Berlin pulsates with relentless energy and artistic innovation, constantly offering new experiences to those willing to explore. Yet, even here, some opportunities are unique. Some are like fleeting moments that capture the city’s transient beauty. One such must-see event currently intriguing the German capital is The Dark Rooms Hotel, an immersive art exhibition transforming a lost place of the city into a realm of sensory exploration.
From April 11 to May 25, 2025, this installation invites you to explore light, sound, and the stories hidden in a former four-star hotel that will soon be torn down. I was there during the Easter holiday and am here to share my experience! By the end, I know you’ll want to go there too.
Organized by the imaginative minds behind acclaimed Berlin events like The Dark Rooms Vertical, Himmel unter Berlin, and the LOST Art Festival, Clara and Sven Sauer have once again crafted an experience designed to pull visitors away from the every day and deeply engage them with art. Their collective has shaped Berlin’s cultural landscape for several years, consistently finding unconventional spaces to challenge perceptions.
The Dark Rooms Hotel continues this tradition, taking over a building steeped in its silent history.
Dark Rooms Hotel Berlin: Explore Light, Sound, and Shadow in a Lost Place
Imagine a place that once pulsed with life—a West Berlin hotel where countless people checked in and out, carrying their hopes, dreams, joys, and sorrows.
Conversations echoed in the lobby, celebrations unfolded in its rooms, and quiet moments of reflection happened behind closed doors. This building served as a container for human experience. Before it stood empty and orphaned, it retains the invisible imprint of those past lives. Today, these rooms still carry these invisible stories within them.
Before the wrecking ball swings and the structure vanishes forever, The Dark Rooms Hotel grants visitors one last chance to walk its floors. But this isn’t a typical urban exploration; it’s a curated artistic intervention.
Across ten levels inside this nine-story building, 15 international artists have installed captivating light and sound works. Notable contributors include Rabih Mroué, Jin Lee, Markus Graf, Wiebke Maria Wachmann, and Yasuhiro Chida. Many pieces are being presented to the public for the first time in Berlin within the unique context of the Dark Rooms Hotel.
The Immersive Sensory Journey of the Dark Rooms Hotel in Berlin
True to the Dark Rooms concept, the exhibition happens mainly in darkness. This deliberate choice serves an effective purpose. By minimizing visual input, the experience drives visitors to rely more heavily on their other senses. This concept is made clear in the short introduction made when I entered. The curated soundscapes resonate differently in the near-blackness.
There is no prescribed path through the Dark Rooms Hotel, which was one of my favorite things about the exhibition. Visitors are encouraged to wander and explore the ten levels at their own pace. You are free to explore everywhere at any time.
The silent hallways, muffled by carpets, allow for quiet gliding through the deserted corridors, enhancing a feeling of being suspended between past and present. This freedom encourages a personal journey of discovery, allowing each to connect with the artworks and the space in their own way.
Book your visit to the Dark Rooms Hotel before demolition. This is your last chance!
The darkness heightens awareness, making the textures more exciting and the enveloping sounds more evident. It becomes an environment where introspection and heightened perception thrive.
The artworks within the Dark Rooms Hotel are designed to do more than just visually or aurally stimulate. These installations aim to touch, provoke thought, and even unsettle, bringing submerged themes to the surface through their lights, shadows, and sounds. Sometimes, they even feel like a trip into outer space, as seen in some of the pictures I selected here.
This abandoned hotel, filled with memories, amplifies the impact of these explorations on the overlooked corners of human experience. Experiencing these works within the atmospheric shell of the Dark Rooms Hotel provides a context that a traditional gallery setting simply cannot replicate. And I loved every minute of it.
Ephemeral Art: Why You Must Visit Berlin’s Dark Rooms Hotel Before It Disappears
What makes the Dark Rooms Hotel particularly thrilling is its ephemeral nature. The exhibition window is tight – just a little over a month, with its doors closing to the public on May 25, 2025. Shortly after the final visitor departs, the building itself will face demolition, and there is nothing that we can do about it.
This isn’t just the end of an art show; it’s the final curtain call for the physical space. Visiting the Dark Rooms Hotel is a truly unique opportunity to experience groundbreaking art and pay respects to a piece of Berlin’s transient architecture before it’s gone forever.
Securing your passage into this intriguing world requires planning. Tickets for The Dark Rooms Hotel must be bought in advance, and given the buzz surrounding the event, many time slots are already selling out quickly. Keep that in mind, and be fast!
Adding to the mystique, the hotel’s exact location remains a closely guarded secret. I know because I’ve been there, but I won’t spoil the fun and the mystery.
But you don’t need to worry: ticket holders receive the address via email just 48 hours before their scheduled visit. These personalized tickets facilitate this communication process. You can book your visit here.
For those seeking unique cultural experiences and art lovers drawn to unconventional presentations, The Dark Rooms Hotel offers an exceptional journey into the heart of Berlin’s creative spirit. It’s a chance to engage your senses, contemplate hidden stories, and explore a fascinating space during its final moments.
From April 11 to May 25, 2025, this installation invites you to explore light and sound in a forgotten location in Berlin. Don’t miss the opportunity to enter the shadows before they and the hotel disappear.
