Bernd is the best Airbnb host I've ever met. He came out to greet us at the nearby station, and showed us some nice places to eat as he took us back to the apartment. He showed us where everything was in the apartment, how to use the various high-tech amenities such as the thermostat, sauna, projector, fireplace, cooker, electric shutters and light switch system, and explained where everything was very helpfully. He was absolutely lovely and when satisfied we were settled in, left us with a key each and was available to message any time we needed him. Bernd also left us a big bowl of fruit and sweets, some beers and other soft drinks in the fridge, as well as the things you always need in an Airbnb such as milk, butter, tea, coffee, salt, pepper, etc. all in place in the kitchen and also toiletries like shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, soap, all in both bathrooms, as well as a hairdryer in both bathrooms too, which was so convenient and helpful as we usually end up having to buy all these items when we go on holiday, and to not have to worry about them or factor them into our luggage (Bernd told us all the toiletries were available before we left) was really useful.
We kept in touch during our stay – Bernd had bought us a bottle of bubbly as we were celebrating a birthday, as I'd mentioned this was why we were coming to Berlin - and he messaged to say happy birthday, as well as happy new year as we were there for NYE. We had a couple of further questions about how to use the front door key and the thermostat which he replied to straight away, which we found so helpful.
The home itself is absolutely beautiful. Amazing views, windows all around with doors to the terrace in every room, which can be closed off if you don't fancy the light. The kitchen is very modern and easy to cook in. There are plenty of utensils and crockery for making any kind of meal you can think of. There is a full Finnish style sauna in one bathroom which Bernd provided bath robes and towels for us to use! Very easy to use for a 15 minute sauna in the morning, or evening, or both! The back room has a piano and a harp which we thought was beautiful as we're musicians so it was lovely to be able to just play the piano any time. The same room also has a very good quality projector which looks great on a sunny day as well, great for watching films and TV, but if you fancy watching TV in another room, you can head into the living room for a change of scenery and if you're cold there's a gorgeous fireplace which heats the whole house up so toasty and smells like a gorgeous winter evening! It's also on the 5th floor of a very well kept gated building which makes it feel incredibly safe and cosy. I would recommend this apartment for a couple or a group / family of 4, as there is ample room for up to 4 people to live quite comfortably. We didn't go out in the evenings much in the end as the apartment was so nice, we wanted to stay in it a lot of the time!
Bernd is a wonderful, valued host and we would be honoured if he would have us as his guests again.