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Radisson Blu Berlin Hotel Review

a building with a dome on top

Scuba divers working in the lobby of a city center hotel far from the ocean is not the typical sight to see. Radisson Blu Berlin is not your typical hotel.

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Aquadom in atrium lobby of Radisson Blu Hotel Berlin is the world’s largest cylindrical aquarium.

Aquadom is a 25 meter tall cylindrical aquarium opened in 2004 inside the lobby of the Radisson Blu Hotel Berlin. The tank holds about one million liters of water.

An elevator runs through the center of the aquarium. Aquadom is a Sea Life property owned by Merlin Entertainments. Think the British version of Walt Disney. Tickets are 17.50 euros and discounted to 12 euros as a guest at Radisson Blu Berlin.

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While the Aquadom is a nice tourist draw, my hotel room was the real attraction for me.

I arrived on a windy cold Saturday and by nightfall snow had covered Berlin with a fresh white blanket.

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My room was a corner room with a view to Alexanderplatz and the TV tower from one side.

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River Spree and Berlin Dom (cathedral) from the bedroom side.

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Berlin Dom at night in snow with blue light reflecting off the cathedral from the Radisson Blu Hotel.

My only complaint is that the room was too close to the cathedral to photograph the entire building from the room.

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Radisson Blu Berlin is an ideal base for museum touring. Museum Island with several museums and the German History Museum are within five minutes walk from the hotel.

Corner Room Junior Suite

After four nights in the cramped quarters of the Holiday Inn Alexanderplatz, I was upgraded to a nice junior suite corner room on the 5th floor of the 6-floor hotel.

Each floor looked to have 16 interior rooms facing Aquadom based on the floor map in my room. An interior facing room is really a great way to watch the fish, but also means people in the lobby can be watching you. The hotel has 427 rooms.

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Seating area in Room 5197.

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Desk area and TV.

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Fresh brew espresso was exactly what I needed after three intense days of the ITB Berlin 2013 travel convention.

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Bed faced Berlin Dom. The room had a divider between the seating area and bed. There were several patio doors and a narrow balcony.

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TV had some English language channels like Sky, CNN and CNBC.

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There were two doors to the bathroom from the entry hall or the bedroom.

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Deep bath tub.

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Shower stall would have been nice with a rain shower head, but that just does not seem like German efficiency to waste that much water for a shower.

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Closet space with robes in plastic wrap.

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More closet space.

The hotel has a spa and I received Business Class breakfast in the restaurant Heat.

I made ample use of the shoe polisher on the 5th floor by the elevators.

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Shoe polisher near elevators.

The glass door elevators were also useful for viewing the Aquadom. Key card access  allows guests to access the lobby level, spa level and own room floor.

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Elevators are glass allowing view of Aquadom as you ride up and down in the lobby atrium.

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Branding on the hotel elevators for Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group and the hotel restaurant Heat.

I had breakfast at Heat for two mornings. I loved the fact that I was given a full pot of coffee for my table. I had not tasted coffee in six days since leaving the US.

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Lobby bar and reception (right).

There is a small pool and fitness room at the hotel spa level on the floor below the lobby.

This was a fantastic stay in Berlin Mitte using Club Carlson Gold or Concierge member 2-for-1 rate in Europe, Middle East and Africa. The room rate was 80 euros per night.

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Radisson Blu Berlin. Room 5197 is corner room second from top.

 

Blogger Disclosure: The corner suite described is an upgrade room for Radisson Blu Berlin. I attended Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group full service conference in Chicago on a media invitation the week before going to Europe.  I wrote a post about Club Carlson Gold member 2-for-1 weekend rates in Europe during that conference and talked about booking the 2-for-1 rate in Germany. I talked at the conference about going to Berlin, Oslo and London on discount rates and points. Radisson Blu Berlin included breakfast upgrade. Radisson Blu Plaza Oslo included breakfast upgrade and a standard room on high floor with city view, not ocean view room. Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London standard room, high floor, no breakfast, limited Big Ben view.

During this same European trip I stayed at Hotel Kamp, Helsinki using an SPG suite upgrade from SPG Amex Stars campaign I participated in 2012. I received two suite upgrade certificates. I received a full two room suite in the historic front corner at Hotel Kamp with wine and Finnish chocolates on that suite upgrade.

I can say that occasionally, and sometimes frequently I received similar treatment for years before being a blogger as a loyalty traveler with Hilton HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond and SPG Platinum elite status.

No denying though that many hotels and airlines know who we are as Boarding Area bloggers and sometimes there is special treatment.

9 Comments

  • Glenda March 12, 2013

    Looks like a wonderful stay! Does anyone know if the Gold/Concierge 2 for 1 stay for members include India?

  • Lynn March 12, 2013

    Thanks for the review. I hope to be booking a four night stay there soon.

  • Jeanne M March 13, 2013

    I stayed at Radisson Blu Berlin in Dec using points and cash. The rate was 86 Euros and 10,000 points. I had to pay substantially more to get a room with a view of the Berlin Dome. I was matched by Carlson to gold status and I recieved absolutely no upgrade. I agree that the location next to Museum Island is the strong point. I also stayed at the Berlin Hilton and Berlin Hyatt and felt both were far superior in service and accomodations and a much better value as I have status with all 3 chains.

  • Hamurabi2008 March 14, 2013

    I stayed at this Radisson approx. ten times from 2010 till mid 2012 – approx 70+ nights. Even as a Gold CC member I never received an upgrade. When I really pushed the matter with one of the more senior staff I knew well they managed to give me a Business Class room (facing the dome). I understand the Suites are near to impossible to get as an upgrade.

    If you received it for free, I wonder if this is a special blogger-treatment. Or zero occupancy rate. I don’t know.

    But I am very very surprised…

    Having said all of the above: the hotel is nice. Heat is great for breakfast. The location is OK (subway at Alexander Platz is too far for my taste / bad area during dark hours). The standard rooms are tiny and I hate bathrub showers. But for 80 EUR/night with bfast I would go in a heartbeat.

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  • Ric Garrido March 17, 2013

    @Hamurabi2008 – my vote is special blogger treatment. I had just been at the Carlson Rezidor full service brands conference in Chicago the week before on a media invite. I chatted about heading to Berlin.

  • […] is managed by Merlin Entertainments Group, the same company managing the Berlin Aquadom inside the Radisson Blu Berlin where I had stayed a few nights […]

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