Gästehaus Lazarus Berlin

This guest house is on the campus of a large social service organization, that includes a hospital, old age home and secondary school. It is in the midst of a gorgeous, lush and peaceful garden, an amazing amenity when you consider that this is a five minute tram ride from the main railroad station of Berlin. The room is immaculate, though a little bare, and quite large.Most of the rooms have little balconies. Most of the time you have to check in and out at the Grenzfall Hotel, about a block away, at the other side of the garden and social service complex. Otherwise, I found the staff to be extremely helpful and accommodating. Before I arrived I received an e mail telling me where to go for check in. I was assisted with carrying my luggage from the Grenzfall to the Gastehaus. Breakfast is decent, though a bit institutional. It is not required, or included in the room price, and there are a number of places to get breakfast just outside the grounds. I might not recommend this place in winter, when the walkways through the garden might get icy or slippery, but it's a great place to stay in warm weather when an exhausted traveler can relax on the grounds after touring Berlin.

The Gästehaus is on the campus of the Lazarus Christian benevolent group, which is mainly an old peoples’ home and a school of nursing. The accommodation is in the building of the old peoples’ home, and you can walk right in to the care home from the communal stairs and landings. The shared areas have the look and feel of a hospital, and there are notices in the elevator detailing forthcoming church services. The room itself was modern and spotlessly clean, if a little basic. There was no bottled water as in the photos on the listing, and no access to tea/coffee making facilities which was disappointing. The TV was mounted on the headboard wall so there was no way you could watch it. The reception desk is permanently closed and the booking confirmation says you will be provided with the code for the key box. This is not the case, you have to translate a notice attached to the door which tells you to collect your key from Hotel Grenzfall. This is an unfortunate name for a tower block.