On the outskirts of the Mitte in Berlin's still edgy Friedrichshain, Michelberger Hotel is an alternative hotel haven located in an old factory conceived by its current owners as a place made by friends, for friends to feel at home. Bohemian culture reigns in a truly independent hotel concept defined by a lobby of hangout spaces that mix communal kitchen and Selby-ready lounge with nightly live music and intellectual Kaffeeklatsch throughout the day. The man behind the property is Tom Michelberger, a youthful and arty character in his own right that looks not unlike the cool guests and artist patrons that are regulars within his hotel's lobby. Offering a hotel product that caters to those on an artist's budget as much as those with more room to pay for just a cool design hotel, Michelberger finds opportunity in Berlin's current hotel market that has no shortage of stylish newcomers in recent years.

The Room:

Michelberger Hotel is a hit in the neighborhood, offering a sort of local commune that merges local artists with tourists and would-be Berliners. Unlike US’s Ace Hotels or Standard Hotels, Michelberger maintains a truly custom and handmade feel from its community-inspired rooms that give the feel that the city’s artistic spirit is alive and well – even if a little further from Berlin’s center than a decade ago. Rooms are ideal for laidback roadies or even writers with a lingering Marxist fetish offering a gamut of budget-to lux rooms like a “Cozy” ideal for singles or an “in love couple” and suites like “The Clever One” with its own private library.