A few weeks ago, I had the chance to visit Berlin for ITB Berlin, a major travel industry trade show. The main reason for my trip was to check out Qatar Airways’s new Qsuite Business Class product. As you can imagine, with such a big event in town, most hotels were fully booked or charging sky-high prices. Being on a tight budget, I decided to use my points to book a room.
After a quick search, I found a room at the Waldorf Astoria in Berlin, available at the standard rate of 70,000 Hilton HHonors points per night. This was actually cheaper than the Hilton Berlin, which was charging a premium rate of around 123,000 points per night. So, I quickly booked my room and headed to Berlin.
Waldorf Astoria hotels are known for their luxury, comparable to Park/Grand Hyatt, JW Marriott, and St. Regis hotels. So, I had high expectations for my stay. And since I was paying for this stay with my points, I was ready to give an honest review of my experience.
Upon arrival, I tried to check in using the Hilton app, but it wouldn’t let me select a room. When I mentioned this at the check-in desk, the staff was very apologetic and explained that I had been upgraded to a Junior Suite at no extra charge. I was more than happy to check in at the desk for such a pleasant surprise!
The room was a Junior Suite at a Waldorf Astoria, so it was as luxurious and modern as you’d expect. However, it was a bit narrow and long for my liking. The bed was large but a bit too firm and not as comfortable as I would have liked. The bathroom was beautifully finished with marble and had a nice tub with an enclosed shower and toilet.
The next morning, I had to skip the gym due to a late night and headed straight to the restaurant for breakfast. The hotel itself was spacious, modern, and luxurious. The lobby was well lit with a tall ceiling, and the atrium had large windows that let in lots of natural light.
For breakfast, I was offered the buffet at a reduced rate of 25EUR due to my Gold status with Hilton. The buffet wasn’t overly large, but it seemed like they focused on quality over quantity. Being in Germany, they naturally had pretzels and a strudel bar.
Overall, the Waldorf Astoria Berlin is a top-notch hotel in an otherwise industrial-feeling city. The German touches like the strudel welcome amenity and the breakfast buffet made it feel like I was in Germany. Otherwise, it felt like this Waldorf Astoria could fit into any big city in the world. Some might see this as a negative, but I think it’s a positive. The Waldorf Astoria brand represents a standard in luxury, and this hotel definitely lives up to it. I needed a good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast before a busy day at ITB Berlin, and the Waldorf Astoria Berlin delivered. It was a great use of 70,000 points.
So, have you ever stayed at the Waldorf Astoria Berlin? What was your experience like? Which of these pictures is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below!
