Inside Berlin’s Most Famous Hotel – The Hotel Adlon Kempinski
Travel in 10:
Hosts: David Brodie and Tim Johnson
Location: Berlin, Germany
In this special bonus episode, David and Tim dedicate the full show to one of the most iconic hotels in the world and the best-known property in Germany — the Hotel Adlon Kempinski in Berlin. From royal beginnings to modern-day luxury, the Adlon’s history and service make it a destination in its own right.
Tim shares insights from his most recent stay, what makes the hotel a German cultural landmark, and why it’s worth adding to your travel bucket list.
In This Episode
History and Legacy
- Founded in the late 19th century with the support of Kaiser Wilhelm to rival Europe’s great hotels
- First in Germany with modern luxuries like electricity, elevators, and hot water
- A storied past including destruction during WWII and careful reconstruction
- Cultural fame in Germany, including as the setting of the TV drama Hotel Adlon
Notable Moments
- Visits from royalty, heads of state, and celebrities
- The infamous Michael Jackson balcony incident at the Presidential Suite
Guest Experience
- Traditional elegance with suites offering Brandenburg Gate views
- The expanded Zion Spa, Berlin’s largest, featuring saunas, a lap pool, and jacuzzis
- Exceptional concierge service, including the long-serving head concierge with stories from decades at the Adlon
Dining
- Two Michelin star restaurant Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer serving multi-course French cuisine with expert wine pairings from one of Germany’s top sommeliers
- Small, intimate dining space requiring advance booking
Insider Tips
- Take time to speak with the concierge or the “ladies and gentlemen in red” for behind-the-scenes stories
- Plan for at least one relaxed day at the hotel to enjoy the spa, public spaces, and fine dining
- Location allows you to walk directly to the Brandenburg Gate and Tiergarten
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Mentioned in this episode:
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Transcript
Foreign.
Speaker B:And a bonus episode on.
Speaker B:On Berlin this week we've talked a little bit about why to go to the city we got into in our last episode.
Speaker B:A little bit more logistics of getting around where to eat, a little bit of where to stay.
Speaker B:But there is one standout property that Tim has been talking about a lot.
Speaker B:I know we wanted to come back and do a dedicated episode on because it's got so much to talk about.
Speaker B:One of the most iconic hotels in the world, certainly the best known hotel in Germany, the Hotel Adalon.
Speaker B:And Tim, can you tell us a little bit about what makes this property so unique and such a landmark property?
Speaker A:Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker A:Love to talk about the Hotel Adlon Kempinski in Berlin.
Speaker A:You know, I mean, I think that there are certain hotels in the world that are almost universally, you know, recognized.
Speaker A:We talk about the Plaza, you know, in New York and there's a few others like that.
Speaker A:For Germans, this, this is it.
Speaker A:Like anytime I meet up with a German, I'll say, oh yeah, I was just in Berlin.
Speaker A:I stayed at the Hotel Adlon.
Speaker A:I've never had a German say I've never heard of that hotel, or I've never had a German not be extremely enthusiastic about the fact that I was at the Hotel Adlon.
Speaker A:So it really is one of their most iconic, most treasured hotels.
Speaker A:A hotel that is part of their national history.
Speaker A:And there's lots of reasons for that.
Speaker A:We're going to go into that a little bit on this episode today, but I just had the pleasure of doing a second stay at the Hotel Adlon.
Speaker A:I've stayed there twice now.
Speaker A:And everything that was told to me about the hotel was, was definitely true on this, on the stay.
Speaker A:From history to culture to also the modern amenities.
Speaker B:Well, let's, let's start there.
Speaker B:I mean, what historically, what makes this such a significant property?
Speaker A:So the hotel was built initially in the 19th century by Kaiser Wilhelm.
Speaker A:And the idea was, and I've seen this in a few other countries, that Germany did not have a hotel to rival other great hotels.
Speaker A:So, you know, Kaiser Wilhelm looked at Paris, he looked at London, he looked at places like the Savoy and said, we don't have that in Germany.
Speaker A:And so he wanted that in Germany.
Speaker A:So he partnered with a man named Adlon and they built this hotel to be Germany's great hotel.
Speaker A:And it was, and it became the first hotel in Germany.
Speaker A:And somebody might have to fact check me on this, but it was sort of like first to have electricity, first to have elevators, first to have hot running water, you Know, first to have all those things that, you know, an exacting hotel guest that royalty or heads of state would demand.
Speaker A:And, and it was built exactly.
Speaker A:I mean you, the, the location couldn't be better.
Speaker A:It's right at the Brandenburg Gate.
Speaker A:The suite that I was in, you looked out the window and, and the Brandenburg Gate was right there, which is the most famous site in, in, in all of Berlin.
Speaker A:It's the symbol of Berlin.
Speaker A:And so the, the, you know, as historic hotels traditionally do, it has gone through chapter after chapter after chapter.
Speaker A:There was the, and bombing and reconstruction since then, but it still to this day remains a very, a very famous hotel in, in, in Berlin.
Speaker A:And really a hotel that yes, if you, if you have the money to stay there, it's, it's, it's, you're going to want to stay there if you're a German.
Speaker A:But on both of my stays there, just sitting in the lobby, this church, two floor open lobby with this elephant fountain in the middle which is very, very famous routinely people would come in, take a photo as if they were photographing themselves, you know, at the Taj Mahal or you know, in front of the Mona Lisa or something like that.
Speaker A:They would come in and photograph themselves in the, the lobby of the, of the Hotel Adlon Kaminsky.
Speaker A:So really an interesting place to stay.
Speaker A:And really I think almost it still remains a little bit under the radar for North Americans because well, Germans, you know, know it very well.
Speaker A:It's not necessarily all that well known amongst North Americans.
Speaker B:There's maybe one thing that North Americans would know it for, which is, I mean you've talked a bit about its, its history.
Speaker B:It's more, it's more recent history.
Speaker B:In addition to hosting kings and queens, the King of Pop who was there once.
Speaker B:Do you want to talk a little bit about what happened there?
Speaker A:Yes, absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker A:So probably everybody remembers this sort of terrible moment in history when Michael Jackson, being stalked by the paparazzi, took his child and went out on the balcony of his room and hung the child over the edge of the balcony and waved the child back and forth.
Speaker A:And the truth of the matter is that he was staying in one of the presidential suites at the Hotel Avalon.
Speaker A:So that crazy moment that we probably all remember and if you don't remember it, look it up on YouTube.
Speaker A:There'll be 100 videos on YouTube that also happened at.
Speaker A:He was staying in the presidential suite at the Hotel Adlon.
Speaker A:And it's funny because the hotel is, is best known obviously for like royalty staying there, being created by German royalty.
Speaker A:And you know, Obama, all these great heads of state stayed there.
Speaker A:But the one thing you might remember it for if, if you watch YouTube is, is this moment with Michael Jackson.
Speaker A:And they're not, they don't shy away from it.
Speaker A:You know, when you go and you visit there, they.
Speaker A:The first time I was there, I did a little tour and they showed me the presidential suite and they did share that quite openly with me.
Speaker B:Did you recreate the moment?
Speaker B:Did you go shake something out on the balcony or.
Speaker A:I didn't, I didn't.
Speaker A:It would have been good if I got like a, like a doll, you know, like my buddy or something, you know, and got a hug it out.
Speaker A:But I'm not sure they were happy enough to share that moment with me.
Speaker A:But I'm not sure they would have been quite so happy for me to, for me to hang a, a my buddy doll out the, out the, out the window.
Speaker A:But.
Speaker B:So any other standout rooms or suites and what are the suites and rooms like?
Speaker B:Does it have more of a traditional feel, modern feel, a mix of both?
Speaker B:What's the kind of the experience there?
Speaker A:Yeah, definitely more of a traditional feel.
Speaker A:They have.
Speaker A:I believe it's three different presidential suites.
Speaker A:When I stayed there, I stayed in kind of a one room executive suite and it really had all the things that you could hope for.
Speaker A:So nice deep soaker tub, separate living room, extremely comfortable.
Speaker A:And then the views, you know, being able to, to walk up to the window and look out on the Brandenburg Gate was, was absolutely amazing.
Speaker A:And then some of the public spaces they've done a lot of work on.
Speaker A:And so I'm just, before I get in specifically with those, just talk a little bit more about the history, which is that, you know, it was created by Kaiser Wilhelm and it really has long been this kind of place to see and be seen.
Speaker A:And they actually created a show called Hotel Adlon that was basically the downtown Downton Abbey of Germany.
Speaker A:And it was about the upstairs, downstairs dynamics and drama that happens at Hotel Adlon.
Speaker A:So, so it was another, another, you know, sort of famous thing about this hotel where, you know, when new ambassadors come, they come and present their credentials to the, to the authorities and they do that at Hotel Adlon.
Speaker A:So there's, there's all of this kind of formal stuff, but the, the spaces, it, they have this really, they have the largest spa in Berlin and they've just expanded something called the Zion Spa, which has saunas and has a lap pool, has Jacuzzis.
Speaker A:And this is a brand new thing for them where they have this, this beautiful space where if I had one extra day or if I had one rainy day in, in Berlin, that's exactly where I would expect it.
Speaker A:I would have taken my book down, spent time in the jacuzzi, spent time in the sauna, spent time in the pool.
Speaker A:And so it definitely, you know, in addition to the history, in addition to the location, in addition to all the narratives that you're going to get and I would say for anyone who's staying there, go talk to the concierge, go talk to the, the woman, the, the ladies in red and the gentleman in red, which is kind of an internal concierge only offered by Kempinski, something they've been doing.
Speaker A:I think it's the 15th anniversary of that this year.
Speaker A:So definitely take advantage of all that service and at the hotel, but also just relax and enjoy and go to the spa.
Speaker A:I had an amazing spa treatment.
Speaker A:My back still feels better.
Speaker A:I mean it was about a week and a half ago.
Speaker A:So it's definitely the kind of hotel that you can go hear the history, have lunch, have a spa treatment, just spend the whole day without even leaving the hotel.
Speaker A:And then when you want to leave the hotel Tiergarten, Brandenburg Gate, all that stuff, it's just a few steps away.
Speaker B:Do you know is it, is it.
Speaker B:I know a lot of like luxury hotels like that.
Speaker B:Sometimes all the spa facilities and stuff you can access just if you're a guest, sometimes it's an add on, you have to pay separately.
Speaker B:Do you know what, what, like what it is there?
Speaker A:That's a good question.
Speaker A:I don't know that.
Speaker A:I think it is only for guests which as a guest is always nice because then you're not fighting for chairs, you're not fighting for, you know, machines if you're in the gym, that kind of thing with, with, with people from the outside.
Speaker A:So I do believe it is only for guests that I am not 100% sure of.
Speaker A:But when I went, it was not busy, you know, it was, they were flexible in the times when I had my treatment and then when I was in the, the beautiful lap pool, Jacuzzi.
Speaker B:Area.
Speaker A:You know, it was not, it was, it was not busy.
Speaker A:It was just perfect and placid and quiet and great to relax.
Speaker A:Yeah, I know.
Speaker B:Another thing you were mentioning was that the dining experience is pretty unique here as well.
Speaker B:And a pretty phenomenal restaurant as well.
Speaker A:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker A:And that's, that's, yeah, they have a two Michelin star restaurant there and it is, it's, it's high end French cooking, really fantastic ingredients.
Speaker A:When I was there, it was, technically it was a six course meal, but they had three separate amuse bouche and then I think they split the dessert into a couple different courses as well.
Speaker A:So we're talking about nine or ten different courses.
Speaker A:Chef was, was very impressive, came out and you know, and talked about certain aspects of the, of the meal.
Speaker A:And then also the psalm, the sommelier was one of the highly, the most highly regarded recognized psalms in all of Germany.
Speaker A:And he came out and did all the wine pairings and talked about what made it special and why they had selected that particular wine for that particular course.
Speaker A:So, you know, as much as it was a fabulous meal, as much as it's a rare opportunity to eat a two Michelin star restaurant, you know, one of the best restaurants in the world.
Speaker A:You know, it's also an education to be able to talk to the Somalia, to be able to talk to the chef and, and just learn about everything that they're doing there.
Speaker A:And so that's definitely a place where people should make a reservation.
Speaker A:I'm not sure how far out in advance they book it, but small restaurant, just a few tables and so yeah, so it's important to, to book ahead.
Speaker A:They might have, I think they might have eight or ten tables total.
Speaker A:And, and it's, it's, it's an occasion.
Speaker A:So you know, plan for, you know, if you're at the 6:30 seating, you're not going to be out of there before 10.
Speaker A:It's, it's, it's, it's an experience.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:But I would definitely recommend it.
Speaker A:Any foodies, anyone who just appreciates, you know, great culinary experiences.
Speaker A:That is, that is something that I would definitely do.
Speaker B:Well, it sounds like a great spot.
Speaker B:Any particular moment or detail from your last visit that really stood out or any insider tip for somebody coming and thinking of staying at Adelon to really make the most of their experience there?
Speaker A:For me, I think just to take time to speak with either the concierge, they have one concierge there whose name I can't recall at the moment, but he has been there for 25 years.
Speaker A:And I would say, you know, if you have a chance.
Speaker A:He's a busy man, you know, as a, as a, the hotel's main concierge, you can imagine.
Speaker A:But if you have a chance and you can kind of go in and talk to the staff and say, you know, can I speak with this guy?
Speaker A:And he only has five or ten minutes, it's worth, it'll be the best five or ten minutes of your visit because he'll tell you about the time the Queen was there or he'll tell you about the ambassadors, the newly appointed ambassadors presenting their credentials there at the hotel or what it was like, you know, when a certain celebrity stayed there, you know, including Michael Jackson, you know, so, so I would say, you know, as much as it's luxury, as much as it's the food, I mean, two Michelin stars, I mean it's one of the best restaurants in the world.
Speaker A:I would say taking the time to speak with him or even just to speak with any of the ladies or gentlemen in red and getting a little bit of their perspective is probably the best thing.
Speaker A:This hotel hires very interesting people with a lot of experience and they've got really interesting stories.
Speaker A:So that would be my recommendation.
Speaker B:Well, it sounds like a terrific spot and I think that will close out our three parter on kind of helping people plan a first trip to Berlin maybe this summer or sometime later this year, as always, would encourage people, if you're enjoying the podcast, to give us a review or rating on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us and continue to check out our other podcasts from around the world on the Voyage Gate Podcast Network, something that Tim and I started up here earlier this year, really bringing together some of the best travel podcasts in the world, helping people travel more and travel better, and there's tons of great content there.
Speaker B:We've now got episodes on literally thousands of destinations around the world between our 10 or so different hosts and different podcasts that we've got now on Voyascape.
Speaker B:So you can find all of that content on voyascape.com and encourage people to check that out.
Speaker B:And lastly, we love getting your questions as well.
Speaker B:We've had a few good listener questions come in over the last few weeks that we've been able to give people some tips on places to go and things to see and do.
Speaker B:So please do email us anytime and we'll try and incorporate some of those questions into future episodes as well.
Speaker B:Thanks, Tim.
Speaker B:Enjoy.
Speaker B:I know you're you're traveling the Yukon this week and hope you're having a great trip up north and look forward to getting getting together for our next conversation again here soon.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:Thanks so much, David.
Speaker A:Always a pleasure.
Speaker B:Thanks.
