“Want to go to Berlin and do some dancing?” casually asks my Editor. Yes of course I want to go to Berlin and dance, who wouldn’t? However this trip wasn’t about the techno clubs and underground dance scene in the city, this was about a new initiative by nhow Hotels called ‘Dance nhow, change now’ and I was to learn all about it whilst experiencing one of the most unique hotels I’ve ever had the pleasure of staying in.
You forget how quick it is to get to major cities in Europe, less than a 2-hour flight from Manchester (quicker than going to London on the train!), Berlin is so easily accessible and quick to get around thanks to excellent public transport links. This was made easy for us with the Berlin Welcome Card, which included all travel and even 50% off some major attractions.
My hotel for two nights was nhow Berlin, located on the banks of the river Spree in the Friedrichshain neighbourhood, known for its entertainment and buzz of activity. The distinctive pink colours can be seen at a distance, but it’s only when you enter the hotel do you understand why people say ‘it’s pink’ when asked to describe its interior. The reception is a feast for the eyes and full of eclectic design and hints of the theme of this nhow hotel: music.
Check in is swift and pleasant, and I step into the lift up to my room to the sound of rock music. I assume it’s just a quirk of the hotel, but when I come back down to visit the bar, there’s classical music playing… then when I go to breakfast, a spot of jazz. I later discovered that each of the six lifts plays a different genre of music, with playlists compiled by the hotel staff themselves. What an absolute delight!
My room is just wonderful, it’s easy to say there’s a big king-size bed, a window with a view, a flatscreen TV and a wet room shower, etc, but that’s just kind of standard. The rooms are quirky, bright and thoroughly modern. It’s not just the decor and extras that make the room great, but it’s the fact that everything is made with the guest in mind.
For example, the curtains are black out, not a bit of light woke me in the morning, and no lights from the TV or alarms were keeping me awake. The shower is hot and powerful, the air con works, the hairdryer is decent, there are several full-length mirrors, and phone chargers next to the bed; it’s as if the rooms are made for the well-travelled and know exactly what we want. I was really impressed.
As there was live music playing in the hotel bar, it felt rude not to have a drink and hear some local talent. The bar is newly renovated and has ample seating and tables, making it a great place for meetings, time with friends and family or a creative hub to get together. The cocktails are also a major draw, with the wonderful bar staff more than happy to make you something that you’ve never experienced before.
The hotel also boasts a wonderful restaurant (the breakfast buffet is incredible by the way), a fully equipped gym, large conference rooms and event spaces, a recording studio (yes, really) and an incredible sun terrace that looks over the river. It really is very impressive.
nhow Hotels & Resorts has launched an innovative new concept, dance
nhow, change now, designed to help inspire guests to embrace self-discovery and transformation during their stays through the power of movement. At the launch event, I really enjoyed a talk by UK-based world-leading dance psychologist Dr Peter Lovatt, also known as Doctor Dance, who has spent decades exploring the connections between movement, thinking, emotions, and social bonding. He had the whole room up dancing in unison with smiles on their faces, and you really understood why dance was such a source of joy.
To bring the concept to life, the brand collaborated with several renowned creatives from different artistic disciplines, including nine diverse international dancers and influencers who feature in the new brand and property videos. Among them are TikTok sensation Noel Robinson, renowned for his viral street dance videos, and British dancer Will West, who appears in the recent Wicked movie.
Though I wasn’t quite up to that standard, we did have a little help in embracing the initiative from the world-renowned Flying Steps Dance School, who gave us a lesson in hip hop. Although I struggled and looked like a plank of wood with arms, I really enjoyed myself and left feeling like I’d achieved something (as well as burning about 1,000 calories!).
Between enjoying music in the evenings and dancing in the daytime, we had the chance to explore Berlin and the wonderful local food scene, stopping at Market Hall Neun for a selection of delicacies from local tradespeople and wonderful wines and beers. It was amazing to hear how successful the market was and to see it so full of people enjoying and supporting small businesses.
We also had the pleasure of dining at traditional German restaurant Jäger & Lustig where I thoroughly enjoyed the cauliflower soup, followed by a gorgeous plate of venison, spring vegetables and mash and then struggled to eat dessert, struggled in the sense that I wanted to eat it all but simply didn’t have room! Lovely food in a really homely atmosphere with wonderful company. Ideal.
Guests will have the opportunity to engage with the dance nhow, change now initiative through a series of experiences and exciting events across all nhow hotels, so visit online to find out more about how you can get involved.
nhow Berlin
Stralauer Allee 3
10245
Berlin
Germany
