Four Seasons Berlin by Gemma Pitcher

For such an opulent hotel, the exterior of the Four Seasons Berlin is plain and unexceptional – built in 1996 on the site of a bombed car park, it simply blends in with the other buildings in the streets surrounding the Gendarmenmarkt. The location of the hotel couldn’t be better – the nearby French cathedral is lit up at night and visible from the rooms on the corner nearest it; these are the ones to go for if you can.

Once inside, a warm welcome issues from staff finely trained in the art of pampering their guests – the service at this particular Four Seasons is said to be among the best in the world, with appreciative American and Asian guests asserting that it matches up to anything their respective countries have to offer.

The interior design is comfortable and tasteful rather than grandiose or extravagant – muted creams, peaches and yellows, lit from outside by two courtyards and from within by crystal chandeliers, and furnished with respectable European antiques. The bathrooms are pure comfort zones, with three types of towel and a small fortune in toiletries on offer alongside the usual fluffy bathrobes and hair dryers. The restaurant is well regarded among the bon viveurs of Berlin and has a good view out over the Gendarmenmarkt.