Family Fun at Scandic Berlin Potsdamer Platz

We recently stayed at the Scandic Berlin Potsdamer Platz Hotel – our second stay with the Scandic chain after our fabulous stay at one of their Helsinki hotels last year.

The Scandic Potsdamer Platz is part of the Scandic Hotels Group – the largest hotel chain in Scandinavia (280 hotels with 55,000 rooms!) and hotels in the Nordic countries along with Germany and Poland.

Following our Helsinki experience, we were big fans of the Scandic brand and were fully expecting to enjoy our Berlin stay. We were certainly not disappointed!

Location

The Scandic Potsdamer Platz Hotel is perfectly positioned on Gabriele-Tergit-Promenade, just 500m from the Potsdamer Platz Bahnhof. The Berlin Wall, dividing the East and West sides of the city, ran down Potsdamer Platz. And it was just up the road, in front of the Brandenburg Gate that the city’s inhabitants took the first incredible steps to pull down the wall and reunite their city and their country.

It couldn’t be easier to get around using the Scandic Hotel as your base.

Right next door to the hotel is the Mendelssohn-Bartholdy-Park station. We got a one-day travel card (14 Euros for the four of us) that gave us unlimited access to trains and buses allowing us to head a little further afield to see Europe’s largest open-air museum at the East Side Gallery, and head over to the impressive Zoo Berlin.

There are however a number of very important sites well within walking distance of the hotel, including the Brandenburg Gate (1.4km), Checkpoint Charlie (1.4km), the Tiergarten (2.4km) and even Zoo Berlin is only 2.8km if you feel like a nice walk through the park to get there.

There are also a huge number of restaurants in close proximity, offering great German food (and beer!), as well as plenty of shopping options.

With our kids in tow we decided to take a taxi from Schönefeld Airport, which cost approximately €40.

The Hotel

The Scandic Potsdamer Platz finds a great balance between modern and spacious but affordable accommodation. The reception and foyer areas are light and inviting, with the added bonus of a small shop enabling you to top up on essentials (or an ice-cream for the kids) without having to venture out of the hotel. 

There are plenty of comfortable and stylish seating options available in the foyer, making it a perfect family-friendly place for kids (or adults) to relax while mums and dads get themselves sorted.

Away from the reception, the hotel is equipped with 16 conference rooms which can cater for up to 550 people (and which looked like they were being fully utilised at the time we were there) and a good gym with all equipment and nice views from the top floor (open from 6am to 10pm).

Outside there’s a bike rack with bicycles to rent (€12 per day) for guests who want to explore the city like a local on one of the many cycle paths.

While the hotel is in a great central location, the road outside seemed very quiet with sedate traffic. This meant that drop-offs and pick-ups were easy, and we also didn’t need to worry about the kids running out of the hotel into traffic.

Our Room

 

We had a Standard Family Four room on the top (8th) floor which was incredibly spacious, with a very comfortable king-size bed (with twin mattresses) and bunks for the kids, which they also gave top marks for comfort.

The mini bar was well stocked with drinks, along with tea and coffee making supplies provided.

The WiFi in the room was super-speedy and reliable.

There was loads of wardrobe/closet space for hanging clothes, and ironing board and iron provided.

The nicely appointed bathroom included a good-sized bath (perfect for the kids), with a shower over the top.

Restaurant and Food

The restaurant is located on the 3rd floor, and is beautifully decorated, highlighting colors of the Scandinavian summer. In the background there is even the sound of birdsong and buzzing bees to add to the experience. The restaurant also has a pleasant terrace area for those lovely summer days.

There is also plenty of space in the restaurant, with a capacity of 230, meaning that we had no problem getting a seat.

Breakfast

One of the most important things for us (and particularly for our kids) in any hotel stay is the breakfast. Our kids love a good breakfast buffet, and the Scandic more than met their exacting standards.

The menu is extensive, from hot savoury options (sausages, bacon, eggs, beans) to fruit, cheeses, cold cuts, breads, croissants, cereals and yoghurts. There were plenty of jam and topping options and a huge array of fruits, berries and raisins to go with the cereals.

Overall there were over 100 components to choose from, with a very good selection of organic and fair trade products included, and a great section for people with allergens.

Our kids especially liked the small ice cream cones that could be filled with jams or Nutella, and the self-made waffles and pancakes with plenty of delicious toppings available.

For the younger kids there’s even a junior section with plastic plates and cutlery and some great kid-friendly fare.

The offering is truly fantastic, and is up there with some of the top buffet breakfasts we’ve had in a five-star hotel!

Lunch and dinner

There is also lunch and dinner available at the restaurant on the third floor. While we were too busy exploring the city in our hectic 48-hour stay to make it back in time for dinner, the menu looked great, combining delicious Scandinavian and local German offerings and utilising seasonal ingredients.

The verdict

We loved our stay in Berlin, and the Scandic Potsdamer Platz was the perfect hotel for our family in the perfect location. We would highly recommend it to others looking for family-friendly accommodation in Berlin.

The hotel has a lovely modern feel with great facilities, spacious and comfortable rooms, and great breakfast and restaurant. We can’t wait to visit again!

 

Disclosure: We received a discounted stay at Scandic Berlin Potsdamer Platz.  As usual, our opinions however are our own!