Kolo 77

Individually Owned Budget Hotel

The Kolo is located in a quiet residential area on the interface of the Wedding and Pankow districts. Before the iron curtain was lifted, this street had quite literally been a dead end with the wall separating the free from the communist world. Having said it's quiet, I must add that there is some noise from starting and landing planes, but this will be soon over as nearby Tegel airport will close soon. Also, already now the airport does not operate during nighttime hours. The surrounding neighbourhood doesn't contain any real tourist attractions but is quite typically Berlin and contains many beautifully restored city tenement houses from the fin-de-siècle period. Nearby Wollankstraße features the nearest S-Bahn station with good connections to the transport hubs Gesundbrunnen and Friedrichstraße. In Wollankstraße you'll also find an interesting mix of small shops and ethnic restaurants, especially if you go beyond the S-Bahn track into the Pankow district.

Unique Quality: Like many other budget hotels, the Kolo satisfies the demand for the gap between a cheap youth hostel with very basic services and the standard 3-star tourist hotels. As most of the accommodation consists of small apartments with 2 sleeping rooms, it is especially recommendable for young families with children travelling on a budget. Of course, it is equally suitable for other small groups. The owners run it on a part-time basis so you cannot expect 24/7 service. When there is no one in the house, the keys can be obtained from a door-attached safe. It's a good idea to make arrangements for check-in and check-out with the very friendly and practical owners. I have twice used the ground floor apartment No. 23 which offers basic wheelchair access (bathroom is a bit narrow, not really much room to make transfers). A definite pro is the very good breakfast, definitely above hostel standards. Especially the owners create a friendly and warm vibe -- I really like this place and would prefer it anytime over more expensive but soulless chain hotels.