The Dude abides.
A former ad-man and his assistant-turned-hotel-manager, whom he lovingly calls Moneypenny, created The Dude: a clean-cut, design-conscious home away from home. You enter the 1822 townhouse to gracious high ceilings and antique suitcases inserted into the walls, a creation of the hotel’s consulting artist Uwe van Afferden.
The Experience
In our conversation with the owner and dude himself, Alexander Schmidt-Vogel, we found out that Jim Jarmush had recently stayed in the penthouse suite here while working in Berlin. Jarmush told him that he loved just “hanging out” at the hotel when he got the chance. “Lots of people tell me that,” Schmidt-Vogel smiled. We got why. The rooms and shared spaces are very cosy, but clean cut. The staff treat each other like family and guests like new friends. How can that not make you feel at home?
From the reception you reach the “Yada-Yada Room” cigar lounge, next to the 50s-style “Whisper Room” bar next to the eclecticly luxurious breakfast room. Downstairs is the dashing Brooklyn Beef Club, boasting an original Helmut Newton and what some call the best steaks in Berlin, plus countless whiskeys and an excellent wine list. In the rooms, handsome cast-iron bed frames are paired with warm hardwood floors, art deco lounge chairs and a coat rack made from industrial piping. All rooms have The Dude’s signature royal blue wall.
The owner has travelled a lot in his life time and tried to combine all of his favourite things and avoid his peeves when designing the look and service at The Dude. Therefore you can see the dedication to top quality, from the floor boards to the toiletries. There is no surcharge for the extensive room-service menu, as he put it “I always thought it’s stupid to pay €5 extra fro them to take the elevator upstairs.” The to-die-for à la carte breakfast is a bargain for the mouthwatering choices. The eggs benedict will change your life. We guess the dude doesn’t work out much, so the “mini-gym”, is just that: two cross-trainers. Period.
The area is close to sights and trendy neighbourhoods, but may mean a 10-minute walk or short subway ride. Oh, and excepting the suite, the tiny bathrooms don’t include tubs.
The Verdict
We relished our stay in the less hipster-centric corner of Kreuzberg. The Dude doesn’t take itself too seriously, but flaunts the proprietor’s personal touches, plus it has a stellar steak restaurant.
The Dude
Köpenicker Straße 92,
10179 Berlin
+49 30 411 988 177
