One of the newest hotels in Berlin, the RIU Plaza is a centrally located property, near KaDeWe, the large department store and a five minute walk to Wittenburgplatz station. A converted office building it has been many years in the making but adds a large, multi-storey hotel.

Booking on line at the last minute – I had rented an apartment which turned out to be a nightmare – I got a good rate -EUR149 for a large room, called by the hotel a suite. When I arrived just after twelve, it was not ready.  “But if I upgrade you to a full suite, I have a room ready”. Goodness? What service, I have no status but the front desk agent could not have been nicer.

The lobby has a small snack fridge and accesses the restaurant. The lifts are at the back of lobby area.

The room itself, located right at the end of the corridor, was a proper suite, with a door between the living room and the bedroom. The bathroom was large with a great rainfall shower.

The check-in card gave me my login to the WiFi which was fast and effective. The sofa was not the most comfortable, but the chair at the desk worked fine for my stay. There is an empty fridge which you can use for your own drinks. There is no room service. A kettle with tea and coffee was provided in the room.

The dark wood floor and shiny dark surfaces have it a very modern feel. The electrical sockets and air conditioning controls are at the end of the desk, around the corner. A bit hard to spot. There was a large TV above the desk with a large number of HD channels including some in English

The bedroom was not large, but functional with bathrobes laid out when I arrived.

The beds were comfortable and the curtains blacked out the room nicely. The bathroom, just off the bedroom is of shiny back tiles, and white fittings, make it a super contrast in colour.

The dark stone floors complimented the lighting which was strong in the areas where you needed to work. The bathroom had its own air-conditioning controls.

The view from the room was not very inspiring, being the car park at the back of the property.

I had a good nights sleep and woke refreshed. Breakfast was EUR18 which I declined and headed to the airport in the hope of getting on an earlier flight. A cab arrived 2 minutes after it was called by Reception. Unbeknown to me, Uber had started in Berlin that day.

A good solid limited service property, located close to the gay area of Berlin as well as easy for transport, and offering good rates, I am sure it is going to be a success.