“A very pleasant, and affordable, surprise”
Quite honestly, when I stood outside the green gateway towards "103 at Schönhauser Allee, noticing the car traffic and the U-Bahn on Schönhauser Allee mixed with the buzz from all the restaurants, bars, and eateries around, I feared for the worst in terms of noise. No chance of getting any sleep, I thought. I was thoroughly wrong. The hotel is located in a backyard--a typical Berliner "Hinterhof," but bright, not dark and gray--and quiet! The building has been renovated quite recently, and its color scheme is bright and cheerful (with a few nods to IKEA and CB2 in terms of furnishing). The staff is very helpful and accommodating (don't be put off by a certain Berliner straightforwardness which translates well into English--it's part of the city experience). Rooms are simple but very clean. Free WiFi in lobby (and, at least up to the third floor, also in the rooms). The breakfast is rich and worth every cent of the €5.- that they charge for it. The hotel even provides for 24 hour bar service! Clientele seems to be mostly younger, but all in all a healthy mix of (mostly) seasoned travelers. In this price range you don't get the Adlon Kempinski at Under den Linden but frankly, as an individualized hotel experience and its location at the Prenzlauer Berg--a great mix of Old Berlin with an international flair, still not overrun by tourism--I prefer the "103." Anytime.