The Hoxton, Berlin

A nondescript 1970s Charlottenburg block that earns its keep once you step past the lobby doors. This hip hotel sprawls into mismatched seating, communal work tables, and oddball lighting, flowing into a Wintergarden bar anchored by a fireplace lined with vintage German tiles. Rooms lean small, the Shoebox barely fits a single bed, but all get scalloped headboards and Art Nouveau lamps that nod to 1920s West Berlin. The in-house Indian restaurant is a genuine bonus in a city that needs more of them.