Acama Kreuzberg Hotel+Hostel

The acama Hotel+Hostel Kreuzberg is a hostel-like property set in a bland building with institutional interiors dressed up by colorful artwork. Everything from the small lobby to the bar and breakfast room feels like common spaces in a student housing building. Students in fact make up many of the hotel's guests, often arriving in large, loud parties to take advantage of the cheap rates and pizza vending machine. The breakfast room even resembles a cafeteria. The atmosphere is no frills and relaxed, but can be noisy due to groups of late night revelers. 

Located on the south side of the canal in Kreuzberg, one of Berlin's trendiest neighborhoods, the immediate area around acama Hotel+Hostel Kreuzberg is filled with bars and restaurants. There is a bohemian feel to this nook of the city, with a wide variety of cultures and influences resulting in venues ranging from Turkish kebab joints to hip dance clubs. The hotel itself is on a wide street with a tree-lined canal opposite and plenty of cafes nearby. There are two underground stations just across the street, with another two a short walk away, and parking is free on many neighboring streets. Checkpoint Charlie Museum and the tourist hot spot Potsdamer Platz are just within walking distance (about 20 minutes) across the canal to the north.

Rooms are available for one to eight people, with larger types consisting of multiple bunk beds crammed into utilitarian spaces that feel like college dormitories. Beds are all twins here, either separate or pushed together as doubles, with individual reading lights. Tiny desk spaces are built into the open shelving units on the walls. The group/family rooms are similarly outfitted, but filled with stacks of bunk beds, which have little shelves for personal belongings and attached reading lights. All units have tiled private bathrooms with walk-in showers that have handheld showerheads, but limited counter space for personal belongings. Flat-screen TVs (with Sky cable) and radio alarm clocks come standard, but amenities like coffeemakers and mini-fridges are absent. Given the college dorm-like atmosphere and group bunk rooms, expect noise from other guests here.

The lounge bar serves alcohol and coffee, and it stays open late with video games and a foosball table as the hotel's main social hub. There's also a garden courtyard, open seasonally with picnic tables and a small patio with some umbrella-covered seating. The breakfast room is set up like a cafeteria with a continental breakfast buffet that has cold cuts, cheeses, fresh fruit, and rolls for an extra fee. Apart from that, there are several vending machines, one of which dispenses salami and Margherita pizzas in about three minutes. Free coffee and tea is available 24 hours a day. The hotel also has a small business corner with computers available for guests and free Wi-Fi throughout, though it may vary in reliability. A meeting room doubles as a communal movie room, with a small flat-screen TV and DVD player.