Property
The spacious rooms for couples or two-room suites for families are each outfitted with a kitchenette reminiscent of my parents’ RV cooking area. It contains a microwave to heat up Junior’s bottle, a college-size fridge to stash half-drunk bottles of apple juice or vodka, a sink and even two burners for the occasional midnight snack.

Location
Formerly a divided city during the Cold War, Berlin has become the hippest epicenter in Europe. The broad streets, excellent public transportation and greenery make it an easily navigable city for families with small children. Hotel Residenz 2000, located ten minutes from the Potsdamer Platz and the site of the old Berlin Wall, and styles itself as an ‘exclusive, international, yet affordable’ accommodation.

Sleeps
2-4 (plus a baby in a crib).

Highlights
Location! Much like New York, Berlin is a city that never sleeps, featuring over 1,500 cultural events annually. From theaters to coffee houses to late-night bar-hopping, the city offers a mind-blowing array of perennial activities. The Berlin zoo will capture your children’s hearts and your wallet so be prepared to spend lots of time and money there. Luckily the cab ride from the Tegel airport to downtown is only a two weeks’ worth of lattes, coming in at around 20€/$30.

Good to know
Front office hours are only nine a.m. to six p.m., so remember to always bring your key to avoid an untimely lock-out. Amenities such as the sauna, Internet and wash facilities are extra. Their welcome kit lists emergency contact numbers (including the local gynecologist, which I found oddly comforting). Ask for a room towards the back of the hotel. Its ideal location right on the Potsdamer Strasse is a drawback if your room is street-side. The good news is the majority of their rooms face the tree-filled inner courtyard. You can hop on the subway to the zoo four stops away. Although hotel staff are multi-lingual, their web site is not. Email them for dates and rates.

Contact
www.residenz2000.de

Written by Christine Hohlbaum