For the last two months, a new aparthotel in Berlin’s Hackescher Markt has been inviting people to try and give feedback on its design and experience. Wallpaper* took up this offer, spending two nights as a willing guinea pig. Dubbed MM:NT Berlin Lab, the hospitality concept was developed by Philippa Wagner, an experienced design strategist at PeoplePlacesSpaces, for apartment hotel operator Adina Hotels, part of Sydney-based TFE Hotels.
Inside MM:NT Berlin Lab aparthotel
MM:NT Berlin Lab bills itself as a ‘digital first’, self-serve experience. ‘You need to be digitally savvy, ideally a digital native,’ says MM:NT operations lead Janek Gensch. As such, spots like the front entrance, guest rooms, and in-room drawers and cupboards had to be accessed by swiping the corresponding ‘key’ on the app. Although bewildering at first, the system eventually became second nature.
With no staff on site during the beta mode period – just an MM:NT intercom system connecting with a staff member – the only background noise we experienced was the incidental music in the communal spaces or that of other guests conversing about the futuristic nature of the experience.
Design-wise, the interiors emanate a minimal and functional energy. ACME, a studio based in London, Berlin and Madrid, developed most shared spaces and bedrooms, while BWM in Vienna crafted one room with a different approach. In the communal area, ACME installed a large table made of recycled plastic from Smile Plastic and adorned the space with floor-to-ceiling green drapes to soften the concrete walls.
Our two-night stay commenced in one of ACME’s ‘small’ rooms, a compact 14 sq m space without windows, resembling a Scandinavian cabin on a cruise ship. Distinctively, the bathroom boasted terracotta recycled glass tiles from Eco-Friendly Tiles. On our second night, we stayed in BWM’s ‘medium’ room, where the team ingeniously fit a kitchenette with a Foresso worktop made of recycled materials into the available 19 sq m – space-saving features included fold-out shelves and tables integrated into the walls.
MM:NT Berlin Lab is set to open to the public on 1 July 2024, while the brand has plans to expand in more European cities and Australia.
MM:NT Berlin Lab is located at, An d. Spandauer Brücke 11, mmnt-intime.com
