Provocateur

When you book a few nights at a hotel in Berlin named Provocateur, you certainly don’t expect it to be boring or ordinary, but there was still a level of intrigue leading up to my arrival. As I was dropped off, the entrance looked more like an exclusive nightclub with the historic polished brass post attached to a velvet rope on each side of the door and a black awning stretching across the sidewalk with large Hollywood-style bulbs illuminating the path.

The hotel lobby, if you want to call it that, is what I would expect a posh living room belonging to a naughty Royal family member to feel like, with bold colors of red, blue, and gold, velvet curtains, and elegant furniture.The lighting is dim, the walls golden, and the result is a sexy, seductive experience that is fitting of the name Provocateur.

The hotel’s burlesque-style theme, taking inspiration from Paris in the 1920s, carries into its 58 rooms and suites, with shimmering chandeliers, herringbone wood flooring, and rich red velvet furnishings, and curtains. I stayed in a De Luxe room which featured a stage-like freestanding bathtub in the middle of the room and a switch to activate the “Provocateur Mode” that dimmed the lights and began display imagery of a sensual nature on the wall. Note to self: bring your wife on business trips when you stay in hotels as glamorous and fun as Provocateur.

As you would expect, the Hotel has a dimly-lit, award-winning cocktail bar serving a diverse audience of hotel guests and locals.

“The philosophy here is strict. Enjoy yourself. Enjoy the drinks. One should not need more to have a good time. Here at Provocateur Bar, we prepare our own liqueurs and create our own infusions. On the menu, there might be anything from a twist on a classic cocktail to a punch inspired by a drink from the 1700s.”