Berlin Mitte

Travelers with a limited number of nights should especially think about paying the few extra bucks a night for a place in Mitte. Most of the hostels are nice, and a few of them are literally minutes away from major sights.

Circus Hostel, Weinbergswet 1A (www.circus-berlin.de), A cushy place with luxurious beds in the hippest part of Mitte, Circus has a chill cafe, a great bar with nightly specials, DJs, and a pimping karaoke night. Wi-Fi only works well in rooms, and the lack of a”chill-out area” leaves more net-addicted guests wanting, but forgive us for nitpicking. Breakfast is generous and all you can eat, and the mattresses are like clouds. Rooms come with a load of “extras”; the podcast audio tours, jogging route maps, quality food recommendations, and outstandingly helpful staff really do make a difference. U8: Rosenthaler Pl. Linens included. Segways €35 per day. Bikes €12 per day. Breakfast €5. Towels €1. Luggage lockers €10 deposit. 8- to 10-bed dorms €19; 4-bed dorms €23. Singles €43; doubles €28. Reception 24hr. Wheelchair access. Has internet. Serves alcohol.
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Helter Skelter, Kalkscheunenstr. 4-5 (www.helterskelterhostel.de), The receptionist's warning: “The bar's open all day, but if you're too drunk at breakfast, we cut you off.” A bit dirty, a bit worn, but that's just because every night here is wild. If hostel-wide drinking games and late nights are your thing, then take a chance on this place, and years from now you'll remember it as a Berlin highlight. U6: Oranienburger Tor. From the station, head south on Friedrichstr. and take a left on Johannisstr. The hostel is on the 3rd fl. through a courtyard. Follow the signs. Linens, towel, coffee, tea, and Wi-Fi included. Breakfast €3 (free for guests staying longer than 3 days). Smoking allowed in common area. Kitchen available. First 10min. on computer free, €1 per 30min. after. Key deposit €5. Megadorm €10-14. Singles €34; doubles €22-27. Reception 24hr. Check-in 2pm. Check-out noon. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Has internet. Serves alcohol.
baxpax Downtown Hotel/Hostel, Ziegelstr. 28 (www.baxpax.de), Baxpax Downtown has a bag full of fun hostel tricks. Two aboveground pools are revealed in the summer (one on the lower patio, the other on the roof, where, by the way, there's a sweet minibar). Downstairs has its own bar, where a giant stuffed moose head keeps court. The hangout room has a pinball machine, and the patio has a bizzare 6m long bed in case you want to get weird with your friends. U6: Oranienburger Tor. From the station, head south on Friedrichstr., then turn left on Ziegelstr. Key deposit €5. Linens €2.50. Towel €1, free in doubles and singles. Breakfast €5.50. Laundry self-service €5, full-service €8. Non-smoking. 20-bed dorms €10-31; 5-bed dorms with private shower €16-36. Singles €29-92; doubles €54-132. Reception 24hr. Check-in 3pm. Check-out 11am. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Has internet. Serves alcohol.
Wombat's City Hostel, Alte Schönhauser Str. 2 (www.wombats-hostels.com), Mod, spotless, comfortable, with a rooftop bar and terrace—if Wombats is wrong, we don't want to be right. Hotel-like amenities exclude the possibility of clutch deals, but relax on the beanbags in the lobby and consider that you get what you pay for—that is, except for your first drink at the bar, which is free. The apartments with mini kitchens are nice enough to live in long-term. U2: Rosa-Luxemburg-Pl. Linens, lockers, luggage storage, and Wi-Fi included. Towel €2, free in doubles and apartments. 8 Internet stations; €.50 per 20min. Breakfast €3.70. Laundry €4.50. Guest kitchen. Non-smoking. 4- to 6-bed dorms €20-24; doubles €58-70; apartments €40-50 per person. Reception 24hr. Check-in 2pm. Check-out 10am. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Has internet. Serves alcohol. Has outdoor seating.
CityStay, Rosenstr. 16 (www.citystay.de), Besides being the most centrally located hostel in Berlin, a beautiful, well-kept courtyard and an expansive cafe lounge separate this hostel from the pack. Rooms are nice enough with huge windows and adequate beds. But you know what's really nice? A 2min. walk to Museum Island and Unter der Linden. U5, U8, S5, S7, S9, S75: Alexander Pl. Laundry €5. 5 computers in lobby; €3 per hr. Lockers €10 deposit. Sheets €2.50, free with ISIC. Towel €5 deposit. 2 women-only dorms. 8-bed dorms €17; 4-bed dorms €21; doubles €50, with private shower €65. Reception 24hr. Check-in 2pm. Check-out 10am. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Has internet. Has outdoor seating.
St. Christopher's, Rosa Luxembourg Str. 41 (www.st-christophers.co.uk), It's rare you find a hostel bar with drinks as cheap as €1 Jager shots, but St. Christopher's delivers this and, subsequently, many a wild night. The Wi-Fi-equipped bar, lobby, and loft spaces blow most hostels out of the water. Rooms are spacious and clean and smell nice, though the same can't always be said of your roommates. U2: Rosa-Luxemburg-Pl. Breakfast, luggage storage, lockers, and linens included. Towels €1. Internet €2 per hr. Non-smoking. Prices change in real time based upon availability. Dorms €12-20; doubles €35-50; quads €60-96. Reception 24hr. Check-in 2pm. Check-out 10am. Bar open daily until 3am. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Has internet. Serves alcohol. Has outdoor seating.
baxpax Mitte, Chausseestr. 102 (www.baxpax.de/mittes-backpacker), Baxpax Mitte rewards travelers who favor flavor over luxury. A group of traveling artists spread their love over the rooms to create a series of themed sanctuaries like the Garden of Eden, which has carpet-lined walls, or the Four Elements room with floors of water, beds of fire, earth tracked in by your dormmates, and air of air. The poetry room continues to develop as guests add their own original works: “Let's Go knows/That it should stick/To prose.” No beds are actually made of fire. U6: Zinnowitzer Str. Guest kitchen available. Linens €2.50. Key deposit €10. Towel €1. Full service laundry €7. Breakfast €5.50. 2 Internet kiosks €2 per hr. Happy hour at small in-house bar 7-8pm. Non-smoking. 7- to 9-bed dorms €13-19; 4-bed dorms €19-26. Singles €37-39; doubles €58-62, with private toilet €46-68. Reception 24hr. Check-in 3pm. Check-out 11am. Takes credit cards. Has internet. Serves alcohol.
Heart of Gold Hostel, Johannisstr. 11 (www.heartofgold-hostel.de), With a rundown The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy theme, Heart of Gold Hostel makes a bunch of references to its source material that most travelers won't get. Don't worry—not everyone can appreciate literature. The dorms aren't very plush, but enormous windows and wild space-themed rooms will distract you from that. S1, S2, S25: Oranienburger Str. Or U6: Oranienburger Tor. Wi-Fi, lockers, and towel included. Breakfast €3.50, free for guests staying more than 3 days. Laundry €4. Key deposit €5. Linens deposit €5. Padlock deposit €10. Megadorms €22; 4-bed dorms €12. Singles €40; doubles €60. Reception 24hr. Check-in 2pm. Check-out noon. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Has internet.
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City Hostel Berlin, Glinka Str. 5-7 (www.cityhostel-berlin.com), City Hostel Berlin feels a little old and institutionalized for having only been around a few years. Although it can't produce an awesome social environment, the beds are nice and the bathrooms are clean. A nice little bar with cheap and delicious snacks stays open late but doesn't exactly encourage revelry. Great “family rooms” with a bunk and a double bed available. U2: Mohrenstr. 6 Internet stations €0.50 per hour. Breakfast, luggage storage, safe box, Wi-Fi, lockers, linens, and towels included. Bike rental available. Dorms €17-22; doubles with shower €48-54. Reception 24hr. Check-in 3pm. Check-out 10am. Bar open 6pm-late. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Has internet. Serves alcohol. Has outdoor seating.
Three Little Pigs Hostel, Stresemannstr. 66 (www.three-little-pigs.de), An enormous 100-year-old former abbey serves as this hostel's lobby. Pushed back from the road through a series of courtyards, Three Little Pigs feels removed from the bustle of the city. Sturdy benches and long oak tables make it feel more like a medieval drinking hall than a hostel. Rooms and mattresses could be plusher but are entirely adequate, and the outdoor terrace is heaven on warm days. S1, S2, or S25: Anhalter Bahnhof. Wi-Fi and lockers included. Laundry €5. Bike rental €12 per day. 4 computers with Internet access €2 per hr. Breakfast €5. Linens €2.50. Towel €1. Guest kitchen. Parking facilities available. 6- to 8-bed dorms €11-17; Singles €34-36; doubles €44-48. Reception 24hr. Check-in 3pm. Check-out 11am. Does not take credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.
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