I visit Berlin regularly. These are my 9 favorite hotels and places to stay, plus tips on choosing the right neighborhood.

One of Berlin's top hotels, and one of my personal favorites, is the five-star Hotel de Rome, from the luxury Rocco Forte chain. Its central Mitte location — on cobblestoned Bebelplatz, just off the tree-lined boulevard Unter den Linden — puts you close to top attractions like the Humboldt Forum, the Berlin Cathedral, and the vast museum complex of Museum Island.

Set inside a grand 1880s neoclassical bank building, the hotel is brimming with original details: soaring ceilings, towering marble columns, gleaming white-marble floors, and a magnificent wrought-iron staircase. Whimsical design touches, like a giant, pink-neon birdcage in the lobby, are woven throughout, bringing a playful air to the stately surroundings.

The spacious rooms and suites are decorated in an elegant, contemporary-meets-classic style. There are also four one-of-a-kind themed suites that make a stay truly special, like the palatial Historic Banker Suite, a former bank conference room with original parquet floors, rich oak paneling, and coffered ceilings. My pick is the terrace suite, with a sprawling deck overlooking historic Bebelplatz.

There's a glamorous, open-air rooftop bar at the Hotel de Rome where you can chill with a cocktail and enjoy spectacular views of the neighboring St. Hedwig's Cathedral and Berlin State Opera house, with the iconic TV Tower in the distance.

The area around Potsdamer Platz can be noisy thanks to its modern high-rises and bustling shopping malls, but step inside the serene Mandala Hotel and you'll leave it all behind. This is one of the best hotel deals in the city, with huge rooms — even the smallest city studios measure a generous 431 square feet — and surprisingly affordable rates for a five-star property.

I appreciate the soothing, minimalist decor and neutral-toned furnishings here, as well as the big working desks and handy kitchenettes with coffee makers. Floor-to-ceiling windows ensure plenty of light, and you'll never get stuck with a bad view since all rooms are located between the fifth and 11th floors. The self-service laundry on every floor is also very convenient and affordable for travelers.

On the top floor, the holistic Ono Spa offers fabulous city views with a relaxation room, terrace, and three saunas. My tip: Book your room directly on the hotel's website and you can enjoy the spa without the 20 euro daily fee.

The hotel is also home to the two-Michelin-starred Facile, set in an airy, glassed-in atrium surrounded by greenery. For something more casual, the intimate Qui bar on the second floor serves an affordable business lunch on weekdays as well as evening cocktails.

When visiting Berlin, I always make it a point to go to Kreuzberg, an artsy district packed with edgy bars and clubs, hip boutiques, and eclectic, affordable restaurants. Oranienstrasse, one of the main thoroughfares, runs through the heart of it, and it's where you'll find the boutique four-star Orania.Berlin, set inside a beautifully restored Art Nouveau building.

This intimate hotel has just 41 rooms and suites; all vary in size and layout but have a similar sophisticated design scheme, with warm oak floors, contemporary designer furnishings and lighting, Persian area rugs, and rich, red textiles embroidered with the hotel's signature gold elephant. The fancy handmade German mattresses are supremely comfortable, and the double-glazed windows — overlooking Oranienstrasse or Oranienplatz square — ensure you won't hear the boisterous nightlife below.

The buzzy, locals-love-it vibe of the common areas is where Orania.Berlin really shines, especially with the street-level Living Room, a sprawling, open-plan bar-restaurant surrounded by tall bay windows, with lots of comfy low-slung sofas and armchairs to lounge in. In winter, the two wood-burning fireplaces make things even cozier. Cocktails here are excellent, if on the pricey side, and there's regularly free live music Thursday through Saturday evenings.

While the hotel is within walking distance of the Jewish Museum, it's far from the city's main tourist attractions, making it a better fit for repeat visitors or those who crave authentic Berlin nightlife.

My pick for Berlin's most charming neighborhood is Prenzlauer Berg, in the north-central part of the city. I lived here for several summers, strolling the cobblestone streets, relaxing in pocket parks, and hanging out at the many café terraces and watering holes, including the city's oldest beer garden, Prater. In the middle of it all is Hotel Oderberger, a property set in a palatial 19th-century public bathhouse with beautifully converted historic spaces.

The 65-foot indoor pool is undoubtedly the highlight, set beneath a vaulted stone ceiling and framed by towering arched columns and enormous windows. The former boiler room-turned-restaurant has soaring 50-foot ceilings, exposed brick walls, and cool details like original temperature gauges.

Each of the 70 rooms (plus two apartments) has a unique layout, though the decor throughout is similarly restrained: modern, neutral gray furnishings, oak-plank floors, and white subway-tiled accents. The least expensive are the ground-level Comfort rooms, featuring access to the communal terrace — but I think it's worth upgrading to an upper-floor Premium room, which costs about 20 euros more per night, for pretty views over cobblestoned Oderbergerstrasse. If you're traveling with a family, opt for one of the attic apartments, with separate bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, and dining area.

As lovely (and affordable) as the Hotel Oderberger can be, the main drawback is that there's no air-conditioning in the landmark building — even with supplied fans, the rooms can get uncomfortably warm in the summer months. There's also a 5 euro charge for guests to use the pool, which is also open to the public and sometimes closed for private events.

If you're a frequent visitor to Berlin and love its legendary nightlife, there's no better base than the independently owned Michelberger Hotel, set in a renovated 19th-century factory in the alternative Friedrichshain district. More than a dozen dance clubs — including the infamous Berghain — are within walking distance, along with countless bars clustered around nearby Boxhagener Platz.

The hotel itself is a neighborhood draw, with a lively organic café that morphs into a popular wine bar in the evening, plus an excellent vegetarian-focused restaurant with seasonal produce from the Michelberger Farm on the city's outskirts. I especially enjoy coming here for an al fresco coffee or glass of wine in the hotel's cobblestone courtyard.

There's a range of rooms available, from smaller sizes ideal for solo travelers to loft-style rooms that sleep multiple guests. I love the Hideout suites, which can work well for families with its king-sized bed and separate sleeping loft, or for couples who want a bit of romance, thanks to its huge, private in-room sauna and bathtub for two.

Do note that there's no air-conditioning in the rooms, so if you want the windows open, I recommend asking for a room that faces the quieter courtyard rather than busy Warschauer Strasse.

At the Michelberger, you're within walking distance of the East Side Gallery (the colorful outdoor murals that cover the largest existing section of the Berlin Wall), and the tram and multiple U-Bahn and S-Bahn lines are just across the street, making it easy to connect with the rest of the city.

After a year-long renovation, the former Radisson Blu reopened in January 2022 as the Radisson Collection Hotel, Berlin. Its centerpiece is still the AquaDom, the 82-foot-high, freestanding cylindrical saltwater aquarium that dominates the hotel atrium: There's nothing quite like riding the glass elevator to your floor while gawking at thousands of tropical fish.

The hotel's 427 rooms and suites were updated for a more contemporary look, with a sophisticated gray-and-plum color scheme, wood accents, and stylish black-and-white photography. Everything is high-tech, with big televisions, USB charging ports by the bed and at the desks, and superfast (free) Wi-Fi. It's a great hotel for families: There are dedicated family rooms with an extra bed or sofa bed, as well as connecting rooms; kids will love those that look out right onto the aquarium. My choice are the rooms facing the neighboring Berliner Dom (cathedral), with the Spree river flowing below.

The new restaurant, Balaustine, offers Middle Eastern-inspired fare and doubles as the breakfast room. I don't normally splurge on hotel breakfast, but it's worth it here, if only to sip your morning coffee on the riverside terrace with incredible cathedral views.

Location-wise, this hotel is brilliant for tourists, with major attractions like Museum Island, the DDR Museum, the Humboldt Forum, and the TV Tower all nearby.

When people ask me about good, affordable hotels in Berlin, I always recommend one from the hip Amano mini chain, which has eight properties in the city. Most are centrally located, like the Hotel Zoe by Amano, set in Mitte and just around the corner from the restaurants of Hackescher Markt square. Nearby is pretty Monbijoupark, the Spree river promenade, and all the shopping, dining, and entertainment at the large courtyard complex Hackesche Höfe; plus, it's less than a 10-minute walk to Museum Island.

All 88 rooms are on the smaller side, but are nicely designed with wood floors, leather headboards over king-sized beds, tall windows, and big bathrooms. Amenities are somewhat limited in this three-star property; there's no minibar and you'll need to bring your own toiletries (except soap), but unlike many hotels in this price range, there is air-conditioning. And the double-glazed windows keep things pin-drop quiet, even with busy tram and street traffic below.

There's a nice rooftop bar with TV Tower views, as well as a lobby-level Zoe bar that serves cocktails from the tap. Overall, the incredibly central location and great rates make this hotel a top choice for budget travelers.

I'm a big fan of the Max Brown Hotels chain, whose boutique properties offer stylish design at an affordable price point. The Berlin outpost, Max Brown Ku'damm, is located on the southern border of Charlottenburg, a short walk from Kurfürstendamm (better known as Ku'damm), a broad, leafy boulevard lined with designer shops and upscale cafes.

The brand is known for doing away with typical hotel features — for example, there's no dedicated lobby. Here, the reception desk is located in the hotel's restaurant: the wildly popular Benedict, serving international breakfast classics (including five varieties of eggs Benedict) from morning until early evening

Rooms feature a cool retro-chic design, with mid-century-style furniture, industrial lighting, groovy graphic posters, vintage-style telephones, and Crosley record players. Some are bigger than others — the aptly named Small measures just 150 square feet, while the Large is quite comfortable and has a seating area with a fold-down sofa for an extra guest. I also like the upscale amenities you might not expect at this price range, like Zenology Spa products and excellent hair dryers. One trade off: There's no air-conditioning.

Few Berlin squares are as lovely as Gendarmenmarkt, with its grand neoclassical Konzerthaus (concert hall) bookended by the ornate, domed German and French cathedrals. The newest arrival on this historic square is the luxury Hotel Luc, Autograph Collection, which opened in February 2022.

I'd stayed here previously when it was a Sofitel property, and the current design is a 180: What was bland and stuffy is now colorful, contemporary, and playful. Taking inspiration from King Frederick II of Prussia (whose nickname was Luc), the hotel features the deep Prussian-blue color throughout, from the carpeting to the furnishings to the walls, accented with contemporary artwork of models in period garb. As for why there are bowls of faux potatoes scattered around the hotel, ask the staff and they'll happily explain the curious history.

Here, I think it's definitely worth upgrading to a room with a balcony or views of the French cathedral. The breakfast, while pricey, is worth it if the weather is nice and you can sit outside beneath the historic arcades and soak in views of the Gendarmenmarkt square. Just around the corner is Friedrichstrasse, which has great designer shopping, and the Komische Oper Berlin, where you can go to operas and operettas.

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