Review of Lux 11, by Isabel Clift

In Berlin’s central Mitte, Lux 11 stands out as a sleek, grown-up choice in a city often better-recognised for its rougher edges. Minimal in design, with quirky touches (staff wear branded Adidas tracksuits, there’s purple lighting and starburst chandeliers in the entrance), Lux 11 avoids the self-conscious edginess adopted by other hotels of its type in favour of a cool, classic approach.

More impressive still, the hotel manages to fit a fashion store, restaurant and beauty salon under its roof while keeping the feel of a chic enclave. Must be that sprinkle of design magic working.

Luchs restaurant is an effortless affair, with floor-to-ceiling windows and quick, friendly service making it a solid choice for dining in style. On either side, the mostly-white spaces of Ulf Haines fashion store and Beate Kahlcke Aveda spa also slip in well with the Lux 11 aesthetic: fantasy afternoons spent gliding from beauty treatment to light lunch to shopping Ann Demeulemeester or Balmain bits seem to be played out here with the minimum of fuss.

Despite all this fantastically elegant stuff, the real focus at Lux 11 is the apartments. I can't think of a design hotel that makes itself accessible to so many: whether you're here on business, a romantic break or with family, your spacious quarters (yes, they feel really feel like quarters, rather than just a room or even suite) are super-accommodating.

Most are extravagantly large, with two bedrooms, a kitchen and lounge, plus lovely high windows and ceilings. Fresh yet sophisticated décor presides, with flat-screen TVs, DVD players, Korres toiletries and lofty wardrobe space adding to the high-spec finish. If you can, get one with a street-facing balcony: the views take in Berlin’s awesomely retro-looking TV Tower. I also loved my long, corridor-shaped shower with floor lights, which sat just a glass-and-stone partition away from the bed.

Clever space-creating design in Value rooms means this squeaky-clean look’s carried forward from the Penthouses down, and all rooms have a real boon in the form of full-service kitchenettes. I usually get excited at the presence of my own kettle, so the bonus of a fridge, dishwasher, sink, toaster, caffetiere and full sets of cutlery and crockery, all unobtrusively stored, scored major points: those romantic weekenders, business folk and families mentioned before could all put these to good use.

It’s minimalist mastery at its finest, really: at Lux 11, you receive far more than at a standard hotel, and all in a living space that aims to look like less.