Arrival/Check-In: Having not slept on my overnight flight from New York to Berlin, I arrived at the Maritim proArte Hotel Berlin before 9 a.m., exhausted. I knew check-in time was 3 p.m.; still, I groaned when the desk clerk said there were no vacant rooms at the moment. That was before he added, “We do have one available, but it’s a smoking room.” I hate smoke; I never take a smoking room. “I’ll take it,” I said, and despite the room’s nicotine haze, five minutes after entering it I was asleep. Early afternoon, long before 3 p.m., the hotel transferred me to my non-smoking room, and I was ready to explore Berlin.

Guest Quarters: My non-smoking room, with a large, triple-paned window, had pale ivory walls, light-shaded furniture, a speckled green carpet and a bed cover of ivory and green. Add closets with a surplus of hangers, a comfortable upholstered chair, a large desk and a well-supplied bathroom, and I had everything I could need or want. Most important, this room smelled fresh and clean. Superior rooms and suites include Internet access free of charge and a big, flat-screen television.

Services/Amenities: The proArte Hotel Berlin, opened in 1995, is a 4-star hotel with 374 guestrooms and 29 suites. Art sets it apart from other Maritim hotels. While renovating it from a previous hotel, Maritim enlisted 11 Berlin artists, known as the Wild Youth, to create art for it. Thus, tantalizing contemporary paintings and sculptures enrich the lobby, bar, restaurants and all 11 floors, each named for an artist. The hotel has been designed so that, while it faces Friedrichstrasse, a major street, all guestrooms face one of the two quieter side streets.

The hotel houses two major restaurants. In 2007 it became the first in Berlin to earn an organic certificate for all foods served for breakfast and lunch. Its formal dining room, Restaurant Atelier, the recipient of much praise for food and service, is open for dinner only.

The Experience: The proArte Hotel Berlin is a comfortable hotel with a major asset: an extremely helpful front desk. Of equal importance is its excellent location, two short blocks from Unter den Linden, historic Berlin’s main boulevard, and easy walking distance to many major businesses, restaurants and cultural sights.

GT CHECKLIST

[checklist]
[item check=yes]Doorman/valet[/item]
[item check=yes]Less than 10 minutes for check-in[/item]
[item]Separate tub and shower[/item]
[item check=yes]Large vanity[/item]
[item check=yes]High-quality towels[/item]
[item]Powerful, unattached hair dryer[/item]
[item check=yes]High-quality bed linens[/item]
[item check=yes]Large, flat-screen television[/item]
[item check=yes]Large desk with convenient outlets[/item]
[item check=yes]Large, complimentary laptop safe[/item]
[item check=yes]Complimentary in-room WiFi[/item]
[item]Complimentary bottled water[/item]
[item check=yes]Stocked minibar[/item]
[item check=yes]Ample lighting[/item]
[item]In-room coffeemaker[/item]
[item]Iron and ironing board[/item]
[item check=yes]On-site restaurant[/item]
[item]24-hour room service[/item]
[item]24-hour state-of-the-art fitness center[/item]
[item]Turn-down service[/item]
[/checklist]

Maritim proArte Hotel Berlin

Friedrichstrasse 151
10117 Berlin, Germany
tel 49 30 2033 5
maritim.com