Hotel Review: 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin

The hotel is in a ten-storey block next to Bikini Berlin shopping mall and its upscale stores. It's also next to Berlin Zoo and Aquarium, with the vast Tiergarten park beyond. Kaiser-Wihelm-Gedächtniskirche, a towering church ruined in the war then restored, is close by and one of Berlin's top sights.

By plane: direct flights to Berlin Brandenburg from London (1 hour 40 minutes), Manchester (1 hour 55 minutes) and Edinburgh (2 hours 5 minutes). It's a 30-minute drive to the hotel. Parking costs €16 per day. Book flights to Berlin.

A battered grey Morris Traveller parked in the entrance hall makes it clear that this is no cookie-cutter hotel. Get ready for immersive lifts screening video, tunnel-like corridors with room numbers in green neon, excellent beats and a chatty humour - the Wi-Fi log-in, for example, is '25hourslovesyou'.

The third floor is a large and inviting work/play space with hammocks, pinball, vintage furniture and iMac stations.

• Restaurant
• Bar
• Terrace
• Sauna
• Free bikes
• Free Wi-Fi

Bedrooms are either Urban or Jungle - the latter overlook the zoo and are more pricey - and include the use of a high spec bike. Beds have two single duvets, bathrooms are open-plan with a grey curtain for privacy and Stop the Water natural toiletries from Germany.

Room types: Medium Urban, Medium Jungle, Large Urban, Large Jungle, Extra Large Urban

Key amenities: ensuite bathroom with toiletries, bluetooth speaker, air conditioning, free minibar, free Wi-Fi

NENI restaurants specialise in balagan cuisine (Hebrew for 'joyful shambles'), relishing the flavours of the eastern Mediterranean. This tenth floor Berlin outpost is a star example with the bonus of panoramic views and a breezy décor of blond wood, industrial fittings and a Butterfly Corner. The Monkey Bar pulls in the hipsters and has a DJ at weekends.

NENI Restaurant: light dining room, panoramic views. Mediterranean/persian cuisine. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Set menu from €41.