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.”