Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin

I met former U.S. President Bill Clinton at the breakfast buffet; I got to start my day by giving him a handshake and exchanged pleasantries which was certainly a unique experience for me. That is just one highlight of many during our great stay. It’s also quite famous for being the hotel where Michael Jackson dangled his baby outside of one of the front windows. It’s located right next to the Brandenburg Gate and the U.S. Embassy in the center of Berlin so this hotel scores high in walkability. It’s a very large and well run 5 star hotel that seems to cater to a lot of business travelers most of all. The check-in was smooth and the entire staff that we encountered was very polite. Our room was quite large and the bed was comfortable. As with many European hotels, the air-conditioning did not work very well, especially between the hours of 11 PM to 6 AM. We ordered some tea to the room and it was very good and the complementary breakfast in the hotel lobby was wonderful. They have tons of options there and it was a great start to our day. Pricing can be a bit high, but it is a 5 star hotel, and it’s still less than some other hotels in Berlin. I would say that the price is fair because you really get a lot in return. There are also plenty of cabs and Ubers right out front so if you need to catch a ride, this is a really easy place to do it. I would highly recommend this hotel and would stay here again next time I am visiting Berlin.

I had high expectations for Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin, especially given its reputation and history. Unfortunately, our stay from April 11–14, 2025, was deeply disappointing and far from the luxury experience we were promised. From check-in, things went wrong. We watched other guests receive welcome drinks—something we weren’t even offered until I asked, only to be told they had “run out” and the staff member “hadn’t noticed.” That’s not the kind of welcome one expects from a supposed 5-star hotel. We had booked connecting rooms with large beds, but were given rooms with single beds and no view. Even the names on the welcome screen were wrong. It took multiple phone calls and my husband getting involved just to get our room situation halfway fixed. The real issue, however, was the faulty air conditioning in one of the rooms. My daughter and I spent three uncomfortable nights unable to sleep due to the heat, while my husband and son’s room was noticeably cooler. Guest services acknowledged the issue, engineers checked it, and we were even offered another room—but the problem remained. And while staff like Lara from Guest Relations tried to be helpful, ultimately no meaningful solution was offered. On our last day, after a conversation with guest relations made us late for breakfast, we were refused service even though we were just minutes late. Again, no effort was made to accommodate us, and we had to leave the hotel to eat. At checkout, I shared my experience. I was told we might be offered a better room if we came back. But why would I ever return after such a poor experience? I’ve also sent a formal complaint via email, and have received no response to date—which makes this entire situation even more unacceptable. Hotel Adlon may be beautiful on the outside, but our experience showed serious issues with customer service, responsiveness, and genuine care for guests. If this is how they treat first-time visitors, I can’t recommend this hotel to anyone expecting real 5-star service.

Stayed at Adlon again after 13 years and it’s gotten better….ignore some reviews which suggest otherwise. I stayed for 4 nights and they were perfect in every way. The best location in Berlin and property with so much history in the structure and within a radius of 1 mile. Doubt there will be too many of them out there in the world. Don’t bother researching for this one…..if you can afford pls do stay here….come back later and thank me :)

Once more back to Berlin and to the Adlon. We knew from former stays that this hotel never recuperated completely from the Covid crisis. Service was cut down and some "normal" offerings were never put back on the list of amenities. But prices hiked up (like most establishments in the hospitality business). Adlon please check what other "palaces" are offering (Asia or Switzerland for instance). Too many imperfections. Yes it's an old lady but some of the other "old ladies" sparkle. The Adlon is just tired now, furniture, equipments, communications, electronics et al. Service can be hit and miss (not only the typical Berlin snottiness). Esszimmer perfect, at breakfast they try real hard (and mostly manage), brasserie and reception a disaster. Housekeeping hit or miss ( when they do show up generally good). It's small things that make or break a stay. We left with a sour note that marred our stay (which could have been ok) and I am afraid to say that after all these years we shall not be back.

We are a returning customer and we brought 2 more guests with us this time. It was heavenly. We stayed inside the hotel as much as possible because I saw no reason to go out while we receive royal treatment inside the hotel. The champagne - caviar breakfast, pool, jacuzzi, michelin dinner, cigar bar, everything.. it's all great.