STAY BERLIN: ACKSELHAUS

Because planning a trip is one of my fave parts of trip planning, I did a boatload of research, most of it focused on where to stay in Berlin. Berlin, thankfully unlike the other cities as you would see later, had tons of options and better yet, tons of affordable options.But you know Tripadvisor pictures and reviews can never quite prepare you for the real thing. Sometimes, its the location right next to a seedy neighborhood, its the details that the camera never quite got or it could be the horrendous service. Truth is, you can do all the research you want and still end up in a sorry situation.

And so it was with utmost relief and joy that after the long trip, being hella exhausted and just wanting a place to crash that would feel comfortable and like home that we arrived at Ackselhaus. I can't say it enough, I loved me some Ackselhaus. We took a 2 person poll at the end of the trip and decided this was our fave and if we had more vacation days, we would have returned.

Let's go down my checklist: Warm welcome - Check. Not your run of the mill generic decor - Check. We got the Picasso room, each room has different theme, maybe next time I'll have to try the China or Movie rooms. Clean, I mean super clean - Check. Great Location: Check.  As we would soon discovered we really liked the neighborhood, the hotel is located in Prenzlauer Berg, one of Berlin´s coolest areas and staying at the hotel felt less like being a tourist and more like being a real local.

And with all the outdoor space Ackselhaus offered, it felt like our own little secret garden.  And because there's so few rooms, it's never crowded, only at the complimentary breakfast (surprisingly only 2 of 5 hotels we stayed at, offered this), were  we reminded that there were other guests. In many ways it's really much more of apartment style living than hotel.

Just a quick look at one of my fave stays.

Ackselhaus and blue home TripAdvisor page

Ackselhaus  & Blue home website

Rates from $120 euro/night.