Kurfürstendamm shopping area – adjacent
Tiergarten park – 2 blocks
Schloss Charlottenburg palace – 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles)
Potsdamer Platz – 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles)
Berlin Philharmonic – 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles)
Brandenburger Gate – 3 kilometers (2 miles)
Reichstag Building – 3 kilometers (2 miles)
Checkpoint Charlie – 3.5 kilometers (2 miles)
Museum Island – 4.5 kilometers (3 miles)
Alexanderplatz, center of former East Berlin – 5.5 kilometers (3.5 miles)

Airport buses and taxi cabs are available for transfer from the airport to the center of Berlin.

The U-bahn and S-bahn train networks connect the hotel with the rest of central Berlin within 5 minutes. The U-bahn station closest to the hotel is Kurfürstendamm. There is also a wide choice of buses. The hotel can order cabs on request.

This hotel has 316 guestrooms, all of which have high-speed Internet (fee), laptop computer safe, and a Lavazza espresso machine. Rooms are decorated with original art by Markus Lüpertz and pale wood furnishings, including deep, square suede or linen armchairs in gray or brown. Beds have premium mattresses and halogen bedside lamps. Some rooms are wheelchair-accessible, some have bathtubs with a view and some have Bang and Olufsen stereos. Bathrooms are black marble with separate bath and shower and overhead heating lamps.

44 - In 44's sweeping 120-seat fine-dining room, guests overlook downtown Berlin from cream suede armchairs seated at tables clad in white linen. Behind the brushed stainless-steel bar, a backlit divider is lined with spirits and liqueurs decanted into surgical-style, stoppered bottles. The menu is divided in two – 'tradition', showcasing haute cuisine, and 'evolution', a chance for 44's chef to express his creative spirit with signature dishes such as Red Mullet served with Goat Cheese, Tomato & Lavender. 44 serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Grande Galerie - The cream and black leather armchairs of Swissôtel's lobby café are a popular spot for impromptu business meetings. The Grande Galerie serves snacks and drinks throughout the day under the lobby's glass roof, with piano music in the evenings.

Palermo Bar - Leather banquettes surround the Palermo's island bar, on the hotel's main floor. Open in the evening, the bar serves light snacks and has its own humidor.

What to expect: Sharp-suited professionals and trend-setting young vacationers rub shoulders and down espressos in the Swissôtel's bustling glass-roofed lobby. From the striking post-modern curves of its exterior to Markus Lüpertz's modern sculptures, found on every floor, Swissôtel encapsulates 21st-century Berlin's fast-paced, innovative atmosphere.

Amenity highlights: Opened in 2003, Swissôtel was designed by Hamburg architects Gerkan, Marg and Partner and is filled with custom-made modern sculpture and contemporary art. Its '44' restaurant serves daring modern international cuisine with a view of Berlin's premier shopping street. Guests in town on business can take advantage of a business center with CD burner, scanner and laptop docking, as well as individually designed meeting rooms.

Insider tip: Swissôtel is a three-minute walk from the Tiergarten, Berlin's largest park and one of Europe's most beautiful. The concierge can provide a specially made map of jogging trails that takes guests through some of the park's highlights.

Only two years old, Swissôtel's curving exterior is crowned with a giant modern sculpture of the classical Greek myth of Paris – the theme is repeated in painting and sculpture throughout the hotel. The hotel's 44 restaurant serves daring international cuisine with a view of the city – guests between meetings appreciate the 44-minute business lunch. Other business services include computer rooms with CD burner, scanner and laptop docking, as well as individually designed meeting and private dining rooms and an executive lounge.

The Amrita fitness center includes weight, treadmill, bike and step machines, a steam room and a Finnish sauna. In the women's changing room, a large vanity table is stocked with Juvena beauty products.