East Side Hotel

Occupying a yellow building across the street from a stretch of the Berlin Wall, Friedrichshain’s East Side Hotel serves up Cold War nostalgia with a side of rock ‘n’ roll. Guests will appreciate the 36 clean and straightforward three-star rooms and easy access to the Ostbahnhof train station, as well as the U-bahn, S-bahn and tram. Not everyone, however, will like the slightly gritty, graffitied surroundings.

Quick read

Pros: Cool, unique vibe. Easy transportation access. Great views.

Cons: Area can feel gritty. Noisy.

Rooms

East Germany-themed posters and photographs are the main source of color in the East Side Hotel’s compact hallways and plain rooms. (Most pictures depict the rinky-dink East German car, the Trabant.) With gray carpeting and gray-toned, built-in wooden furnishings, the rooms are somewhat drab but clean and well maintained.

All rooms are equipped with a TV and phone, and some are enlivened by unexpected details, such as porthole-shaped windows and views of the Spree River and the Berlin Wall. Note that front rooms will pick up noise (back rooms are much quieter).

Bathrooms

All rooms at the East Side Hotel have private bathrooms, which are simple, clean and tiled. Some deluxe bathrooms boast huge tubs.

Hotel

Service at the East Side Hotel is laid-back, but very thoughtful. Late sleepers are especially well treated, as room service is delivered 24 hours a day, and the included breakfast is served into the afternoon in a funky, American-style diner off the lobby.

With close proximity to clubs, bars and music venues, as well as occasional in-house parties, the hotel is a great base for nightlifers. History junkies will love the its location near the East Side Gallery, and that the building is a 19th-century tenement that survived the World War II bombings.