Lux Eleven Berlin Reception

Perhaps one of my favourite aspects of Berlin is its vast history, from a tragic war torn past to a modern epicentre of music and art, the German global city garners tourists and business trotters alike. With an array of cultural experiences – I had to phone a friend to round down the options – the top of Europe is an escape from the everyday norm. Lux Eleven in the heart of Mitte, a foodie haven and quiet elude from the many party suburbs of Berlin, provided the apt home for several nights as a break from work commitments in London.

Following a speedy flight from the UK to Germany, an easy commute on the interconnected and efficient train system to Alexanderplatz as well as a five-minute walk landed myself at the design hotel. Situated around the corner from leafy streets of designer boutiques and cult restaurants, Lux Eleven was surprisingly easy to spot for a first timer to the colourful city. Housed in a heritage-style building – one of the luckier structures to have survived the two world wars of devastating bombings – my continuous thought during my short stay was, “If only the walls talked.”

Lux Eleven Berlin Penthouse

Like many of the buildings in Germany, let alone the rest of Europe, there are often historic stories to be told from years gone by. For the now-modern apartments and suites, it was once the silent eyes and ears of a former military hospital first built in 1897 before becoming an office and base for Russian secret service during the Holocaust era and where the KGB was housed as telephone surveillance, listening to the conversations of East and West Berliners. In more recent decades, following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, it became a venue for illicit raves with the imposing white building on Rosa-Luxemburg-Strasse in Mitte, forever known as a location of ever-changing culture for the city and country. Since 2005, Lux Eleven has been opened to the traveller looking for the creature comforts of home with an added touch of luxury and following 2019, is set to continue an upwards trajectory of Berlin accommodation. Now with 72 luxury self-contained apartments, the building remains a beacon in the neighbourhood, a place where visitors can experience the city not as a guest but as a ‘Berliner’, minus the overbearing tourist scene.

Lux Eleven Berlin Penthouse

On first arrival to Berlin, it is clear just how vast the pulsating city stretches. However for the hotel, it is in proximity to the best coveted spots and known destinations the city can offer as well as cafes (if you’re a coffee snob as I am, third wave coffee is a must try), art galleries, bars and restaurants. The famed ‘Museum Island’, Brandenburg Gate and Spree River which cuts through much of the city is an easy walk, while other experiences such as the Sunday markets at Mauerpark and the closed air field, Tempelhof, requires some simple planning and a quick walk to the bustling train station of Alexanderplatz – the iconic TV tower also close by.

Despite its initial attraction to young travellers, Lux Eleven is known to be the first choice for families, musicians and celebrities with spacious apartments allowing guests to live privately and independently for extended stays whilst enjoying the round-the-clock service and facilities of a four-star hotel. Each apartment, from 25 to 55 square metres in size, is spacious and minimalist in style, with a high ceiling, bright-white walls, a flat-screen TV and a well-equipped kitchen. For those seeking an extraordinary stay, there is also a sweeping 160-square-metre penthouse with its own rooftop terrace, gym and sauna.

Lux Eleven Berlin Executive Suite

Modernity within the historic setting also comes from its concept store and milk bar, Type Hype. Designed for your own personal character, Type Hype offers graphic homewares and accessories with a belief in uncompromising quality, traditional craftsmanship and sustainability. Within the same space, it also provides a lively food scene specialising in fresh bread, organic milk and other delicacies. Adjacent to Type Hype, Lux Eleven also boasts the hotel’s restaurant Prince and as the name might suggest, it has become a Berlin culinary hotspot for locals and guests alike and serves innovative Asian cuisine and delicious cocktails. With the opportunity to stay in for a quiet evening and cook with the many facilities made available in-room or dine out (PSA: Berlin strangely do Vietnamese cuisine extremely well), it is safe to say Lux Eleven can truly take form as a home away from home, independence the true luxury.

For an adults-only iteration, Lux Eleven also boasts The Weinmeister close by.

To book your stay at Lux Eleven, visit here.