Rooms

The suites are uber modern: white, light-filled and spacious, with house plants and leafy courtyard views creating a soothing environment. Parquet floors, mid-century furniture and sleek monochrome colours give them a smart, Scandi look. Each comes with a living-dining area, fully fitted kitchen, TV, B&O speaker system and washer-dryer. But the best feature is the spacious private terrace with seating and table - they all have one.

Most are categorised by size (the numbers in their names representing the square footage). The Penthouse is the largest at 246 sqm, with two bedrooms and two bathrooms (one with bathtub) plus an expansive living room with fireplace and ‘sofa landscape’. The terrace has views over the rooftops of Charlottenburg plus dining and lounging areas.

The two-bed options are the Extended Garden Loft 139, which have views from both sides of the complex, and the Extended Garden Loft 107, whose second bedroom can be flexibly arranged (double or twin).

The one-bed suites are The Garden Loft 115 (where we stayed), which can sleep four using the sofabed in the living room. The Garden Loft 80 is the smallest but features all the same facilities as the other suites so is great value.

Features include:

• Bluetooth sound system
• Central heating
• Fan
• Hairdryer
• Radio
• Safe box
• Terrace/balcony
• TV
• Washing machine
• WiFi

Eating

Each suite has a kitchen with hob, oven, dishwasher and coffee machine, so you can self-cater if you wish. For supplies, there’s a big Edeka supermarket about a 10-15 minute walk away, or a large corner shop selling fresh produce and basic provisions about 5-10 mins away. All major supermarkets here deliver.

But with the hotel facilities next door, you may not feel the need to self-cater. A buffet breakfast is available (not included) at the hotel every morning and is a typical continental affair – breads, meats, cheeses, jams etc. In summer months it can be taken in the peaceful walled courtyard. The Lovis restaurant is one of the best-rated in Berlin, while the adjacent cellar bar is a cocktail experience where you order according to taste profile rather than alcohol type – although traditional drinks are available too. There's also a casual day bar/cafe as well as a bakery on the ground floor.

Outside, the choice is endless. In a 10-minute walking radius you can find cheese shops, wine shops (with outside tables), bodegas, pizzerias, burger bars, traditional döner kebab outlets, as well as a host of eateries serving Italian, Spanish, German, Persian, Indian and vegetarian cuisine. Plus gelato shops and currywurst stands. Stuttgarter Platz, a short stroll away, is a hive of outside dining that throngs in summer – and has a playground opposite to entertain toddlers. And that’s before you even start to explore the rest of Berlin…

Features include:

• Bar
• Full kitchen
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby

Activities

• You’re only a few stops on the S-bahn or U-bahn from most of Berlin's iconic sights – Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Cathedral, TV Tower, Tiergarten, Unter Den Linden
  
• Explore nearby Lietzensee park (10-min walk), stopping for lunch at Engelbecken for classic German and Austrian cuisine
  
• Soak up Berlin’s royal past in the gardens of beautiful Charlottenburg Palace, 10 mins’ cycle away on one of the hotel’s bikes
  
• Most shoppers head to nearby Ku ’Damm, but the city is awash with markets (try Mauerpark on a Sunday where you can also do a Berlin Wall tour), vintage shops, art pop-ups, food courts (Markthalle Neun in Kreuzberg is ace) and hundreds of independent boutiques
  
• Museum Island is packed with museums - Pergamon is excellent for kids; the Alte Nationalgalerie is huge and beautiful. All are free on the first Sunday of every month
  
• In summer, head to the lakes. Teufelssee is popular with swimmers and sunbathers (check out the abandoned spy station nearby) while Wannsee has its own beach and sailing. Both are only a few stops on the S-bahn
  
• Head east to the “bergs” to experience real Berlin nightlife. Prenzlauerberg is chichi and cosmopolitan, Kreuzberg cool and hipster, Schöneberg is camp and colourful, Frederichshein has a studenty, club kid vibe, and Neukölln has fab immigrant/ethnic energy
  

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cycling
• Historical sites
• Museums / galleries
• Nightlife
• Shopping / markets
• Theatre

Kids

Most of the suites are well set up for families with one or two kids. Each has a kitchen and living room, so there's plenty of space to spread out, and you can easily self-cater kid-friendly meals. Berlin's top sights are easily accessible via the U-Bahn or S-Bahn, with services stopping close to the suites.

Best for:

All ages

Family friendly accommodation:

Many suites have two bedrooms, but the Extended Garden Loft 107s are probably the best option as the second bedroom can either have a kingsize bed or twins. Garden Loft 115s have one bedroom but the sofabed in the living room converts to sleep two extra guests. Cots are available in all suites on request.

Distances:

• Shops: 1 minute

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

The Wilmina Suites are part of the Wilmina Hotel in the Charlottenburg district of west Berlin, on Kantstrasse. Charlottenburg station (S-Bahn) is 7 mins’ walk away.

By Air:
Fly to Berlin Brandenburg and take the S-bahn, RB (Regionalbahn) or FEX (express) to Charlottenburg (45-60 mins). Or you could take a taxi to the suites (30-45 mins' driving time).

By Train from UK:
Daytime trains from London St Pancras via Brussels and Cologne take 10-11 hours; or you can take an overnight sleeper train leaving London mid-afternoon. See Seat 61 for details.

By Car:
There is no point in having a car in Berlin, but if hiring a car for your onward journey, see our car rental recommendations. Wilmina Hotel has an underground car park that's charged per night.

Detailed instructions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.