Hotel de Rome, Berlin

Our humble abode during our recent bmi press trip was the rather lavishly opulent Rocco Forte property, the Hotel de Rome. Which, having featured so much of the famously young, vibrant and achingly hip side of Berlin – take our review of The Michelberger Hotel for example – was a welcome surprise, after all, so much is written about the vivacious rebelliousness of modern East Berlin it’s easy to forget that the city has so much more to offer. Located on Bebelplatz, off Unter den Linden, and having housed the head office of Dresdner Bank until 1945, the elegant property – which dates back to 1889 – is one of the city’s only ‘original’ buildings to be home to a luxury hotel, and that traditional splendour is there to be seen throughout – as classical features are so gracefully fused with an opulent contemporary twist, courtesy of designer Tommaso Ziffer.

With the historic surrounding of Bebelplatz, this is the site of the Nazi book burnings, the nearby Museum Island and the elegant former bank itself – all marble columns and original wooden panelling with a stunning roof-top terrace and even a former jewel vault that now houses an 800-square-metre spa – it’s surprising that the raw, edgy Berlin is only a short walk away. Situated around 1km east of the former border, Hotel de Rome really can offer the best of both worlds, especially for those like us, who aren’t adverse to a bit of pampering – and all the trappings of true 5 star accommodation – yet thrive on the bleeding-edge urban nightlife and culture that the German capital is so famous for. Stylish and decidedly luxurious, yet never far from the beating heart of Europe’s hippest city, for us at least, Hotel de Rome was an eye-opener to just what else this fabulous city has to offer…