Schlosshotel Berlin By Patrick Hellmann in Berlin

We live in Berlin and called the hotel weeks in advance to make sure there would be no events during our anniversary day. They assured us everything would be quiet, so we booked a room and massage through both Booking and phone. We made it clear that we were sensitive to noise and wanted a peaceful experience.

Two days before, they emailed saying the lounge, bar, and restaurant would be closed for an event with a DJ from 2 p.m. to midnight. When we asked why no one informed us earlier, they just said, “We don’t know why the email wasn’t sent earlier.”

No real apology, no effort to make it right — and we had to cancel and couldn’t find anywhere else last minute. Extremely disappointing and unprofessional.

We visited the hotel between Christmas and New Year.

We had been looking forward to a relaxing stay where we could enjoy good food and the hotel’s facilities after a busy December. Unfortunately, we were disappointed with the level of service.

The hotel itself is beautiful and full of charm, but sadly, that charm fades when the service does not meet expectations.

Already during our first visit to the champagne lounge, we noticed that no one asked if we wanted something to drink—we had to seek out a waiter ourselves. However, we didn’t take this too seriously at first.

After a late lunch, we decided to use the spa area. While the experience was fine, there were no towels available, which was disappointing.

The biggest letdown came during dinner. We were presented with the same menu we had received at lunch, with the addition of three orally presented dishes. We initially thought it was a mistake, as we had seen the restaurant’s menu online in advance and had expected to be served that.

As our waiter seemed new to the job, we went to the reception to clarify the situation. The response was curt: “I have nothing to do with the kitchen.” However, the receptionist later escorted us to a more experienced waiter who confirmed that the regular menu was not available. We were very disappointed by this lack of communication.

Sunday morning breakfast was hectic, but the buffet was fine.

Later in the day, around 5:00 PM, I ordered a bottle of wine to take with me to dinner. Shortly after, the waiter informed me that the champagne lounge would be closing early that evening. I was allowed to stay but was told no new guests would be admitted. I offered to move to the lobby, where it was a bit warmer.

About 30 minutes later, the waiter returned to inform me that all service would cease due to staff illness. This meant no more food or drinks would be served. At the same time, we discovered that the hotel bar, which we had assumed was in the lobby, was located in a separate room that had been closed since our arrival.

The evening ended with us ordering pizza and beer for delivery, as we didn’t want to leave the hotel. We asked the reception for a new bottle of wine, but they were unable to assist us.

Later, we encountered six Swedish guests who had received confirmation of a restaurant reservation at 3:00 PM the same day, only to arrive and find closed doors with no phone call or information provided.

On Monday morning—the day of our check-out—breakfast was excellent, and the waiter even remembered our room number. This experience stood in stark contrast to the rest of the stay and demonstrated what the service level at the hotel should have been.

Unfortunately, at check-out, we were met by a very unwelcoming receptionist. When I mentioned that it was unfortunate the restaurant had been closed, her only response was: “Yes, that’s unfortunate.” There was no apology or attempt to address our disappointment. When we said goodbye, we received no response—she was more focused on her hair than on ensuring a pleasant end to our stay.

As someone with many years of experience in the hotel and gastronomy industry, both in Denmark and Germany, I must conclude that this hotel only delivers service at a 2-star level.

Had we been informed about the changes along the way and offered alternatives, it would have made a significant difference. Some staff members were truly sweet and accommodating, but the hotel needs to take much greater responsibility for ensuring a cohesive experience for their guests.