Oh, how joyful!
It’s time to say thank you to all the guests and friends of Ming Hotels. Thank you for a wonderful year! Thank you for all the good and critical comments, your visits, your interest, your constructive feedback. With guests like you we are gifted and joyful.
As always, the end of the year is full of highlights – in a metropolis like London, capitals like Berlin or county idylls like Zeuthen in the Dahme-Spreewald district near Berlin. Join us on a trip from culinary to culture, art, kitsch and blasts. We’ll let it pop with our ultimate Christmas and year end tips.
Christmas 2019 – we are the Champions & the British too
Santa Claus is an invention of Coca Cola?! Anyone who has ever seen Peter Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker” on the stage of the London Coliseum or other breathtaking events at the Royal Opera House and Royal Albert Hall might think that most of the traditional Christmas with fir tree, nuts, biscuits and angel choirs has been inspired by the German model. Is it any wonder that Germans are, in a way, world champions in Christmas markets?! Challenged only by the British decorating geniuses who are turning London into a true walk-in Christmas museum – but more on that later.
The most beautiful and crazy Christmas markets in Berlin
One of our favourites is the Berlin Christmas market at Gendarmenmarkt. Surrounded by the French and German Domes, this place has a special kind of magic. Many restaurants have set up rustic hut dependencies here – such as Lutter & Wegner and Kasermandl. At Schampuss & Spätzle, there is champagne with Alpine feeling. On the open air stage, live performances are offered to listen to or sing along, and instead of the usual junk, you can buy crafts that are original and sustainable.
Berlin would not be Berlin if it did not meet every taste at Christmas. Traditionally, the Christmas market at the Charlottenburg Palace: Weihnachtsmarkt am Charlottenburger Schloss. With a Ferris wheel, historic rides in the shadow of the TV tower define the Christmas market at the Red Town Hall: Weihnachtsmarkt am Roten Rathaus. The largest vegan Christmas market (veganer Weihnachtsmarkt) is located on Ferbelliner Platz in Wilmersdorf, a 300 square meter ice rink at Winterwelt am Potsdamer Platz. The LGBTIQ* community will get its money’s worth at Nollendorfplatz on Christmas Avenue!
A Christmas experience of the nostalgic-emotional kind can be found in the south of the city in the Christmas Garden. As soon as it gets dark, the outdoor area of the botanical garden in Steglitz turns into a luminous fairy tale landscape full of sparkling illuminations, recently accompanied musically as well. An open-air ice rink at the Great Tropenhaus is available free of charge; the alpine hut restaurant “Santa Clause” offers hearty, delicious, Christmas cuisine. Tickets can be ordered online!
Christmas bargains at the Ming Hotels in Berlin
If you want to experience Berlin in winter: The stylish Monbijou Hotel at Hackescher Markt, the stylish Mondrian Suites Berlin Checkpoint Charlie and the charming Metropolitan Hotel in the City West offer rooms in all categories with a discount of 10 percent for your direct booking including the free rebooking and cancellation (dependent on the booking condition).
London lures with ice rinks in front of a historic backdrop and the best Christmas shop window
Christmas in London is the ultimate way to stimulate all the senses, both to visitors to the megacity and to its residents. At Trafalgar Square – less than 10 minutes’ walk from our chic boutique hotel Mimi’s London Soho – singers and choirs perform every evening, singing traditional English Christmas carols. The gigantic fir is a donation of the Norwegian capital Oslo to all Britons. It will be illuminated with festive lighting on the 5th of December.
Highlights of the Christmas Season in London include the Winterwonderland Hyde Park and the ice rink at the National History Museum. In front of the impressive backdrop of the magnificent victorian building you can still make your rounds until the beginning of January. Ticket reservation is recommended!
A few steps further you can admire the bombastic showcase decoration of London’s ultimate shopping mall Harrod’s– in front of a facade covered with hundreds of thousands of lights, which take your breath away. Inside the traditional department store are the food halls, probably the most impressive food department in the world. Pure eye candy! More minimalistically designed, but no less impressive, is the Window Show by Harvey Nichol’s.
Coca Cola at Christmas Truck & Fancy Cocktails at Henson’s Bar & Social at Mimi’s by the Fireplace
If you want to see the original Coca Cola Christmas Truck Tour live in the beginning of December there will be three opportunities in the London area. Nearest to town, the eye-catching red Christmas truck rolls into Greenwich Village. The glitzy splendor of all the big, high-street gowns is festive, such as Oxford Street, Regent Street, Covent Garden, Carnaby Street, the posh Bond Street with its luxury shops and pretty side streets.
Find the perfect city residence for your stay in London with us at Mimi’s Hotel Soho – a member of stylish hip hotels. Located in the heart of the city’s most beautiful nightlife district, our chic boutique hotel is within walking distance of all the city’s major venues and squares, including Piccadilly, Leister and Trafalgar Square. With direct bookings on the homepage you automatically receive a discount of 10%! Enjoy wonderful box spring beds, marble baths, a good drink at the walk-in bar Henson’s Bar and Social in the foyer or a tea by the fireplace.
Angels in Berlin
In Berlin there are real angels and Madonnas to see – of the famous Italian Renaissance artist Raphael. On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of his death in 2020, the Gemälde-Galerie will show five loans from London’s National Gallery and the Berlin Kupferstichkabinett, which have never been shown together before December 12th. Pictures of “perfect beauty and harmony”. Tip: It is equally far from all Ming hotels. Pick the best deal at the Monbijou Hotel, Metropolitan or at Mondrian Suites Berlin Checkpoint Charlie!
The Jewish Museum will be showing a photo exhibition with 200 works by twelve international photo artists until the 5th of January. In „This Place“ they portray the complexity of Israel and the West Bank. “Themes such as identity, family, home and landscape come into focus, while the Middle East conflict is sometimes more and less visible.” Hotel tip here is the Mondrian Suites Berlin Checkpoint Charlie. Rent one of the beautiful apartments, strengthen yourself with a delicious breakfast or a drink by the fireplace during your Berlin trip.
The best time of the year is also the most delicious. As in the land of milk and honey we can look forward to crispy roasts, red and green cabbage, Christmas apples, marzipan and deep red wines – in the Seehotel Zeuthen with an atmospheric view of the water. Fans of traditional roast goose can look forward to the special “Geese roast as much as you like” from the 1st to the 22nd of December. There are crispy legs and breasts, traditional side dishes, soup and digestive. Daily from 18 o’clock. Registration required!
On all four Sundays in Advent the Seehotel Zeuthen raises the Advent brunch with delicacies from the buffet, to suit the season. Always from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm. Registration required! On the festive Christmas Eve dinner on December 24, the chef spoils with a four-course meal in a Christmas atmosphere and small gifts! Limited availability, please register beforehand.
Christmas brunch and Christmas specials in a county idyll
On both Christmas holidays, the Seehotel invites you to a Christmas brunch between 11:30 am and 02:30 pm. Look forward to a traditional Christmas buffet with Christmas delicacies and a surprise for everyone. Or treat yourself to four days of Christmas on Lake Zeuthen with arrival on the 23rd of December, gourmet breakfast, ¾ board including 4-course menu and Christmas Eve, gourmet breakfast and “Geese roast as much as you like” buffet on the 1st holiday, as well as a gourmet breakfast on the December 26th. Tickets for the Christmas Eve menu and brunch are only available in advance.
New Year’s Eve Gala in Zeuthen, Berlin’s biggest party and the most beautiful in Monbijou Hotel
Come to the Seehotel for the festive New Year’s Silvestergala 2019/2020 and let’s celebrate! The Seehotel will spoil you with a welcome drink, live music and DJ, an exclusive gala buffet, fireworks on the lake and midnight snack. Or stay 3 days for New Year’s Eve on Lake Zeuthen “Silvester am Zeuthener See” including two nights in a comfortable double room from 30.12. until 01.01. – Including breakfast buffet, New Year’s Eve gala, mulled wine and buffet on the eve and New Year’s breakfast.
Celebrate the Night of the Night with champagne, swing & a mega view at Monbijou Hotel Berlin
What does Berlin offer? In addition to the largest open-air New Year’s Eve party in Germany at the Brandenburg Gate with over one million party-obsessed berserkers, you can also float in the New Year in a private, stylish, cozy and chic. The Monbijou Hotel Berlin offers Swing & Champagne – New Year’s Eve at its best! Celebrate the Night of the Night with live music from the swing band „Savoy Satellites“ and experience the turn of the year with a gigantic view over the rooftops of Berlin at the Roof Top Bar of the Monbijou.
Before and after, the Bijou Lounge & Private Bar is your exclusive party retreat from 8pm in the evening (admission) until 2am. The premium ticket includes a bottle of champagne, live music, New Year’s Eve snacks and everything from long drinks to wine, beer and soft drinks. The Gold Ticket has the same package, but without Champagne. Further information and registration via info@monbijouhotel.com.
Berlin, London and Zeuthen am See wish you a happy new year and a good time in 2020!
Happy New Year!
London shines, burns and glitters!
Diwali in London is as exotic as it can get! For years the important Hindu festival of lights has been an absolute Must. Traditionally, London’s Mayor Sadiq Aman Khan invites to the mega event on 3rd November with music, dancing and a colorful whole lot of things to do on and around Trafalgar Square. Diwali symbolizes joy, love, reflection, determination, forgiveness, light and knowledge and represents the victory of good over evil, of light over darkness.
With spectacular fireworks, lightshows and numerous events, London will be celebrating the Bonfire Night on 5th November, a historical event. Guy Fawkes Day celebrates the successful thwarting of an explosives attack against the Crown and the church of England in 1605. Symbolically, straw men and campfires burn while the sky is filled with colorful fireworks. In some parts of the city the event is celebrated before, or re-celebrated. All event highlights can be found here!
When Christmas lights are switched on on London’s most famous Oxford Street (probably on 6th November), the city is immersed in a sea of light and glitter. More than a million visitors are expected for shopping specials, events, discounts, music and many more things to do and enjoy. Marylebone Highstreet, Covent Garden and Regent Street will follow on 13th, 14th and 16th November.
For a hotel tip in London you don’t have to search long, because our absolute favourite hotel Mimi’s London Soho couldn’t be located better: Trafalgar Square, Regent and Oxford Street are all within walking distance. Perfect for a power nap between sightseeing and shopping sessions; also perfect for strengthening yourself at Henson’s Bar & Social in the Mimi’s Lounge. In addition to delicious snacks at the cosy fireplace the bar offers coffee specials and most fabulous cocktails.
Berlin celebrates the fall of the Berlin Wall, criminal marathon, short films & the return of SEEED
Do you prefer it bloody or well done? At the crime marathon from 4th to 17th November, 70 thriller authors will read from their works – in German. The International Short Film Festival Berlin is like a mini-Berlinale and perfect for all those who are too hippy to sit for two hours through a feature film – from 5th to 10th November. A piece of Berlin’s soul can be experienced live on 6th November when SEEED perform in the Max Schmeling Halle – Berlin’s most popular musician reggae collective.
30 years of the fall of the Berlin Wall – what a big date! On 9th November, Berlin celebrates this special anniversary with a wide choice of events. From open-air exhibitions at historical original locations, a Fall of the Wall concert at the Brandenburg Gate – co-created by the Staatskapelle Unter den Linden’s direction of Daniel Barenboim and WestBam – to the floating art installation “Your Vision In Heaven Over Berlin”. Pure emotion and history.
London lures with Lord Mayor’s Parade & cool Jazz
One of London’s biggest event is The Lord Mayor’s Show. The 692nd Lord Mayor of London – Alderman William Russell – is officially Lord Mayor Elect until the day before the Show, when he is sworn into office. The Show then finishes the job by carrying the new Lord Mayor to Westminster to swear loyalty to the Crown. At the traditional mega-event on 9th November over 500,000 people cheer along the procession with around 140 carriages, 7,000 performers, live bands and dancers.
From 15th to 24th November, London Jazz Festival will attract Jazz fans with a “dazzling extravagance of concerts, events and performances throughout the city” – new talents and world-famous stars on both a grand and intimate scale. Venues range from Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Wigmore Hall to smaller venues such as King’s Place, Purcell Room and Omnibus Theatre.
Harry Potter (almost) live in London
Did you know that Harry Potter is in a way a direct neighbour of Mimis London Soho?! The Palace Theater where “Harry Potter and the cursed Child” is performed is less than a five minute walk from the cutest boutique hotel in Soho. The sequel to the story of the world-famous novel character by Joan K. Rowlings is a Must for all Harry Potter fans – so go and see it and grab your 10% discount at Mimi’s with a direct booking on the homepage! The discount also applies to the suites.
Hogwarts in the snow! Can it get any better for fans of Harry, Ron, Hermine, Dumbledore and the gang?! The tours of Warner Bros. Studios in London are promising pure bliss from 16th November until 26th January by showing off their magical sceneries. Go and visit the festive transformation of the Great Hall, lined with Christmas trees, “the long dining tables will be dressed as they were for seasonal feasts at Hogwarts, complete with Christmas puddings surrounded by real flames”.
Best Berlin costumes, best Berlin Christmas markets – here we go!
Drama, baby! The city’s weirdest second-hand market takes place on 16th November, with the Komische Opera’s costumes sale. If you want to show your friends what an eccentric thing you are, then stock up your personal wardrobe with elaborate clothes and accessories from the Opera’s outstanding collection. The fabulous opera house offers flashy bargains from 1 to 800 euros.
Berlin’s Christmas markets are unbeatable. Spectacular settings, every imaginable motto and a variety as big as the city. Our favourite market – the Christmas Magic at the Gendarmenmarkt – is considered one of the most beautiful. It starts on 25 November. Mulled wine, a fireplace and a wonderful atmosphere can also be found in the lobby of the Monbijou Hotel, which is within walking distance of many Christmas markets. Beautiful atmosphere, beautiful suites, beautiful bar!
St. Martin’s Goose and deceleration in the Seehotel Zeuthen
On the 11th November the Seehotel Zeuthen traditionally gets to the feathers of the St. Martin’s geese. On the picturesque banks of the river Dahme on the outskirts of Berlin the “Martinsgansdinner” is served with a winterly pre-soup, red cabbage, green cabbage and steaming dumplings. At the end there is a noble digestif on top, for 30 Euro per person only. Reservation is absolutely necessary!
Deceleration is one of the core competences of the Seehotel Zeuthen. Especially in the hectic days before the end of the year, promotions such as “time for each other” are a perfect way to relax. Stay overnight on two days in a double room from 143 Euro per person. Enjoy welcome drinks, a back massage, a 3-course menu and much more. Free parking or free shuttle service from/to Zeuthen S-Bahn station is included. Bookable until 30 December 2019 only via the homepage!
Shop till you drop – Berlin in shopping fever with 30% hotel bargains on Black Friday
Black Friday is going to generate a lot of revenue worldwide from November 29th on. The Monbijou Hotel, the Mondrian Suites Berlin Checkpoint Charlie and the Metropolitan Hotel offer a very special treat to leave you enough money for shopping in Berlin. It is called “Black Nights, White Days”! Go and grab your dream room before Christmas or right after New Year’s Eve.
Book your next stay in Berlin in one of the three Ming hotels with the biggest discount of the year and get up to 30% discount on your room in each category. The booking period must be between 29.11. and 2 December. The discount applies exclusively for direct bookings on our homepages and only for stays before 29th December and after 2nd January 2020. Booking code: BLACK FRIDAY!
Thankfulness is everywhere: for good customers, the anniversary of the freedom in the reunified Berlin and the food on our table. Mondrian Suites Berlin Checkpoint Charlie will lift its glasses and have a Happy Hour at Monty’s Bar during the golden October: every Tuesday between 5pm and 8pm there is a 50% discount on everything from Gin Tonic to Craftbeer to Ruinart Champagne. The stylish Serviced Apartments House is located near Berlin’s most famous checkpoint in the former “American Sector”, where 30 years ago history was written. Cheers to the fall of the Wall!
On the 3rd of October, the day of the German Reunification, the focus is on Kiel in the very northern part of Germany, which this time has the role of the host county. Around the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin some events events take place as well. Here, over one million visitors are expected at the three-day festivities.
On 6th October the Seehotel Zeuthen, which was located in the ex-socialist part of Germany some 30 years ago, invites you to a sumptuous brunch for Thanksgiving. Politics is left out, it’s all about the pumpkin and delicacies from the local kitchen. From 11:30 till the early afternoon for 25 euros per person. Reservations are recommended!
What is a food “week” in Berlin is a month full of culinary kicks in London – London Restaurant Festival. More than 60 events will be on offer from 1st to 31st October, including restaurant hopping, gourmet excursions, master classes from top chefs and more. At the same time for fans of the morbid the London Month Of The Dead takes place. More than 40 events revolve around death, necrophilia, the “best of cemeteries”, famous corpses or postmortem photography. One just has to make sure not to confuse the two festivals.
Livelier than ever is art, especially in uncertain times like these. London’s art fairs Frieze and Frieze Masters are the hottest things currently available when it comes to Contemporary Art and Old Masters. More than 1,000 artists and 160 of the most prestigious galleries in the world offer their works for sale from 2nd to 6th October. Buying is a must if one can afford so, of course. Art gourmets can marvel at most of the oeuvres in Regents Park extensively. Information can be found here!
Berlin’s Bar scene is without a doubt one of the most exciting in the world. When the international bar and trade show the Bar Convent Berlin takes place from 7th to 9th October all the brands and the stars will be around to attend the fair. In honour to this, the beautiful Bijou Bar at Monbijou Hotel invites four big names – including the super bartender Marian Beke – to celebrate a Bar Take Over. On Tuesday, 8th of October Beke and his colleagues from The Nightjar London, The Rockwell Bar London and Bar expert Francesco Braun will celebrate a London Night in Berlin. Be surprised!
Berlin has every reason to shine: the festival “Berlin leuchtet” and the Festival of Lights immerse the city in magic light. Berliner Dom, Gendarmenmarkt, Brandenburg Gate and over 80 historic facades serve as XXL screens for moving pictures and make the night on foot, bike or organised tour a journey of discovery. 9th to 20th October from 7 pm to midnight.
Berlin’s culinary highlight of the year is undoubtably Berlin Food Week from 21st to 27th October – and Monbijou Hotel is participating! As part of the Berlin Food Week’s event Stadtmenü (City Menu), Monbijou created a lush breakfast 1920 style right out of the land of Milk and Honey. For 29 Euro Monbijou serves a 4 course menu with Eggs Benedict from organic chickens, Bircher Müsli oriental style, Berlin carrot soup or Rollmops in a glass, a glass of ice-cold Charles Heidsieck champagne and a selection of raw milk cheeses. Brownie pralinés, coffee and tea specialties, organic rolls and breads, homemade jams are included. Reservations can be made at +49 30 616 20 300.
One of the most important design epochs of the last century – the Bauhaus School in Weimar and its 100th anniversary – is payed tribute by the Berliner Design Week from 10th to 17th October. In the anniversary year, there will be plenty of Bauhaus-related events with around 15,000 visitors at 40 locations. One of them, Berlin’s most stylish shopping Mall, the Bikini Berlin, becomes the Design Hotspot of City West with a three-day shopping event called “Design Pool”.
The night of All Hallows Eve or Halloween – in Berlin it has become a cult. Zombies, witches and monsters will be seen on various Halloween parties in town. The Mondrian Suites Berlin Checkpoint Charlie offers a Halloween special at the “scary good price” of € 44.50 per person per night. The deal: Arrival on 31st of October 2019; 3 nights in the Horror Studio Premium for 2, including morning funeral meal, welcome blood cocktail to Monty’s purgatory, 1 bottle of bubbly mummy balm, Trick or Treat on Check Out! Bookable only via homepage and only if available.
Future Now and „Zukunft jetzte“ … Berlin is dealing with tomorrow!
Future now! On 5 September, the Futurium in the government district between Berlin main station and Charité hospital just opened its doors. The “House of Futures” is a treat for architecture fans who want to know how we might be living tomorrow – from the lab-based lunch, Artificial Intelligence to vertical farms. On more than 3,200 square meters you can find a museum of the future, a lab of the future and a “Skywalk” on the roof top with a breathtaking view on Berlin. In times of Greta and the climate change the 58-million-euro construction is what people call the hottest shit Berlin has to offer.
Tango dancing on the River Thames aboard a 19th-century paddle steamer with live music?! This and more happened at the Totally Thames Festival – a four-week non-stop open air party on the shores of London’s most popular waterway. In addition to spectacular ship parades and river races, there were numerous events, performances and art festivals until 30 September.
All year long the Mimi’s Hotel Soho offers a dry place to sleep that is guaranteed not to rock. The smallest cabin (“Mimi’s Single Tiny“) aboard London’s prettiest boutique hotel measures 6 square meters but has all it needs. The walls are cosy wood paneled, the prices low, the stylish bar stocked with decent drinks – it can’t be more beautiful on a ship!
You do not see the best outfits for Berlin Fashion Week, but for Berlin Art Week! From all over Europe the eccentric, purist and art affinados were pouring into the city. From 11 to 15 September, they indulged in business, hobby and parties. Who wanted to celebrate with the artsy crowd needed to study the program. Most events were public and almost always there was a glass of wine to enjoy with the art. Current tips on which exhibition payed off and which are still around are offered by fabulous digital magazines such as Kultur24 Berlin or Kochen, Kunst und Ketchup.
Most of the exhibitions are on for a couple of weeks or months. In terms of content, it was and is all about the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the city’s development into an international metropolis. The most important starting points are the Berlinische Galerie, the project Statista in the Haus der Statistik, the Gropius Bau right next to the former Berlin Wall, the New Berlin Art Company Neue Berliner Kunstverein and the photo gallery Fotogallerie C/O Berlin. Not to mention the small fine galleries on Auguststrasse, the epicenter of Art Week and always worth visiting, like Eigen + Art or Marcus Deschler.
The Art of Beautiful Sounds & Matching Drinks was the focus on the 13th and 14th of September on the Roof Top Terrace of the Monbijou Hotel in Berlin. The duo Pepe Luna (guitar) and Coni Muller (vocals) from Buenos Aires were performing folk, tango Argentino and Latin American tunes. Besides ravishing live music, there were fabulous long drink specials with Argentine mate gin from “Principe des Apostoles”. To be repeated in 2020!
As each outdoor season comes to an end, we want to celebrate it and hereby announce the “Season’s over” party at the Roof Top Bar at the Monbijou Hotel with a view over the rooftops of Berlin, DJ & drinks to beckon. Expected date: the last two weekends in October, depending on wind & weather! More detailed, weather-related information can be found on our Facebookpage.
London lured with the Fashion Week from 13 to 17 September and brought the international fashion merry-go-round into action. The once ridiculed location has long since become one of the world’s top addresses for trends thanks to names such as Vivienne Westwood, Sarah Burton and Victoria Beckham. The beautiful and precious was also the theme of the London Design Festival from 14 to 22 September. In this area, too, the British show up as an absolute world power. May this status and the irrepressible creativity be preserved, even in the aftermath of Brexit.
Its own little design party is celebrated almost daily by Mimi’s Hotel Soho in the eponymous scene district and as part of the design group “Hip Hotels“. Small, very fine rooms and suites all in red shades, the matching bar – Henson’s Bar & Social – in the foyer and an eye for details that is second to none. Every Friday, if available (and only bookable via the homepage) the double room in the category “Cosy” get a bottle of water, as well as two drinks at the bar and two espressos in the morning.
There is always something going on in Berlin, for example the Berlin Marathon! From 28 to 29 September, more than 40,000 runners from 120 countries were competing with each other. It started at the Siegessäule, the finishing line wat at Brandenburg Gate.
The Metropolitan Hotel in Berlin, due to its location very popular with the running and shopping community, offers a special called “Golden Days” in the fall. When booking, there is a free upgrade from the standard to the comfort category, a small bottle of Molton Brown Body Lotion and a late check out until 1pm. In a single room from 60 € per night / in a double room from 70 € per night. Only available if booked through the homepage and only according to availability!
Top 10 of MING HOTELS Summer 2019
Dear Guests,
Summer has arrived at Ming Hotels Monbijou, Mondrian Suites and Metropolitan in Berlin, Seehotel Zeuthen and Mimi’s Hotel Soho in London. In the next weeks, there will be fabulous events and exciting offers that you definitely wouldn’t want to miss. We have compiled a list of our TOP TEN EVENTS for you, so you won’t lose track of all those fantastic events and opportunities – from concerts to nature, from secret views into private city gardens, magnificent royal parades, romantic boat trips on a beautiful lake in the countryside south of Berlin to cool roof-top bars in the city, concerts, fireworks and much more.
Enjoy reading our newsletter and discover great opportunities!
1. CARNIVAL OF CULTURES IN BERLIN – Let’s have a party, the world is a village!
Move it, baby! If you want to feel the vibes of Berlin you absolutely have to experience the Carnival of Cultures. Every year at Pentecost, the city celebrates its ethnic diversity and sets a signal against xenophobia that could not be happier, more peaceful and more atmospheric. One million visitors from all over the world will be coming to this XXL street festival that will take place between 7 and 10 June involving culinary, cultural and commercial highlights, food trucks, show stages and the participation of more than 300 shops. The highlight: the street parade on Pentecost Sunday with over 4,000 participants. Free admission.
With the promotional offer “We Are One World”, Mondrian Suites Berlin in Kreuzberg and Metropolitan Hotel in Wilmersdorf offer special packages for 2 people and 2 nights either in classy serviced apartments or in a charming turn-of-the-century building. A 2-night stay in one of Mondrian’s comfort apartments starts at 198 euros and includes breakfast, sauna and gym. At the Metropolitan, the same arrangement for two nights will cost 65 euros for single travellers and 114 euros for two travellers staying in a double room. Both hotels offer free Wi-Fi, a delicious daily breakfast and much more. These offers can be booked only directly via the hotels’ homepages!
If you’re more into nature, you will find a picturesque hideaway only 30 minutes from Alexander Place. Seehotel Zeuthen is located in Brandenburg ‘s Spreewald directly at the lakeside. The Pentecost Special includes 2 nights’ accommodation for 2 in a comfort double room with a gourmet breakfast buffet, 3-course menu in the evening, a BBQ buffet on Pentecost Saturday and an ice cream cup of your choice, free WiFi, sauna and fitness room, shuttle service from / to Zeuthen train station. This offer starts at 233 euros and can be booked only directly via the homepage (subject to availability).
2. WHITSUNDAY IN LONDON – at arm’s length from the Royals
At Whitsunday, London pays homage to the city’s most popular daughter: Queen Elizabeth II of England. On the official birthday of the Queen, the most peaceful and beautiful military parade in the world takes place: Trooping the Colour . Between Buckingham Palace, The Mall and Horse Guards Parade Square, 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 marching musicians will defile – and the members of the Royal Family will be almost within touching distance.
At the same time, the city lures its visitors with an insight into the most beautiful private gardens in London that remain closed to the public on 363 days a year. On the Open Garden Squares Weekend, you can marvel at what passionate botanists have created – including the gardens at such famous addresses as Downing Street Number 10 or Belgrave Square in Knightsbridge .
Polo fans will enjoy themselves at Polo in the Park from 7 to 9 June, the only polo event taking place in the heart of the capital. Three polo matches per day, restaurants, street food and champagne lounges have made the event one of the most popular events on the UK’s social calendar.
Mimi’s Hotel Soho offers a Royal Weekend including 2 nights in a room category Lux (20 sqm/ subject to availability) for 2 with a bottle of champagne, fresh flowers, late check-out and morning coffees and croissants. Cost: 599 GBP. Flower power & the City offers the same arrangement for 2 in the category cosy (13 sqm) at 499 GBP including a bottle of wine and all. All Mimi’s rooms have free Wi-Fi, comfort beds, are soundproofed, have flat screen TVs with free movies and Molton Brown body and hair products. Booking only via the Homepage (subject to availability).
3. PENTECOST IN BERLIN AND BRANDENBURG – brunchy breakfast und brunch by the lake
Did you know that Berlin is one of the greenest cities in Germany? Right in the middle of the capital, framed by sights like Brandenburg Gate and Potsdamer Platz you’ll find botanical jewels such as Großer Tiergarten or, a bit further south, Tempelhofer Feld where you can go rollerblading, biking and BBQ until you drop; there are even free outdoor yoga lessons: Yoga im Freien. A touch of Mary Poppins pervades the grounds of Charlottenburg Palace Park: Schloßparks Charlottenburg.
A true paradise for runners, cyclists and walkers is Grunewald forest with its beautiful lakes in the western part of the city. Swimmers and stand-up paddlers complete their laps on Schlachtensee Lake, where daredevils climb the trees for the perfect cannonball dive. Sailors, water sports enthusiasts and beach lovers will spend perfect days at the picturesque Große Wannsee.
Book your Pentecost stay at Monbijou Hotel and enjoy our culinary kick-start for your day in the parks and forests, our signature breakfast – one of the best breakfasts in town! It’s a brunchy breakfast with freshly squeezed juices, delicious egg dishes, salads, fish specialties, cheese and cold cut platters. Coffee specialties and tea are kept flowing and you may also enjoy a glass of Crémant. Pentecost Sunday and Monday from 7am to 12pm at 25 Euros per person, all inclusive. Reservation recommended!
You need even more nature? In Zeuthen, on the edge of Spreewald forest, just outside Berlin, you can combine nature and pleasure at Seehotel Zeuthen with a festive brunch that you can enjoy while overlooking the water. Between 11:30 am and 2:30 pm the hotel kitchen will tempt you with sweet and savory delicacies, hot and cold dishes, fresh vitamins, fish and meat specialties, a selection of nice-smelling fresh pastries and much more. A culinary get-together for the whole family.
4. LONDON’S SEASON BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN SPORTS
What would London be without its “season”, when social life shifts its focus from the countryside to the capital. One of the top highlights is Ascot from 18 to 22 June where one can watch the Royal Family in magnificent carriages even from close up. The famous Ladies Day is all about hats – some of them more elegant, some less so. For those who have never attended a rowing race, the most famous rowing race in the world, the Henley Royal Regatta from 3 to 7 July, is definitely worth a trip. The ladies there wear elegant dresses or skirts with a hemline below the knees, the gentlemen wear club blazers, all sipping on Pimm’s Number One while watching the races. Over 200 in total.
Wimbledon is the most famous tennis tournament in the world and is also known for the strawberries served there. This year’s tournament will take place from 1 to 14 July. The city is also proudly waiting for PRIDE, a month-long event from 8 June to 6 July that will celebrate its 50 year anniversary this year. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to come to London to wave rainbow flags for the rights of the LGBT community. The program is very diverse, including dance and theatre performances, film screenings, workshops and lots of parties. Takes place in Soho.
Talking of Soho: for those who want to enjoy a Friday night in the lively center of London Mimi’s Hotel Soho offers a new year-round special: Friday Night in Soho! Book your room (any category) and you will get a bottle of water, 2 drinks at the bar, followed by two espressos with Alka Seltzer the next morning, plus croissants. According to availability and direct booking via Mimi’s homepage.
5. BERLIN COMES WITH FASHION, CHAMPAGNE AND CLASSIC OPEN AIR CONCERTS
Since 2007, the Berlin Fashion Week has always taken place at the same time as the Parisian Haute Couture. Only the fashion gods might know why. But even though the most important critics are more likely to be on the banks of the river Seine from 2 to 6 July, Berlin always attracts its own fashion crowd with cool parties, red carpets and lots of stars.
Berlin may not stand for elegance, but rather for sustainability, individuality and a cool, urban look. Kreuzberg, Mitte and City West are the districts where you’ll find many shops selling the authentic style of Berlin in close proximity to the Ming Hotels: Shops und Boutiquen. And what’s the best thing to do after a successful shopping quest?
At Mondrian Suites Berlin, you can enjoy Sundown and Champagne on the terrace with Ruinart Rosé champagne, the hotel’s house brand. At the Monbijou Hotel, you may enjoy your Ruinart at the roof-top bar that offers a breathtaking view over Berlin.
The Classic Open Air Festival on Gendarmenmarkt between 4 and 8 July will offer special treats for your ears. On Berlin’s most splendid of all splendor squares, classical music in a varied mix with pop, jazz and rock will be on on five evenings. The “Klassik Open Air” at the Seehotel Zeuthen in cooperation with the Oranienburger Schlossmusik on 28 July will offer a foretaste of the event in Berlin. In addition to the music, you will enjoy a buffet dinner and fireworks at the end of the evening.
6. LONDON CALLING – BBC PROMS, BUCKINGHAM PALACE & FEEL LIKE A QUEEN
London cannot be beaten when it comes to the variety of top-notch events that take place in the British capital. Almost two months full of world-class classical concerts at affordable prices is what BBC Proms promises between 19 July and 14 September. World-class orchestras, world-class singers and soloists are expected in the capital. The highlight among all these highlights will be the Last Night of the Proms in the park.
Have you ever been curious to see what the World’s most famous palace looks like on the inside? From 22 July to 29 September, you will have the opportunity to take a look inside Buckingham Palace. Once a year the Royal residence opens its doors to the public, giving the public the opportunity to take a look at the splendor and special exhibits among the Royal Collection’s masterpieces. Two of them are dedicated to the 200th anniversary of Queen Victoria and the 500th anniversary of Leonardo DaVinci’s death.
If you want to Feel Like A Queen, Mimi’s Hotel Soho has a “3 for 2” offer – 3 nights for 2 people in a double room of the “cosy” category (13 sqm) for the price of 2, between 21 July and 2 September. You feel like a Queen in a king-size bed, get bathrobes, 2 glasses of sherry, enjoy Molton Brown toiletries plus an Oyster public transport ticket. Can only be booked via the homepage upon request!
7. BERLIN CELEBRATES CHRISTOPHER STREET DAY, OLDIE OPEN AIR AND DECATHLON
The world’s most famous LGBTI event, Christopher Street Day, will take place on 27 July in Berlin with up to 1 million participants on colorfully decorated cars that will parade through the city center. With an annually changing motto, the festival demands to put an end to discrimination and exclusion. The final rally will move from Kurfürstendamm to Brandenburg Gate and will be followed by parties all over town.
Metropolitan Hotel is just a stone’s throw away from the starting point of the CSD parade. On CSD weekend, this charming turn-of-the-century hotel offers “Life is a Rainbow”: 2 nights in a double room of the “comfort” category, including breakfast, rose petal decoration, free WiFi and a city map starting at 220 Euro per room for 2 nights. Can only be booked via the homepage (subject to availability).
Mondrian Suites Berlin also waves the rainbow flag on CSD weekend: 2 nights in the stylish “comfort” studio, including breakfast for 2, a bottle of “Berlinksky” sparkling wine brut, high speed WiFi, fitness room and sauna starting at 222 Euro per stay for 2. This offer can only be booked via the homepage (booking code: CSD. Subject to availability).
Slow dancing, romance and a touch of nostalgia are expected for 2 August at the Seehotel Zeuthen for the Oldie Live concert with hits from the 60s, 70s & 80s, buffet and fireworks. This could be the perfect prelude to the German Decathlon Championship that will take place on 3 and 4 August at the historical Olympiastadion Berlin: Deutsche Zehnkampf-Meisterschaft.
8. LONDON LOCO – CAN YOU STAND THE HEAT AT NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL & GIN ON SUNDAYS
Birds of paradise, exoticism and vibes that will remind you of the Copacabana. Notting Hill Carnival, the largest street festival in Europe, attracts over a million fans to London every year. This year, there will be a hyper-party with more than 50,000 dancers and actors from 24 to 26 August.
“Loco Thrill In Notting Hill” is the name of the first of the two promotions offered by Mimi’s Hotel Soho. Enjoy 3 days for the price of 2. If Monday night is included in those 3 days, the lowest rate will be for free. The other promotional offer is “Sunday is Funday”: Mimi’s offers Sunday night accommodation in the “cozy” double room with a small gin tasting at Henson’s Bar & Social in the foyer of the hotel at £ 199 for 2. Two espressos and croissants the next morning are included. This offer can only be booked via the homepage!
9. BERLIN HAS IT ALL: CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS AND VISITORS FROM LONDON
At the end of August, Berlin really has it all: three absolute top events will take place in the German capital. The Musikfest Berlin kicks off on 30 August and offers three weeks of cultural delights with top international orchestras that will include the London Symphony Orchestra with Principal Conductor Sir Simon Rattle and the BBC Symphony Orchestra with Principal Conductor Sakari Oramodabei.
Architecture fans will have a blast during the Bauhaus Week from 31 August to 8 September. Pressure exercised by the National-Socialists, the world-famous University of Design was closed in 1933. The one-week festival commemorates the University’s 100th anniversary with numerous events. On 31 August, the Long Night of the Museums will take place. Over 80 museums in Berlin will be open until 2 am. 800 events, shuttle busses, behind-the-scenes events and much more. Admission to all these offers is only 18 Euro.
10. HAVE A BREAK, HAVE A BREAKFAST!
Visitors of the Long Night of the Museums : Monbijou Hotel offers its signature breakfast free of charge for overnight stays in single or double rooms of the “comfort” category from Sunday to Monday. Get the ultimate culinary kick and enjoy a true wonderland of home-made delicacies including coffee and tea specialties, ginger shots, eggs benedict, etc. For those who want to stay a little longer, book the “Sunday is Funday” offer: stay 4 nights and pay for 3. Monbijou Hotel offers this promotion for single or double rooms of the “comfort” category (subject to availability), if a Sunday is included in these days. Fantastic Sunday rates are also available at the Metropolitan Hotel (subject to availability): single rooms from 59.90 euros or double rooms from 93 euros, both including breakfast. Book direct at the homepages!