Anyone who’s seen ‘Cabaret’ knows that the ’20s in Berlin were a riot… sometimes literally. Okay, so life in the Weimar Republic was no picnic – but the nightlife was undeniably fabulous, darling. And if you’re looking to bring a little of that Jazz Age glamour into your Berlin trip today, look no further than the Provocateur hotel in old West Berlin.
The fantasy starts at the front door: this place is seven floors of velvet, parquet, marble, brass, mirrors, pot plants, parquet, Persian rugs and chandeliers, all linked by a delightfully rickety vintage lift. (The décor is by London’s SZ Design, in case you were wondering.) Some of the rooms have freestanding baths; others (including ours) come with a spacious balcony to catch the sunset. The soundproofing is excellent and the beds are massive. Sexy times are gently encouraged by a couple of particularly raunchy mini-bar items and a mysterious ‘Provocateur Mode’ wall switch – you’ll find no spoilers here…
Down on the ground floor, there’s an appropriately ritzy bar (check the luscious velvet booths) and a Franco-Chinese restaurant, Golden Phoenix (sadly closed for our Sunday/Monday stay), plus a lovely, secluded terrace.
Minor niggles included the odd questionable design choice (a profusion of plastic plants, some tacky photography on the walls) and the occasional whiff of understaffedness. But if you’re after a decadent, stylish and fairly affordable stay with a heap of character, Provocateur serves it up on a silver platter. Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome!
Neighbourhood
You’re right on the border of genteel-but-low-key Wilmersdorf and swanky Charlottenburg – one of the best places to stay in Berlin, albeit a little distant from the multicultural vibes of the city centre.
Nearby
1. Preussenpark: This otherwise unremarkable Wilmersdorf park is transformed from Fridays to Sundays by a massive Thai street food market, which draws hungry families from across the city.
2. Rogacki: It’s only a four-minute U-Bahn ride to this wonderful old-school deli: a tiled temple to all things fried, smoked and pickled, where lunching locals eat oysters and potato salad at standing tables in the cavernous back room.
3. Kantstrasse: The closest thing Berlin has to a Chinatown, this buzzing boulevard is lined with restaurants repping a broad range of Asian cuisines. If you only have time for one meal here, head straight for tiny Taiwanese canteen Lon Men’s Noodle House.
Time Out tip
Although it’s not exactly in the vibiest part of Berlin, the hotel sits practically on top of the Konstanzer Strasse U-Bahn station, with direct links to Schöneberg, Kreuzberg and Neukölln – plus Rudow for the airport.