photograph courtesy of mitue

This month’s Travel and Leisure has a perfectly serviceable (har) round-up of Berlin, with one hotel recommendation stand-out in particular. The Hotel Riehmers Hofgarten takes up space in an unassuming 19th century building in a leafy part of Kreuzberg. Rooms are airy, with big windows overlooking the street, and there’s even a (very tiny) parking garage for guests. It’s a little business-like—and, frankly, beyond the Cheapo budget—but worth keeping in mind as a splurge.

Kreuzberg is positioning itself as a nice alternative to Mitte—itself closing in on “over” status thanks to the recent purchase of a flat there by none other than Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Stick with Kreuzberg and places like the Riehmers Hofgarten, which stakes out some comfortable middle ground between Cheapo and luxe.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Some pieces that sparked our interest in Sunday’s New York Times travel section:

Practical Traveler: Whether to Ask the Hotel or Hit the Web
Big online agencies such as Travelocity, Expedia and Orbitz used to be able to offer the lowest price. There are new benefits, however, in booking directly with the hotel.

Vatican Takes Steps to Control Overcrowding
The Vatican museum is shortening its hours, raising its prices, and trying to deal with larger crowds. How badly do you want to see that ceiling?

A Lisbon Suburb Turns up the Chic
Cascais, the luxurious Lisbon suburb once exclusively populated by high-rollers and heads of state, opens up to travelers of all budgets.

Check In/Check Out: Berlin - Hotel de Rome
A bit of stately swank, in the middle of Mitte.

And also of note:

Q&A: Airline Baggage - by the piece or by the pound?

Foraging: Geneva - Collection Privee

Popularity: 9% [?]