Boutique hotel in Berlin

I created a Berlin opera festival for myself. I was in Berlin, Germany, for six nights in May 2018 and attended four operas.

Two were part of the Festival Verdi and were at the Deutsche Oper Berlin (Bismarckstraße 35; deutscheoperberlin.de/en_EN); another was at the Staatsoper Berlin (Hinter der Katholischen Kirche 1, Bühneneingang; staatsoper-berlin.de/en), and the last one was at the Komische Oper Berlin (Behrenstraße 55-57; www.komische-oper-berlin.de/en).

I purchased my ticket from each venue's website about six weeks in advance of the event. I was able to email questions (in English) to Deutsche Oper and ask about taxis and restaurants. They were very responsive. (I don't speak German, but I do have a warm, friendly smile… and I always carry my hotel business card with me for taxis, etc.)

I was originally set to stay at an Airbnb, but a few weeks before my departure, the reservation was canceled by the host, as construction was going to take place during my stay. It turned out to be my good fortune, as I discovered (through TripAdvisor) Hommage à Magritte (Grolmanstraße 32 33, 10623 Berlin, Germany; phone +49 308 9567087, hommage-a-magritte.com).

Located on a quiet, lovely side street, this is a 17-room, family-run boutique hotel in a fabulous Charlottenburg (western Berlin) neighborhood. It's a 3-minute walk from buses and Metro as well as from the "Fifth Avenue" of Berlin, which is filled with large, international stores and beautiful tree canopies as well as splendid architecture.

The hotel was spotlessly clean and antiallergenic, with no carpets or other dust catchers. The buffet breakfast was served in a sunny eating room with a small balcony and a few additional tables. It wasn't a large hotel, so there wasn't a lot of activity in the lobby, bar or restaurant.

My six nights there as a solo traveler were perfect. The other guests were very pleasant, ranging in age and nationality. The owners were on site from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. every day and were focused on the attentive care of their guests.

Hommage à Magritte is a real treasure. I paid €99 (near $115) a night for a premium small room that was quiet, sunny and light.

EDNA R.S. ALVAREZ

Los Angeles, CA