Institut français Berlin

The location is in easy walking distance to all the beautiful sites in Potsdam. Modern and flooded with natural light, the hotel has many areas for gathering or quiet reading. The hotel has a relaxing pool area, nice indoor and patio bar and a wonderful buffet breakfast. The rooms have comfortable bedding and air conditioning (which was a relief during warm days this August). I highly recommend the hotel!

Too noisy and outdated

This was an okay stay. As first-time Berlin visitors, we booked based on location, not price, but in hindsight we wish we had chosen another hotel. Berlin is much more compact and accessible than it appears on a map. The lobby is nice and check-in was easy, but despite being a non-smoking room, we were immediately greeted by the smell of smoke that remained throughout our stay. I suspect it was coming from a neighboring room. The studio was spacious for two, though the layout was awkward: the dining table was so tightly positioned that the chairs could barely be pulled out, and cabinets/drawers opened against the bed. The bedroom lighting was also quite dim. We appreciated the washer/dryer, but it too smelled of smoke and left clothes with a damp, musty odor. The bathroom had several maintenance issues: the vent cover repeatedly fell, part of the shower grab bar came loose, and the shower hose leaked and reduced water pressure. I attempted to fix these myself. We also heard frequent, loud stomping from the guest above. During a couple of very hot days, the room became uncomfortably warm. Although an AC remote was provided, we could not locate the unit, and adjusting the controls did not lower the fan speed or temperature. We didn’t contact reception because there were no instructions for using either room phone. Overall, the stay was fine, but the persistent smoke odor, maintenance issues, noise, and difficulty cooling the room were disappointing.