Château Royal

From the exterior, it might look a bit more traditional than what you’d expect from a boutique hotel in the former East Berlin, but hotels like Château Royal are a big part of what makes this city perennially hip, and not just fleetingly fashionable. It’s made from a pair of historic buildings in Mitte, one from the mid-19th century and another from the early 20th, and its interiors are inspired by both eras, featuring herringbone parquet floors, handmade tiles, and other classic touches.

It’s not strictly a retro experience, of course. One of Château Royal’s founders is a longtime fixture on the Berlin contemporary art scene, and each of the hotel’s 93 rooms and suites contains a unique artwork by a different contemporary artist, working in media ranging from painting and photography to installation and even performance. And art aside, the rooms and suites are visually striking while also feeling warm and organic; high-tech comforts like smart televisions are carefully hidden from view when not in use.