25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin

Western Berlin, already well on its way out of the post-Wall doldrums, has become even more desirable with the recent opening of this hotel in the historical 1955 Bikini building complex. There's cheeky 'urban jungle'-themed design, combining raw concrete with potplant plantations, and wacky furniture with street art. Hammocks are slung just about everywhere, and top-end rooms come with sleek Schindelhauer bikes dangling from the shelves. Neni, the Middle-Eastern rooftop restaurant, and many of the rooms have good views of the apes and elephants in the zoo.