By Aoife Finneran

The first time I stood at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, I was a lowly student. It was 2001 and Michael Jackson had yet to dangle his child out that now-famous hotel window.

Nonetheless, being a woman of vision, I had already earmarked the Adlon Kempinski Hotel as a fitting abode for my future rich and famous self.Fast forward eight years and, while fame and fortune haven’t come a-knocking, the chance to stay in one of the world’s most magnificent hotels did.

It’s not just the location of the Adlon — directly in front of the Brandenburg Gate — that sets it apart. Factor in 400 staff used to catering for everyone from various royals and heads of state to barmy celebrities with child-dangling propensities, and it makes for an uber-slick machine that leaves every guest feeling as if they’ve just entered heaven.

Of course, heaven sometimes comes at a high price, so check your Euromillions numbers if you’re hankering after a stay in the €15,000-a-night presidential suite.

Having checked out my gargantuan bathroom, gobbled a selection of chocolate treats moulded like a slab of the Berlin Wall and peered out at the stunning view below of the famous Unter den Linden street, I took myself off for a night of gourmet paradise.

Foodies

The 102-year-old building boasts three Michelin-starred restaurants — the Italian Gabriele, the modern Chinese Ma, and the Lorenz Adlon gourmet restaurant serving classical French cuisine. In what must be every food lover’s ultimate fantasy, the hotel offers a five-course gourmet journey through each of the three restaurants before dessert is served at a table offering a bird’s eye view of the Brandenburg Gate by night.

Full to the gills with food and wines from the hotel’s shop, I was tempted to retreat to the elegant day spa the next morning for a day of pampering. Instead, I bravely opted to burn off the calories with a biking tour of Berlin.

I opted for a Berlin on Bike tour, a four-hour spin along the remaining parts of the wall that once divided East and West. In November, the city will celebrate 20 years of reunification, yet the party is already underway. That’s why 2009 is probably the best time to head in that direction.

Parts of the city have undergone an incredible transformation in those 20 years, and the city is now a major shopping mecca as well as a tourist haunt for anyone with a gra for history. The old east Berlin, once the place from which so many tried to escape, has now become achingly hip, attracting young designers and artists.

Prenzlauer Berg is the district for cute cafes, art galleries and the cultural melting pot that is the Kulturbrauerei complex. I opted instead for some retail therapy in the boutiques of Mulackstrasse, each one stocked full of cutting-edge labels.

Showcase

A few choice purchases later, it was time to rest my wallet in the stylish 15th-floor Solar bar and restaurant. Perched close to the former wall, it’s a sky-scraping atmosphere with great food, matched by cocktails that cost about half what one would pay in Dublin.

For sightseeing, head to Checkpoint Charlie, the famous crossing point once used by foreigners and members of the Allied Forces.

Today, it boasts a museum showcasing many of the various contraptions used by people desperate to flee to the west. If you’re heading to Berlin for a city break, chances are you’ll be a tad overwhelmed by the sheer number of museums, but Museum Haus at Checkpoint Charlie should be at the top of every list.

In fact, one of the most impressive aspects of this city is its ability to embrace everything about its history, creating a buzz that you won’t find elsewhere in Europe.

How to get there: Aer Lingus flies daily to Berlin from Dublin, from €44 one-way including taxes and charges.

Where to stay: The Adlon Kempinski. Rates start from €290 for a double room, including taxes and service charges. www.hotel-adlon.de