Cool Hunting

Lux 11, a new hotel that opened in Berlin's hip Mitte district in July, wins points for a location central to many of the city's best boutiques and restaurants and, with the addition of an Italian-Asian fusion restaurant (slated to open mid-November), Tietgen und Kahlcke's Aveda spa, Ulf Haines' (buyer of the the famed Quartier 206) store, and café, does its own part in upping the area's destinations.

Conceived more as a boarding house than hotel, the reception desk is only open during business hours and cleaning services occur every few days. Each of the 72 "apartments" include a full kitchen, fax, phone with voicemail, a safe, DVD player, LCD television, queen or king size beds (no twins), Lux's own line of toiletries, Linari room scents, and ceiling-mounted "rain" showerheads. Designed by London architect team Silvestrin/Salmaso, lichen-colored poured concrete forms the basis for pared-down open floorplans offset by eggshell white and wood-accented furniture. Executive and Premiere suites feature bathtubs and two televisions, smaller rooms look onto a rear courtyard while larger ones face the street, and nightly rates start at a modest 115 euros.

A Design Hotel affiliate - they were featured in the Design Hotels 2005 Yearbook - reservations can be made through their or Lux's website.