Januar 2010

You are currently browsing the monthly archive for Januar 2010.

Renovation Diaries…Circus Hostel

28. Januar 2010 in Circus Hostel, Circus News, Design by Paul | Comments closed

ScaffoldAs you might already know, the Circus Hostel is currently closed for renovations. This is a huge project, that was long in the planning and then extended with the change in the VAT rules here in Germany, and we have got lots of work in front of us! The first steps have been to erect the scaffolding on the front of the building, as well as the process of clearing out furniture, the bathrooms, bed sheets and everything else so we can start painting in the rooms and starting the renovation process. It is a very strange feeling to run around in the building that has, for the past eight years, be so full of life with travellers from around the world, and find it basically empty apart from the renovation team.

Here’s some more photos from the renovation, which comes from a collection Tilman already added to our Flickr page.

Break for Breakfast

Ready to paint (Above: a well-earned break for breakfast and the apartments prepared for the arrival of the painters)

DavorPainters (Above: Taking down a dorm room and the painters get to work)

25th Jan: Live Music at Fabisch and Events in Berlin

25. Januar 2010 in Berlin, Circus Hotel, Circus News, Events, Music by Paul | Comments closed

sarsaparillaThis week we welcome to Fabisch two live acts to entertain both us and you, starting with the Voice & Strings duo bringing some jazz and soul to the Circus on Friday 29th at 10pm. On Sunday evening, we are really looking forward to welcoming Sarsaparilla (image), who describe their music as “Folk & Other” and will be taking the stage on the 31st January at 8pm. For drinks aficionados, our regular Cocktail Special evening is happening again on Monday 25th, with a journey to the world of Chartreuse. Tasty.

A Berlin Selection…

Berlin is full of wonderful happening and events, and as ever, we have put together a selection of parties, readings and performances that caught our eye and thought might interest you:

Tue 26 (20.30) Kookaburra Club – Supernaturals (Experimental English Comedy) with Honduran performer Rey Melara, American writer and performer Paul Salamone, and actor and musician Alan Glen from Canada.

Tue 26 (22.00) Clärchen’s Ballhaus – Tango Party – music and dancing at Berlin’s legendary ball room, just around the corner from the Circus

Wed 27 (20.00) Huyleys Neue Welt – Air (Electro Pop) with special guest George Pringle

Fri 29 (19.30) Dussmann Kulturkaufhaus – James Ellroy (Reading). Author of LA Confidential and the Black Dahlias reads from his latest novel Blood’s A Rover.

Sat 30 (22.00) Astro Bar – Bob Tormento (Glam, Punk, Soul, Funk)

Sat 30 (21.30) Knaack – Deelight, Vanessa (Partytunes, Indie, Elektro, Rock)

Sun 31 (20.00) WMF – Keiji Haino, Ecstatic Sunshine, Jason Urick (Drone-Electro)

Club Transmediale Compilation to Download

22. Januar 2010 in Berlin, Events, Festivals, Music by Digel

clubtransAs you might have seen previously on the blog, the Club Transmediale is coming to town at the end of January, and the good folks at CTM, in association with the zero” download store and De:bug magazine have put together a special compilation that is available for free – you just need to register (also free).

Here is what the folks at CTM have to say:

True to this year’s motto ‘Overlap’ the compilation presents 13 leading artists from the field of experimental music, club music and pop. The range of styles on display includes beat experiments by Patric Catani and Aoki Takamasa, striking neo-classic by cellist Hildur Gudnadottir, melancholic disco pop by Glass Candy and Desire, as well as modern dubstep interpretations by Mount Kimbie, Funckarma and Hotflush label owner Scuba. Mysterious ambient project Oni Ayhun gives insights into its disturbing sound worlds, Etienne Jaumet evokes the retro-electronic ghost of John Carpenter, while Joris Voorn, DJ of the CTM.10 After Party at Berlin’s Panorama Bar, represents current developments in the techno-house genre.

Useful Links:
Club Transmediale Website
Download the Compilation at zero”

18th Jan: This Week in Berlin and The Circus

18. Januar 2010 in Berlin, Circus Hotel, Circus News, Events, Fabisch, Music by Paul | Comments closed

Marta collicaSo the hostel is closed for renovations, but the fun does not stop across the road at the Hotel. This week we have live music in Fabisch from Marta Collica (see photo) on Friday, as well as a DJ set from Normal Bias with a live music set from Mutanten on Sunday. Here is a full overview of what is going on this week, as well as some suggestions from our entertainment wunderkind Andrew about cool things to get up to elsewhere in the city…

@ The Circus

MONDAY 18th – Fabisch – Cocktail Night featuring classic and contemporary Vermouth mixes

FRIDAY 22nd – Fabisch – Live Music from Marta Collica (alternative ballads) – 10pm

SUNDAY 24th – Fabisch – Normal Bias DJ Set + Live performance from Mutanten (acoustic set) – 8pm

In Berlin

Clubs & Parties…

Monday 23:00 Rotor Salon : Electric Monday (electro classics, minimal, break beat)
Tuesday 20:00 Admiralpalast : The Bar at Buenavista (Grandfathers of Cuban Music)
Wednesday 22:00 S036: UK Subs (Punkrock)
Saturday 00:00 Berghain:  Klubnacht – Ben Klock, Len Faki (House, Techno)

The Last Guests…

18. Januar 2010 in Circus Hostel, Circus News by Paul | Comments closed

Yesterday the Circus Hostel closed for a couple of months whilst we undertake some renovations and improvements, and last night was the first since 2001 that there were no guests sleeping in the hostel. The final guests to check-out on Sunday were Craig and his girlfriend (apologies for not knowing your name!) who were staying in room 417…and here they are for posterity:

Craig and Friend room 417

Of course, the hostel may be closed until the end of March but it is business as usual across the road at the hotel, so you can still come and visit us in Berlin.

Spotlight Shines – The Circus in the Media

13. Januar 2010 in Circus Hotel, Circus News, Media by Paul | 2 comments

WWD

UPDATE – See bottom of the article!

Very exciting today, as we were sent through the link to the special Berlin Fashion Week preview supplement (see photo) of American fashion magazine Women’s Wear Daily. The good (and well-dressed) folks across the pond selected The Circus Hotel in the recommendations of where to stay,  alongside our close neighbours the Hotel Amano and Casa Camper (both on Rosenthaler Strasse), as well as one of the newest arrivals on the Berlin hotel scene, the Michelberger Hotel – whose creative website is well worth checking out.

Closer to home, we also got a mention in an article on Focus Online on the best city hotels for under €100. The article also has some nice tips for Florence, Prague, Venice and London amongst others. Many thanks to both WWD and Focus for including The Circus Hotel in their publications.

TripadvisorThe biggest surprise came today when we checked Tripadvisor. Of course, we go back to that site all the time to see what our guests have been writing about us, and we were very proud in recent months that The Circus Hotel was consistently ranked #1 for hotels in Berlin.

Today we discovered that we are currently ranked #1 out of all hotels in Germany – which you can see in the extremely modest screenshot included in this article. Blimey.

Now, we know that many people in the industry are sceptical about Tripadvisor reviews, and we ourselves know that the best feedback comes from guests directly. We also know that we are certainly not the best hotel in Germany, and that there are plenty of ways in which we could be better. However, we are extremely grateful to everyone who has taken the time to write the reviews that have caused this to happen, and we also want people to know that as nice as something like this is, it will not stop us with our philosophy of continual improvement. Indeed, for hotels and hostels, review sites such as Tripadvisor are most useful when the feedback points us in the direction of what is not quite working and how we can improve.

Still, it was a nice moment, and as with all feedback that we receive online, in print, or face to face at reception, is another reminder of why we enjoy doing what we do.

UPDATE 22nd JANUARY

TripAdvisor_Travelers Choice Awards_LogoWell, the nice news keeps coming. This week we were informed by Tripadvisor that the Circus Hotel have won in some categories of the Travellers Choice Awards. Based on the reviews written on the website, the Circus recieved #2 spot (and a nice little trophy) in the Top  Hotels of Germany, whilst we were also in the top ten for Hotels in Europe, and Trend Hotels worldwide. Thanks again to everyone who took the time to write a review.

TripAdvisor Awards Photo (copyright Tripadvisor): Top 3 Hotels in Germany, Left to right – Klaus Kartmann, Director of the Meliá Hotel Berlin; Katrin Schönig, our manager at The Circus Hotel and Carsten Colmorgen, Director of the Hotel Concorde Berlin.

Coming Soon: Bread & Butter

13. Januar 2010 in Berlin, Design, Events, Festivals by Paul

bread-butter-09Next week Berlin welcomes the fashion world for Bread & Butter, a trade fair for contemporary clothing and design, which is taking place at the former airport of Tempelhof.  Bread & Butter focuses on being an international specialist trade fair for urban and street wear, and the best brands, labels and designers will be in town for the show.

If you are coming to Berlin for Bread & Butter next week, and are staying with us at the hotel, please do not hesitate to come and ask as the reception for any details relating to how to get to the different venues, where the big parties are taking place, or indeed how to find some of Berlin’s best clothing stores, such as Firmament, Kostas Murkudis, Berlinomat, Starbeit, Burg & Schild, 14oz etc.

See you soon!

11th Jan: This week in Berlin and The Circus

11. Januar 2010 in Berlin, Circus Hostel, Circus Hotel, Circus News, Events, Fabisch, Goldman's Bar, Music by Paul | Comments closed

Saudia YoungAnother week, another Monday, and our round-up of what great things we have going on both here at The Circus and elsewhere in the city.

@ The Circus

On Friday we welcome both a regular performer and good friend of The Circus to play at restaurant Fabisch. Saudia Young (see photo), who will be singing Brecht/Weill/Waits and Young, with Jan Hoppenstedt on the contra bass and Brian Mitchell on the guitar. There will also be some very special guests joining the trio on Friday – The Cedar Tree – who will be bringing their original electronic/acoustic performance to Fabisch of songs that Saudia describes as both “haunting and beautiful”.

Also spotted this week: A profile of Saudia Young at The Local.de.

We also have more live music this week at The Circus, including celtic-folk from Shindig down in Goldman’s Bar, and Jim Hickey‘s brand of acoustic pop on Sunday evening at Fabisch. Here is the full schedule for this week at The Circus:

Monday 11th
GOLDMANS – Monday Madness : 2 euro shots! (8pm – 10pm)
FABISCH – Cocktail Special : Featuring classic & modern Cointreau drinks.
Tuesday 12th
GOLDMANS – Indie night with DJ Patrice Lambeau
Wednesday 13th
GOLDMANS – Karaoke Klub
Thursday 14th
GOLDMANS -  Live music: Shindig (Celtic/ Folk)
Friday 15th
GOLDMANS – Quiz Night! Test your knowledge of world cultures…
FABISCH – Live Music: Saudia Young (Dark Caberet – 10pm)
Saturday 16th
GOLDMANS – Super Happy Fun times!
Sunday 17th
FABISCH – Live Music with Jim Hickey (Acoustic Pop – 8pm)

In Berlin

As always in this city of culture, entertainment and nighttime living, there is a wide range of things taking place for your amusement. Our entertainment head honcho Andrew has put together a small selection of some of his favourites…

Live Music

Tue 12th – Madam Claude (21:00) Campfire Sessions – Wooden Dresses (Acoustic Funk)
Wed 13th – Intersoup (21:00)  Markus Rill (Singer Songwriter, Country/Folk)
Fri 15th – Bassy Cowboyclub (20:00) Desperado 5 (Classic Rockabilly)

Party’s/Clubs:

Mon11th - Roter Salon (23:00)  Electric Monday ( Electro classics, minimal, breakbeat)
Wed 13th – Tresor (19:30)  Film Presentation – Sub Berlin, then after Bonito House Club
Fri 15th – Icon (23:30)  French Electro ( Surkin & Bobmo)
Sat16th -  Klub der Republic (22:00)  Polydisco (Disco, Synth, Italo electro, 80’s to now)

« Older entries