25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin

This is a hotel brand to watch: their properties are distinctive, full of quirky ideas and free-spirit creativity. With its Berlin debut, 25hours celebrates the cosmopolitan city with an eclectic jungle-inspired concept, fitting the hotel’s almost bucolic surroundings.

That the 25hours group was going to find its way to Berlin was never in question. Few, however, would have expected them to set up shop here, in West Berlin’s old heart, between Tiergarten Park, the Berlin Zoo and the shopper’s paradise of the Kurfürstendamm. It’s a location that’s truly one of a kind — the name is a reference to the site, a mixed-use redevelopment of some iconic mid-century office blocks that are now known as Bikini Berlin.

Equally unexpected, at least for an urban boutique hotel, is the near-pastoral setting, thanks to the views over the park and the zoo — the décor is pure “urban jungle,” unfinished concrete mixing with vibrant colors and natural greenery, all the better to accentuate the leafy surroundings. Hammocks come standard, as do large tubs and rain showers, for a bit of a resort vibe.

What the 25hours hotels excel at, of course, is the nightlife, and while Berliners tend to be a close-knit bunch, the hotel manages to get locals and guests mingling, whether it’s in the rooftop Monkey Bar (named for its monkeys eye view into the zoo’s primate compound) or the lobby lounge with its live DJ. Meanwhile, Burger de Ville operates out of an Airstream trailer, and the hotel’s restaurant splits its efforts between light Mediterranean fare and hearty BBQ, and there’s even a fair bit of conference space, in case you’re in the market for a meeting with plentiful distraction. It’s a bit of a jungle in there.

Main text in large part courtesy of Tablet Hotels.

in our opinion

Surprising, delightful, full of greenery and seducing with a bold creative vision: it's a place worthy of the über-cool German capital.

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What we love

• The zoo-inspired hotel interiors, celebrating the “urban jungle” theme in fun ways: sock-monkey-style stuffed toys, vertical mini-gardens, and hanging plants;
• Cool, minimalist architecture plays the “urban” part of the concept, with unfinished concrete and uncovered building construction elements. Rich in color but elegant furniture, bold rugs, freestyle lighting, and modern art round off the ultimately inviting and warm interiors;
• The residential ambiance of the guest rooms, which feel like small studio flats;
• Rooftop bar & restaurant with a great panorama of Berlin;
• The smell of fresh-baked bread filling the building, thanks to the hotel's own bakery;
• The lounge is A great space—zoned into various areas for working playing, relaxing;
• Hammocks as standard!

What you should know

• Guests have access to free MINI and bike rental (similarly to the 25h hotel in Vienna we reviewed earlier);
• 25h is geared for the hard-working urban dwellers and business travelers;
• The hotel takes its name from the Bikini House, a landmark modernist building;
• Book an Urban room for a big city view and Jungle room for zoo vistas which allow for some animal spotting!