emails, and among other things, we received a letter listing the advantages of the lounge we had booked, which revealed that we would be checked in at the lounge—including a welcome glass of champagne.
As we arrived at the hotel, our suitcases were taken from us right outside the door and stored. We were then accompanied very friendly to the reception desk, which was just a short distance away. Once there, we thought that after a quick look at the reservation, we would surely be escorted upstairs to the lounge – but no, unfortunately that was not the case.
The colleague at the reception desk completed the entire check-in process with us. Even after we mentioned that we had booked lounge access, he did not react. Unfortunately, we were not offered a drink or anything else. What a shame – we had imagined it would be completely different. We weren’t even shown the way to the elevator. It was only after asking that we found out where to go. So, unfortunately, this check-in process went from being a very well-prepared event to a bitter disappointment for us in just a few minutes.
The Ritz-Carlton Berlin at a glance
The building that houses the Ritz-Carlton has a total of 19 floors. The lower eleven floors are occupied by the hotel itself. From the twelfth floor upwards, there are exclusive apartments, which are also managed by the Ritz-Carlton.
The hotel opened in January 2004 and underwent a €40 million renovation in 2019. The Ritz-Carlton Berlin offers a total of 303 rooms and 40 suites.
The ground floor houses the lobby, bar, and restaurant, while the floor above contains conference and event rooms of various sizes. The first basement level is home to a small wellness area. The Club Lounge is located on the 10th floor.
Suite
We booked a free night for this stay using points and also used a Suite Night Upgrade Certificate. This got us a Deluxe Junior Suite.
So Suite No. 1049 is our home for the night.
Welcome
When we arrived in our room, we were looking forward to a special birthday gift that we had pre-ordered – but unfortunately, it wasn’t there either! What a shame. In fact, a completely normal welcome gift in the form of three sweet surprises and a personally written welcome note from the Club Lounge was waiting for us. In addition, there was the usual small standard gift of two small chocolates on the desk. The champagne in the photo was added later, after we had already asked where the birthday goodie was.
Birthday
On the actual birthday, a wonderful surprise was prepared in our room during breakfast! It was truly delightful!
Entrance
Behind the bedroom door is a very short, small hallway, with the walk-in wardrobe on the right-hand side. Here you will find bathrobes, slippers, an iron and ironing board, as well as everything you need to send clothes to the hotel for cleaning.
Living room
A few steps further on, you find yourself in the spacious living room, which is open to the bedroom around the left-hand corner at the back. Here you will find a sofa with a low table and armchair, as well as a fully equipped desk with a telephone and charging and LAN connection options in the back corner.
Almost all windows can be tilted, and all curtains can be closed at the touch of a button, as if by magic—which I always find very cool! The air conditioning runs relatively quietly, but switches off from time to time. Unfortunately, this meant that we were both very hot at night.
The minibar is located in a highboard in the back corner. The upper section contains the coffee machine with capsules, water, red wines, and tableware. The drawer below holds snacks, and the refrigerator contains a few chilled drinks and spirits.
Bedroom
The open bedroom is located at the rear of the suite and, in addition to the bed, also features a beautifully built-in dressing table in front of the window with a view.
The extra-long king-size bed is super comfy, and the light and cozy comforter makes you want to stay in bed forever. The two relatively large pillows per sleeper are of slightly different quality but the same size. On the left-hand bedside table, you will find a radio alarm clock, and on the right, the telephone with writing utensils. In the drawers below, you will find the pillow menu and a universal adapter, among other things. Unfortunately, the latter had ended up back in the drawer covered in a thick brown stain.
Bathroom
In the adjoining bathroom, the washbasin with two sinks is built in on the left. The hair dryer is stored in the drawer, and the amenities are stored in the niches to the right and left of it. Opposite is the bathtub, which also offers a range of toiletries, such as soap, a loofah sponge, and bath salts. Funnily enough, there was a shower head here that could be connected if needed, so you could also shower in the bathtub. Funny!
At the head end, the walk-in rain shower and toilet were installed in a small separate room.
Incidentally, all toiletries are from one of our favorite brands—Diptyque—and are of excellent quality!
Fun fact: When we returned to our suite from the lounge in the late afternoon, there were suddenly fresh flowers in the bathroom! How wonderful. I’ve never experienced anything like it!
View
From the windows of our suite, we could see the Sony Center and Potsdamer Platz across the street. I thought that was pretty cool because there was always so much to see here!
Turndown
In the evening, the suite is naturally prepared for the night at the Ritz-Carlton Berlin, with slippers placed in front of the bed, water bottles and glasses set out on the bedside tables, and small chocolates added.
Lounge
The Club Lounge at the Ritz-Carlton Berlin is truly in a league of its own. Access is only included for guests staying in Club Rooms and Suites – everyone else has to pay extra. At €100 per person per night, it’s quite pricey. Free access for status members is never included at the Ritz-Carlton, but Platinum status members receive a discount of €80 per person per night.
We had booked access in advance and were really looking forward to it. And to cut to the chase – our expectations were actually exceeded – by far!
As mentioned above, we were supposed to check in at the Club Lounge, but unfortunately that didn’t happen. After standing in our room feeling quite disappointed and a little angry about not receiving a birthday surprise, we headed straight for the lounge. We were greeted very warmly there, and the lounge agent looked visibly surprised when we asked why we hadn’t been checked in there—he simply didn’t have an answer.
So we were first appeased with champagne and were able to help ourselves to the buffet. The very nice employee gave us some information about the lounge and the activities available and then arranged a meeting with the guest relations manager for us. After a long wait, she joined us and listened to our concerns. She was also visibly surprised and eager to make up for our poor check-in experience and find out how it could have happened.
So we went back to our suite and shortly afterwards she stood with a colleague in front of our room door and both apologized again profusely. Basically, that made up for a lot for us and, as I said, the ladies and gentlemen in the lounge really did a fantastic job and took care of us in every possible way.
In addition to breakfast, there is also lunch and dinner in the lounge during aperitif hour—all in buffet form. However, we were even able to choose and order from the in-room dining menu for dinner. The explanation was that there are only two hot dishes, and if guests don’t like either of them, the hotel wants to offer an alternative – I can only say that the asparagus I chose was fantastic and Fabi really enjoyed his schnitzel!
In addition to this wide range of offerings, guests can also enjoy complimentary afternoon tea in the Lobby Bar, where a champagne ritual takes place at 6 p.m., reviving the spirit of the 1920s. For lounge guests, there is even a secret menu available in the Curtains Bar between 6 and 8 p.m. Simply ask for it and order whatever and however much you like. This offer is primarily intended for guests who are staying a few days longer and can thus enjoy an alternative to the lounge.
You can read about all the club benefits in the document below. Of course, we have also tested some of them for you!
Activities
Pool
The rather small pool on the first basement level is quite nice and very well maintained, but with only four sun loungers, it is not really sufficient for the size of the hotel. We would definitely have preferred a larger pool and, above all, a location not in the basement but ideally on the roof—as is the case at the neighboring Grand Hyatt Berlin, for example.
Gym
Adjacent to the pool in the basement, the in-house gym offers a decent range of cardio equipment, as well as a free weights area. Towels, water, and fruit are provided. However, the room is quite small and rather cramped.
If the in-house gym is not enough for you, you can also use the nearby Holmes Place Fitness Studio.
Spa
The Ritz-Carlton Berlin actually only offers a single treatment room, which is attached to the wellness area in the basement. In addition, you can also relax here in a small, very hot sauna and a very small steam bath, which unfortunately does not function very well. Incidentally, I would be reluctant to sit in the latter with a second person I don’t know. It’s really very cramped in there! There is also a small relaxation room available – the whole area is somehow very confusing and winding. The doors are all taped up, and we found ourselves constantly peeking cautiously behind one of the doors so as not to burst into a room we didn’t actually want to enter.
Specials
The Ritz-Carlton Berlin also offers bicycles for hire for tours around the city.
In addition, a hotel as large as the Ritz-Carlton Berlin naturally also offers meeting and event rooms in all conceivable sizes.
Restaurants
Pots
The hotel’s all-day dining restaurant serves breakfast as well as lunch and dinner from Monday to Saturday, offering a sophisticated German-French menu.
The Curtain Club
This is the stylish heart of the hotel’s gastronomy. In the spirit of the 1920s, you can enjoy snacks from the restaurant, but above all the best cocktails or champagne accompanied by live music in the evening.
Secret Champagne Garden
True to Grace Jones’ motto, “Use your faults as your effects,” the Ritz-Carlton Berlin has come up with a clever trick in the form of the Secret Champagne Garden. The otherwise unusable roof space on the third floor of the building has been transformed into a small, exclusive roof garden that you can only find if you know you’re looking for it or are brought there. It gets quite hot here in summer, but in return you have the opportunity to enjoy a drink in peace in a beautiful, intimate atmosphere, surrounded by greenery and fresh air.
The Lounge
Located behind the grand staircase in the lobby, it hosts the famous afternoon tea.
In addition, the champagne ceremony takes place here every day at 6 p.m., to which all guests of the hotel are cordially invited. A bottle of champagne is sabered and artfully caught with a bowler hat at the other end of the bar! Very impressive.
A real highlight at the Ritz-Carlton Berlin is the Cigar Club. Between 2 p.m. and midnight, cigar lovers can indulge their passion for smoking and enjoy the finest whiskey to their heart’s content in a dedicated smoking lounge. The hotel also offers an extremely extensive selection of cigars in its own humidor.
Breakfast
We could choose whether we wanted to have breakfast in the lounge or in the Vox breakfast restaurant, and we decided on the lounge for now. As always, we were greeted very warmly and asked what we wanted to drink on the way to our table. Once seated, we were given the small menu that complements the small but excellent buffet. The service was absolutely fantastic, and there were only two other tables occupied at most. Of course, we had Eggs Benedict in two different variations and, to our surprise, a mini birthday cake!
However, since we had already taken a brief look at the breakfast restaurant the night before, we definitely wanted to try breakfast there as well.
Here, too, we were greeted very warmly, and it was absolutely no problem that we had already eaten upstairs. On the way to our table, the entire food and beverage selection was explained and shown to us. Beverages and orders from the menu are taken and served at the table. The menu is the same as in the lounge, except for a few Asian dishes. The rest is available at the really nice buffet, and I was even able to order French toast, which isn’t on the menu. That’s real service!
Check-out
As guests with lounge access, we were also able to check out there. Everything was prepared and we just had to use our credit card again to release the deposit. Of course, we were asked again how we enjoyed our stay and even the guest relations manager came by to say goodbye. We declined the offer of help with our luggage and headed down to the elevator.
Costs
This one night in the Deluxe Junior Suite at the Ritz-Carlton Berlin cost us only 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points and a Nightly Upgrade Award certificate – the Club Lounge at the Ritz-Carlton in Berlin costed an extra €80 per person per night.
Onward journey
As with our arrival, we continued on foot to the next hotel. We tested The Mandala, which is practically across the street, for you for one night.et.
Conclusion
The Ritz-Carlton Berlin is truly superb. The service is of the highest standard and the hotel definitely deserves the highest rating! The lounge is exceptionally good in terms of what it offers, and the service here is also fantastic. The minor mistakes at check-in and the obvious miscommunication regarding the surprise we had ordered cast the whole visit in a somewhat negative light, but overall we felt very comfortable here. Only the spa area with the pool in the basement is not really worthy of such a hotel. Something urgently needs to be done about that.
Recommendation
The Ritz-Carlton Berlin is really more of a hotel for couples or business travelers. Families, especially those with small children, are less well catered for here. Of course, it’s possible, but there isn’t really anything for kids to do here, and the atmosphere throughout the hotel is very dignified. Rowdy children would certainly be unwelcome here.
Rating
We definitely rate the Ritz-Carlton Berlin in the luxury category. It would have been top-notch without the incident at check-in. The potential is definitely there, and the lounge in particular, with its extensive offerings and fantastic staff, is absolutely first-class.
We give the Ritz-Carlton Berlin a well-deserved 9 out of 10 points.
Sure, the mistake at check-in and the botched birthday surprise really brought down the average, but the lounge staff more than made up for these minus points! That’s quite an achievement – our expectations were exceeded by far. However, we do have to deduct one point for the uninviting wellness and pool area.
Go there?
Definitely! We will be back soon. The Ritz-Carlton Berlin offers really great value when redeeming points and is unbeatable in terms of service compared to other Berlin hotels.
Booking with EVRYWHRE
Want to book the Ritz-Carlton Berlin? Then book through our Preferred Partner Rate! It won’t cost you any more, but it will bring you real benefits:
âś” Free breakfast
âś” Upgrade subject to availability
âś” 100 USD credit
âś” Early Check-in & Late Check-out
âś” Earn points – as usual!
You can find further details on our Booking Hub.
YouTube Review
If, after reading this detailed article, you would like to learn more about the Ritz-Carlton Berlin, please take a look at our YouTube review. It is definitely worth your time!
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