Searching...

Ive stayed at the Axel a number of times; primarily because of its location.Its perfect location for transport links, shopping, sightseeing and nightlife.The hotel itself is quite souless, always feels quiet even when i suspect it is actually very busy. I always have a junior suite which is reasonably spacious and a definate must if there are two of you travelling!Housekeeping is always excellent and front desk staff in the main are friendly and helpfull.Overall, i do like this hotel and most likely be back here again in the not too distant future.

Unfortunately, I wanted this hotel to be a great gay place to stay. It did not turn out that way. Biggest problem was cleanliness. They do not do a thorough job. There was literally dust fur all over the black walls and dust and hair balls rolling around the room. The cleaning staff is very inconsistent, taking all glasses one day and not leaving new ones then another day not taking anything dirty. The front desk is staffed by cute people, but clueless on solving any problems. Nothing reported ever got fixed during our stay. The design is very forward, but that means there is not enough light in the bathroom to see in the shower, and the shower floods the floor every time you shower.

My friend and I stayed in room 306. Although comfortable, (and very small in size like others on this site mention), it was disapppointing to learn the following into our stay:* Tap on shower would not turn to a comfortable temperature setting so it was either really hot or really cold showers - was asked reception to come and inspect and he did the best he could to fix it and said ' just leave it on that setting, it should be a little warm for you'* Wifi internet connection i room was very slow and dropped out multiple times* Hotel house keeping staff did not stock ammenaties eg: loo paper, soaps* Air Conditioning on the coldest setting was warm and room not comfortableWe reported these issues to reception on our second night (stayed 4 nights). The kind receptionist did let us know that our room (306) had a number of maintence defects but as it was a weekend, nothing could be done and no room change could be offered as it was a full house. I asked why would the hotel offer this room to guest with known defects but he just shrugged it off and did the ole "I'm really sorry" excuse.We put up with it and thought that maybe some form of minor compensation would be offerd but to no success upon checkout. Even though a gay hotel in a good area, it does pay to shop about as there are plenty of other hotels (woth no doubt better facilities and staff that are a little more pro active when situations arise). For the 4 nights we stayed, it cost close to $900 Australian Dollars.....I do love Berlin and will sure go back but will choose another hotel next time.

A group of gay male friends stayed at The A x e l because one of them had had a great experience at the A x e l Barcelona. Berlin's Axel has a mostly friendly staff and was busy but it¿¿¿s pretty mediocre in terms of style and amenities. It has a terrific location near gay nightlife, seemed clean, reasonably priced, is near some really charming surrounding neighborhoods, and 1-2 blocks from a couple of U-bahn stations¿¿¿ and for these reasons I'd recommend it and possibly stay here again. Its other greatest attribute is being 1 block from the Ka De We department store whose 6th floor food outlets are truly remarkable--nothing in the US or NYC even comes close! Otherwise there's nothing else really worth eating within a one-block radius. (Another great neighborhood restaurant choice is April on Winterfeldstrasse--breakfast or dinner--always good. And walk 15 minutes over to the Wilmersdorf neighborhood for other nice restaurant options in a really charming neighborhood.)Unfortunately the A x e l has a H a m b u r g e r M a r y ' s whose staff are all pretty friendly, but the restaurant is painfully tacky, has mediocre food which is not cheap, and the restaurant and bar are never "hot spots." The S k y B a r we discovered is non-existent unless there's a special event. The Axel could easily find someone locally to bring in a great bar and restaurant to make the first floor the excellent destination it could be. Re-do the lobby so it's more comfortable and inviting to street traffic--maybe have a cafe or bar extend into the lobby, something. It's GAY for god sake--set an example of great design, style, quality, and fun!The rooms are mainly tiny so not very comfortable or relaxing--think of a smaller, less chic version of a P a r a m o u n t or H u d s o n in NYC. There are no closets or places to store an empty suitcase in the average room, just a rod with a few hangers near the shower, but the beds/pillows themselves seemed comfortable and the towels and robes were fine. And the design is pretty poor: black Formica, with dark red glass walls to the shower area--which in the suites is also the headboard to the bed and sleeping area--which is great, I'm sure, if you're filming a well-lit p o r n o, but pretty lame if you're looking for a nice, mid-range hotel with style and comfort and that you can actually relax in. With the jetlag and the incredibly intense and late nightlife in Berlin you will need your sleep--so the blackout curtains are a smart addition. The free i P o d docks they lend you are of terrible quality and pick up a lot of local interference but there are some free TV offerings. It looked to me as though they wanted to charge $10 to just listen to an old A n n i e L e n n o x CD via TV, but I was so disgusted and exhausted I never inquired if you could also do this for free. Many times the suites are not much more expensive than the general rooms and definitely worth a bit extra for the sitting area-especially if there's more than one guy to a room. The water temperature in all of our showers was so hot it could have only resulted in a law suit in the US--so tell your hung-over, jet-lagged boy friend to beware when turning it on for his first time, it could get ugly! Some of my friends had really nice, multi-shower headed showers in their rooms as well, a nice touch.The "gym" is also pitiful, but mainly acts as a front to the spa area--which is really busy with the usual gay antics if you're looking for them. The 6th floor, outdoor hot tub could use a heater--but maybe they just want to keep people in it longer so they can get busy, rather than actually have a hot tub. But it also get¿¿¿s a nice sunset. If you want to workout you can go to the M a x i m u s, approx. a 15-minute walk, and has all the charm of a small Y M C A , but is a decent workout. (Make sure you quote them the discounted price for an A x e l guest.) F i t n e s s F i r s t gyms can be nice, but their B l a c k L a b e l product can be up to

On the edge of gay district and short walk to Ku'Damm and U2 line this hotel is located very well. The stylish rooms are showing wear and tear but still fantastic value. Ambience is groovy rather than luxurious and it's a fun place to stay