InterContinental Berlin

The Arrival

The InterContinental Berlin functions almost as a self-contained urban resort, and for a family that is a powerful thing. A modern hotel of spacious rooms and a calming ambience, it brings together an unusual depth of amenity — a Michelin-starred restaurant, a generous breakfast buffet, a spa, a pool, a club lounge, a cocktail bar and a vast lobby — on the leafy edge of the Tiergarten, near the Berlin Zoo. The result is a stay that can be as outward-facing or as self-sufficient as a family likes: spacious rooms and pool access make longer stays genuinely comfortable, while the central position keeps the city's great sights within easy reach. It is classic international luxury executed with enough warmth and versatility to welcome a design-minded family without ever feeling stiff — a grand hotel that happens also to be a wonderful place to be a child.

A Day in the Life

The InterContinental's position on the edge of the Tiergarten opens onto some of Berlin's most family-friendly pleasures. The vast green park, with its lawns, shady paths and playgrounds, is on the doorstep, and the Berlin Zoo and Aquarium — one of the most species-rich zoos in the world, a guaranteed day of delight — lies nearby. The grand shopping of the Kurfürstendamm and the famous KaDeWe department store are within reach, as are, a little further, the Brandenburg Gate and the museums of the centre. But the hotel itself is a destination: a morning at the zoo or in the park, an afternoon in the pool, a turn through the spa for the grown-ups, and perhaps an early introduction for the children to fine dining at the Michelin-starred restaurant. The flexibility — grand days out, or grand days in — is exactly what a family wants.

The Rooms

The rooms are spacious and calm, in a polished modern style, with the room to spread out that makes a longer family stay comfortable. The breadth of facilities — the pool especially — turns the hotel into a place children are happy to spend real time, and the spa offers parents their own recovery. It is luxury with genuine versatility, a grand hotel that bends to the needs of a family rather than holding them at arm's length.

The Table

Dining is a real strength: a Michelin-starred restaurant for an ambitious evening (and a memorable, gentle introduction to fine dining for older children), alongside a generous breakfast buffet and the casual pleasures of the bar and lounge. The breadth means every member of a family can be satisfied under one roof — a true convenience with children — and the surrounding district, near the Ku'damm, adds plenty more family-friendly options within easy reach.

Beyond the Doors

The InterContinental sits on the edge of the Tiergarten near the zoo, with the great park, the Berlin Zoo and the Kurfürstendamm all close at hand.

• Berlin Zoo & Aquarium12 min walk

  One of the world's most species-rich zoos, with an aquarium alongside — a guaranteed full day of delight for children, nearby.

• Tiergarten3 min walk

  Berlin's vast central park, with lawns, shady paths and playgrounds — a green expanse right on the doorstep.

• Kurfürstendamm & KaDeWeShort walk

  The grand shopping boulevard and the famous department store, with its legendary food hall — a treat for a rainy hour.

• Brandenburg GateShort tram ride

  The city's defining monument, reached by a stroll through the Tiergarten or a short hop on transit.

Why You'll Remember It

The InterContinental Berlin sells the grand hotel as a family resort — a Michelin kitchen, a pool, a spa and a club lounge, with a great park and a world-class zoo just down the road. The memory it leaves is expansive and indulgent: the day at the zoo, the afternoons in the pool, the children's first taste of fine dining, and the deep ease of a family that had a whole luxurious world to retreat into at the edge of one of Berlin's greenest spaces.

The Practicalities

Classic international luxury executed with enough warmth for design-minded families.