The Mandala Hotel

In the heart of Berlin’s Potsdamer Platz, amid a sea of futuristic skyscrapers, and sandwiched between the Sony and Daimler Chrysler complexes, the Mandala is something of an oasis. Despite the bustle on the streets below, the atmosphere is anything but harried, with views over the quiet inner courtyard or balconies and terraces taking in the panorama of the city and the Tiergarten Park.

The Mandala’s style is modern, but restrained — the reception is sedate and unassuming, lacking the sort of flamboyant design statement we’re accustomed to seeing in the lobby of a modern boutique. Here it seems the designers’ attention has been focused on the living spaces, rather than the hotel’s public face.

Each of the Mandala’s 166 suites is individually designed, but all are cut from the same modern-elegant cloth, clean and bright but never sterile, a style more suited to a chic apartment than to a flashy hotel. The last thing anyone needs after negotiating the sensory overload of Potsdamer Platz is a “challenging” hotel environment, and the Mandala’s posh livability is a decided asset.

Distinctly calming is the fifth-floor terrace restaurant, with a retractable glass roof to keep the elements out and let the moonlight in: an intimate 14-table venue, Facil is one of Berlin’s better-kept secrets, serving a sophisticated cuisine in a casual yet stylish setting. And the most tranquil space is the ONO Spa, beautifully designed by Braun & Braun, featuring a range of low- and high-tech treatments, from Lomi Lomi, Balinese, and Abhyanga massage to the state-of-the-art Iyashi Dôme infrared treatment bed.