"I stayed at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Ku'Damm whilst staying in Berlin. I booked the hotel because for £84 per night including breakfast, and considering this hotel also has a pool, I thought the price was an absolute steal and the best value for money in the area.
When I arrived, I found the member of staff at check-in to be very friendly and helpful. Stated on my reservation, I could check in from 3pm. Despite the time being several hours earlier, the staff member still allowed me to check in, which I was very impressed with!
Although the room wasn't the biggest I've ever been in, it was perfectly pleasant and comfortable (you have to bear in mind that it was a standard room, not a suite or anything). It felt quite modern and all the fixtures and fittings were clean and well-presented. Although it wasn't an issue for me as a solo traveller, the bathroom might have been considered quite small for some people, however the shower itself was quite spacious and was lovely and warm. The mattress on the bed also provided a good level of comfort (although the pillows ranged between extremely soft and extremely firm!).
I was really impressed with the breakfast offering here. There was an extensive breakfast buffet where you could get plenty of hot food, as well as cold options. On the last day, I discovered this place also cooked omelettes to order - which I was gutted about as I never got to sample one! The breakfast room was light and airy, with ample seating.
The location of this place is absolutely perfect; it is just over 5 minutes on foot to S+U Zoologischer Garten, which is a major railway station. It is less than a five minute walk from U Wittenbergplatz where you can access the U-Bahn, which will connect you to many of Berlin's major attractions. It is also right by the Zoo, which is a great attraction to visit.
There were just a couple of downsides to point out. First, whilst the gym/pool were nice additions (and one of the reasons why I booked the hotel), my initial optimism became dashed upon my first visit. The pool itself is quite small and also quite cold. As the hotel is of a decent-size, the pool feels quite crowded, even with just a few swimmers, making it challenging to swim a length. Disappointingly, there is also no jacuzzi, meaning whenever I went to the spa, I spent most of my time in the saunas (there is no steam room). In addition, I was a little surprised that the front desk for the pool was rarely staffed; they merely expected you to write your room number down on the sheet and help yourself to towels from behind the desk, which I felt uncomfortable about.
In terms of the room, whilst the overall cleanliness was good, I was a little put off when I saw the bathroom sink as there was a layer of something surrounding nozzle of the tap. I don't want to use the word 'mould' because it wasn't brown and I'm not sure it was, but this still made me uneasy.
Overall, I would still visit this hotel again if the room rate was a similar price. I would advise, however, that if you like to use a pool/health club, you choose a different hotel as you might be disappointed with what this hotel offers, however if you're not overly bothered, this is a great, affordable place to book. Would recommend!"
