Bleibtreu Hotel by Matthew Barker

Chic city-centre boutique (60 rooms) that practices minimalism as eco-philosophy, thankfully with plenty of soft edges: comfy designer-upholstery in the rooms - some of which are borderline chintz - and colour-coded tiles throughout (the outside courtyard is blue-tiled). Funky, if you must. They say: "A young hotel on an old street, Bleibtreu is a streetwise hangout behind the gentlemanly guise of a townhouse" (Hip Hotels)

Hotel Attractions:The Blue Bar and 31 restaurant both impressive little pit stops, while the Wellness Centre offers myriad massage options, a sauna and gym.

Local Attractions:We’re just off the Kurfurstendamm here, Berlin’s Bond Street no less, and home to Claudia Skoda, Jil Sander, Ralf Setzer et al. Elsewhere the builders have been in: the re-vamped Potsdamer Platz and Reichstag remain works in progress while Checkpoint Charlie has upped and left town (not strictly true, you can still see it at the Allied Museum). Bit of culture at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt and Kunstlerhaus Bethanien; bite of Neue Deutsche Kuche at Lubitsch and Altes Zollhaus.