Casa Camper Berlin

There’s a loft-like feel to Casa Camper Berlin, which makes sense as Berlin is a city known for style and culture. Huge black room numbers are displayed on white curtains in bathrooms, allowing guests to easily spot their rooms from the street below. In the lobby, a bin of red umbrellas comes in handy during inclement weather, and round tables with colorful, plastic chairs serve as a seating area. The lounge is an interesting concept in a creative space. It has exposed ductwork, light-brown leather armchairs, and wooden tables. Fresh fruit and non-alcoholic drinks are available for free, and there’s a bar working on the honor system with hard alcohol, wine, and beer. Most of the visitors are international tourists looking for a hip place to stay while exploring Berlin.

Casa Camper Berlin has a convenient, walkable location with plenty of restaurants and bars nearby. It’s a three-minute walk to Hackesche Höfe, an area popular for its nightclubs. Hackescher Markt Train Station is about a five-minute walk from the hotel and takes passengers directly to the airport. About 12 minutes southeast is Alexanderplatz, a public square rich in history with upscale shopping and a transportation hub. It’s 15-20 minutes south by foot to Museum Island and a 20-minute walk northwest to the Berlin Wall Memorial. Tegel Airport can be reached by car in 25 minutes or less than 40 minutes via public transportation.

Rooms feel like factory-converted lofts. One unique feature are the large windows in the bathrooms shedding light on the wood floors and white or lipstick-red walls. There’s a map of the streets of Berlin hanging on a wall, and work table lamps serve as nightstand lights. Steel pegs are mounted to the wall for hanging clothes. Bathrooms have huge, tiled showers. Shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel come in containers with pump dispensers. Bathrobes and cute rubber slippers are provided on arrival, and all rooms have flat-screen TVs, iPod docks, and free Wi-Fi. Upgrade to the Camper Suite for a living room area and Nespresso coffee machine. Views overlook the picturesque, tree-lined suites -- some guests have complained about street and train noise.

Casa Camper Berlin has excellent public features, especially for an intimate boutique hotel. The real highlight is Lounge Tentempié with free fruit, snacks, and non-alcoholic beverages served in a stylish room with panoramic window views. A full self-serve bar offers beer, booze, and wine; guests simply pour their own drinks, write down what they had, and leave their payment in a box. The modern restaurant has an exposed kitchen serving Asian dishes in tapas fashion. Daily continental breakfast is included with the room rate. The hotel also offers bike rentals and a small fitness center with a few machines, including a treadmill and exercise bike. The adjacent sauna has lounge chairs and safes so guests can lock up their valuables as they relax. Mint-infused water is provided. Next to a large window, there’s a business center with two Apple computers, a printer, and work table lamps. A meeting room is available as well.