If ever there's a time to go to Berlin, it is now. For while the German capital continues to be a mecca for coolhunters, it has added an extra star to its fashionable status with the opening of Soho House Berlin, Nick Jones's new boutique hotel-cum-club.
Based in the modish Mitte district, the vibe at this former department store-turned-communist headquarters-turned hotel is cutting-edge luxury. The lobby, with its exposed concrete, leather sofas and metal movie lights, even boasts a roundabout and a huge image of a shark spray-painted by Damien Hirst when he stayed. The staff look the part, too, with their sharp hairdos, skinny jeans and bright red lipstick.
But the 40-room hotel is far from intimidating. It still retains plenty of that Soho House charm thanks, in large part, to the flair of interior designer Susie Atkinson (also responsible for Babington House and Dean Street Townhouse). There are six different bedroom sizes, priced accordingly, their décor a delightful mix of Art Deco and industrial chic with a lived-in country-house twist. The result is deliciously decadent.
Our room is enormous. The bed alone measures 8 feet by 8 feet and is swathed in leather and faux fur throws with a giant dark green headboard and gigantic pillows to match. The bespoke dresser and dressing table, the lamps, the chintz armchairs are one-of-a-kind beautiful. To complete the look, the floor is dark wood, the curtains heavy velvet and there's even an old-fashioned gramophone with a collection of LPs. I spot James Brown, perfect for singing along to in the shower. Talking of which ours is — you guessed it — on the generous side, with plenty of Cowshed products.
The room's three windows offer views of the city's famous Fernsehturm (television tower) and a tramline along which trams rumble lazily (but not too noisily). It's only a matter of minutes to some of the city's hotspots, including the Brandenburg Gate, but if you'd prefer to relax rather than roam the streets there's plenty for guests to do.
We start in the basement, which houses a sumptuous red velvet 30-seater cinema and the spa with its concrete floors, white tiles on the walls, and floral covered chairs and velvet sofas. There are five treatment rooms, four mani/pedi stations, a café and retail rooms (the hotel also has a gym — complete with Kinesis machine, sauna and steam room).
Whizz up in the leather-lined lifts past the lobby, a branch of Cecconi's, which is due to open later this year, the gym, the Politburo (available to hire for private events) and the bedrooms, and you reach the Club Floor, reserved for members and hotel guests, where a pewter-topped bar under a Deco-style chandelier sits centre stage. Squishy velvet seating, intimate candlelit corners, a bespoke art collection and huge fireplaces complete the look. The adjoining House Kitchen, with its stunning black-and-white tiled floor, offers an all-day menu (we love the schniztel and the risotto).
But the piece de resistance has to be the open-air pool on the eighth floor. Lined in green polyslave volcanic stone and surrounded by stripy loungers it's here, as dusk falls, you'll find the cool crowd, sipping martinis and admiring the views, safe in the knowledge they're in the coolest joint in town.
Rooms from £84 (members from £63). Visit sohohouseberlin.com
