Mark Apart Hotel

Mark Apart Hotel occupies a seven-story white stucco building originally built in 1959 as an apartment. The dated facade is dotted in square balconies in red, white, and gray. Inside, common spaces are practical — wide hallways with stucco walls, a cafeteria-like breakfast room, and a small lobby with tiled floors, U-shaped white pleather chairs, and lilac accents that match generic floral prints. Guests come to this hotel for the spacious rooms, not for stylish common areas or hangout spots. The hotel attracts a huge range of travelers from business guests to tourists, including families who take advantage of the triple rooms and apartments, as well as some tour groups. 

While not situated in Berlin's central Mitte district, the hotel still has an excellent location on the southern border of Charlottenburg, right around the corner from shops and restaurants and just a five-minute walk from a U-Bahn stop and the bustling shopping street Kurfürstendamm. This street is lined with posh shops, flagship stores, restaurants, and cafes. The zoo and it's namesake train station, a major transport hub, are about a 15-minute walk. For guests who plan on sightseeing, the location isn't quite as ideal as it is for shoppers, with most central Mitte sights reachable in about a half hour via public transit.

• Nine minutes by public transit to KaDeWa
• 15-minute walk to Bikini Berlin shopping mall
• 15-minute walk to Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church
• 20 minutes to Berlin Central Station via public transit
• 26 minutes to Alexanderplatz via public transit
• 26 minutes to Charlottenburg Palace via public transit
• 27 minutes to Potsdamer Platz via public transit
• 30 minutes to Berlin Tegal Airport via public transit
• 33 minutes to Brandenburg Gate via public transit
• 35 minutes to Museum Island via public transit
• 60 minutes to Berlin Schönefeld Airport via public transit

The hotel's 122 rooms and apartments are clean and contemporary, if somewhat generic, with decor that varies based on the size of the room and the year it was renovated. Ground floor rooms, which were added in 2010, feature mod-inspired decor with black and white dotted carpets and in-room basin sinks. Of the remaining rooms, half were soft renovated in 2016 and the other half were completely refurbished in late 2017. Soft renovated rooms feature wood laminate floors (carpets have been removed) and new paint and fabrics, but the maroon accents and large photos of flowers over beds still stand. In some of these rooms, furnishings have not been changed and are still somewhat dated light-wood laminate fare. The renovated rooms feature chicer decor with black furnishings, gray accents, and cool textured concrete details and faux wood-grain accents, like imitation wood tiling in modern bathrooms. Most have wood floors, though some are tiled.

Despite the "apart" moniker, the majority of guest rooms here are not apartments but double rooms, and they're fairly spacious, measuring 300-355 square feet. There hotel also has 19 soft-renovated triple rooms and nine single rooms, including the ultra-compact Business Singles, which top out at 135 square feet. The hotel's 11 apartments are a roomy 430 square feet and feature a separate bedroom, but no extras like kitchenettes. 

Rooms have wardrobes, desks, flat-screen TVs, and little shoe-shine and sewing kits. Bathrooms are equipped with hairdryers and toiletry dispensers. Business Doubles add tea and coffee service with electric kettles, safes, and AC, plus combo showers and tubs instead of shower stalls. Business Singles also have AC. Executive Doubles add sofa beds that can sleep one to two guests. Some rooms have balconies—spacious, but otherwise fairly uninviting affairs (the hotel plans to renovated these in the coming years). Wi-Fi is usually free, unless rooms are booked with tour or school groups.

The Mark Apart is fairly low-frills for a mid-range property It has a cafeteria-style breakfast room which was gearing up for a renovation during our visit in late 2017. A daily buffet is served until late morning with cold standards like cold cuts, yogurt, and cereal, plus some hot dishes such as scrambled eggs, German meatballs, and baked beans. Travelers can book rooms with or without breakfast included. The hotel has no full-service restaurant or bar, but there are some vending machines serving soft drinks, beer, and even hot coffee and soup. The front desk operates 24 hours and also offers a safe deposit box and luggage storage. Guests can rent bikes from the hotel, too. Parking spaces are very limited—there are only nine—and cost an extra fee. Wi-Fi is always free in common spaces and usually free in rooms (it may cost extra with some group bookings). The lobby has two massage chairs, a few souvenirs for sale, and a computer for guest use.