Picolo recommends · Hotel in Berlin, Germany
Hotel Zoo Berlin
A classic façade on Kurfürstendamm hides a dark, theatrical interior and a long roof terrace, in the hotel where film stars once stayed for the Berlinale.
From the roof terrace you look straight down on Kurfürstendamm, the boulevard West Berliners simply call Ku’damm. In the decades after the war, this was where the film stars checked in during the Berlinale, the city’s film festival.
The front is classical, but inside it is all low light, deep colours and heavy materials. Rooms are big for Berlin, and at weekends the bar fills with well-dressed locals. The Gedächtniskirche is a few minutes along the street.
Picolo’s verdict
Why we chose Hotel Zoo Berlin
We chose Hotel Zoo for travellers who come to shop, watch the city go by and stay at a famous address. It has glamour without stiffness, and the rooms give you more space than most in town.
Ku’damm is the city’s busiest shopping street, and the traffic noise comes with it. If you sleep lightly, a room at the back is the better choice, and anyone focused on Mitte’s museums will spend time on the S-Bahn.
What you get
- Long roof terrace above Ku’damm
- Bar popular with Berliners at weekends
- Large rooms by Berlin standards
- Classic building with Berlinale history
- Dark, theatrical interiors
A day at Hotel Zoo Berlin
- Morning
- A slow breakfast before the shops open.
- Midday
- Shopping along Ku’damm and over to KaDeWe department store.
- Afternoon
- The Gedächtniskirche, left as a ruin since the war.
- Evening
- Drinks on the roof terrace above the traffic.
Location
Charlottenburg, Berlin, Germany
Open in MapsQuestions about Hotel Zoo Berlin
Is Hotel Zoo Berlin on Kurfürstendamm?
Yes, it sits right on Ku’damm, close to the Gedächtniskirche, in the middle of the western city centre.
Is Hotel Zoo Berlin noisy?
Rooms facing Ku’damm pick up the traffic. Request a room at the back if you are sensitive to noise.
Does Hotel Zoo Berlin have a roof terrace?
Yes. A long terrace runs along the roof above the street, a good spot for a drink with a view over the western part of the city.
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Updated 6 Nov 2026All articles
How Picolo chooses
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