 Much has changed at the Adlon
since that night in the 1920s when, as boxer Max Schmeling later recounted, the
popular dancer Anita Berber entered with two male escorts, ordered three bottles
of Veuve Clicquot, unclasped the diamond brooch that fastened her fur coat, and,
when it fell away, toasted her companions in the nude. But the Adlon, which,
like Berber’s coat, at one point amounted to no more than a heap on the ground,
has resumed its role as the center of action in Berlin.
The original Adlon, located just inside the eastern border of
the Berlin Wall, directly across from the Brandenburg Gate, closed as a hotel in
the 1970s before being torn down in 1984. The lot remained vacant until
1997—nearly a decade after Germany reunified and Berlin reclaimed its place as
the country’s capital—when the Adlon reopened as the Hotel Adlon Kempinski
Berlin.
 Modern Berlin is a contemporary, cosmopolitan city that remains
German to the core, a split personality embraced by the Adlon Kempinski. The
hotel is calm when it needs to be, lively when it wants to be, and more than
able to meet the needs of businesspeople, tourists, and diplomats alike. And
while it clearly is possible to experience Berlin without staying (or at least
stopping by for afternoon tea) at the Adlon, the hotel—and the incidents that
may unfold behind its doors—should not be missed.
LOCATION
Situated near the former border of East and West Berlin on Unter
den Linden, steps from the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag. ACCOMMODATIONS
Of the 328 guest rooms at the Adlon, 66 are suites, 141
are nonsmoking rooms, two are designed for handicapped guests, six are
carpet-free for people with allergies, and several are fit for royalty and
presidents, who are frequent guests
of the hotel. FACILITIES
A swimming pool, fitness center, and 8,600-square-foot day spa,
plus meeting space that includes two ballrooms, two wood-paneled conference
rooms, and six salons. DINING
The Adlon’s three restaurants serve everything from
Michelin-star haute cuisine to bratwurst. Guests enjoy afternoon tea on the Bel
Etage mezzanine and cocktails in the famous Lobby Lounge. CONCIERGE RECOMMENDS
Take off with Air Service Berlin for a view of the
Brandenburg countryside by hot-air balloon, seaplane, helicopter, or Berlin
Airlift–era DC-3. RATES
Standard rooms from $485, junior suites from $880, and the
presidential suite from about $11,000.
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