The Ritz-Carlton, Berlin

What the classifiers highlight

This 230-foot sandstone tower has anchored the Potsdamer Platz skyline since 2004, its lobby lined in marble beneath a double staircase and crystal chandeliers. Both guides note that the rooms trade that opulence for a calmer, contemporary look, and that there is no spa, only a wellness floor with Finnish and steam saunas. POTS serves chef Christopher Kujanski's German classics.