FIBA, Mermaids & THE YARD: My Berlin Stay
Berlin, basketball, a broken phone, really good pizza, a mermaid tail and a hotel that somehow became my little home base in Germany.
I came to Berlin for basketball. That was the plan, anyway. I was there for the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, which meant I had USA basketball outfits packed, cowboy boots ready, camera equipment everywhere and, because I'm apparently incapable of traveling like a normal person, a full mermaid tail in my luggage.
I was ready to explore Berlin, cheer for Team USA, make content and have a good time. What I didn't plan for was breaking my phone. Or forgetting my most of my makeup. Or discovering some of the best pizza I've ever had. Or having a random conversation with a man at my hotel pool about whether I played basketball because he was fascinated by my mermaid tail.
But that's the thing about traveling. You can plan the itinerary. You cannot plan the story. And my story in Berlin started at The YARD.
STAY AT THE YARD BERLIN WITH little BIG HOTELS
The First Thing I Noticed Was How Quiet It Was
When I first walked outside The YARD, I remember looking around and thinking, Oh, this is cute. It didn't immediately feel like I was in the middle of a major European city. It felt like a neighborhood. It is in the middle of a neighborhood.
There were families walking around. Kids were outside. I could see parks and museums, people going about their regular routines and this calm, everyday energy that I really loved. And I realized pretty quickly that I could actually walk around and explore.
That was important to me because I love discovering a city on foot. I want to see what is between the tourist attractions. I want to walk past a restaurant and wonder what everybody inside is eating. I want to see how people actually live. The neighborhood around The YARD gave me that feeling.
Of course, my first major Berlin walking adventure happened because I forgot something. Makeup. Not all of my makeup. But a lot of important makeup. Geesh! Apparently I can remember to pack a mermaid tail and forget the makeup.
SCENE: THE MAKEUP EMERGENCY
INT. THE YARD BERLIN, ROOM — MORNING
DeDe opens her suitcase. She digs through her clothes and mini bags.
DEDE
“Uh oh. No I didn’t.”
She digs again and again. She stops.
DEDE
“Where is my makeup?”
Silence. She looks at the suitcase like it personally betrayed her.
DEDE
“There's no way I brought a mermaid tail to Germany but forgot my makeup.”
Cut to DeDe putting on her shoes and looks up stores nearby.
DEDE
“Okay. I guess we're going shopping.”
And that's how I ended up taking a roughly ten to fifteen minute walk to Rossmann. What I thought was going to be a quick trip to buy makeup turned into a little tour of my neighborhood.
The farther I walked, the more the city opened up. The quiet streets around The YARD gradually turned into something that felt more like Midtown or Downtown. There were more people, more restaurants, more stores and more movement. But what surprised me was that even when the area got busier, it didn't feel chaotic. People were moving, but nobody seemed to be rushing around in a panic. There was energy without the overwhelm.
And I loved that. It reminded me of the feeling I get in certain parts of Los Angeles where you can be surrounded by people and businesses and still somehow feel like you have room to breathe. At one point, I was just walking around thinking, Okay Berlin, I see you.
And then I found pizza. Really good pizza. Like, why didn't anybody tell me about this pizza?
Somewhere between trying to find makeup and exploring the city, I realized one of the best things about being in this area was how easy it was to find what I needed. There were restaurants everywhere, and on the days when I didn't feel like going out, Uber Eats was right there.
Sometimes you're looking for an incredible local restaurant. Other times you're exhausted and need food delivered to your hotel room. I appreciate a city that can do both.
Breakfast at The YARD Deserves Its Own Story
I'm going to be honest: I am not usually a breakfast person. When I'm traveling, I'm usually already thinking about where I need to be next. I have a camera to charge, an outfit to put together, somewhere to go, something to film and approximately seventeen other things happening in my head.
But breakfast at The YARD made me reconsider my position.
The breakfast was good. And I mean really good.
The bread was some of the freshest I've had while traveling. There were fresh juices, plenty of fruit, eggs, oatmeal, toppings, turkey, and, most importantly, salami. I love salami.
So we were off to a very good start.
The breakfast area itself was beautiful. The green touches that appear throughout the hotel continued into the dining space, and the whole room had this upscale restaurant feeling. It honestly reminded me of the kind of beautiful restaurant you might find tucked into Beverly Hills.
And the natural light was gorgeous. That matters when you're a creator because good natural light can turn a random Tuesday morning into a whole production. I could sit there, eat breakfast and look outside at the neighborhood while the sunlight filled the room.
There was something about the combination of the greenery, the architecture, the sunlight and the people moving through the neighborhood that made the space feel very California to me, even though I was very much in Berlin.
My Room Had a Roommate. Sort Of.
My room was another thing I appreciated because it gave me enough space to actually settle in. I had a queen bed and a twin bed.
And naturally, the twin bed became the official residence of my mermaid tail. She had traveled all the way from America. She deserved her own bed.
The room also had a makeshift closet that I absolutely loved because I had packed FIBA jerseys and outfits that I did not want to pull out of a suitcase looking like they'd been through a war. I could hang everything up and keep it organized.
That may sound like a tiny thing, but when you're traveling for content, it makes a huge difference.
I need my clothes accessible. I need to know where my things are. And I need my jerseys to look like I didn't sleep on them.
The bathroom was another favorite. I am very easy to please when it comes to hotel bathrooms. Give me a beautiful, clean shower and I'm happy.
Give me a waterfall shower head and a towel warmer? Now we're friends.
The bathroom was spotless, and after a long day of walking around Berlin, coming back and getting into that shower was exactly what I needed.
And Then I Found the Pool
Of course I did. There was no way I was staying at a hotel with an indoor pool and not getting in.
I'm a swimmer. I'm a diver. I'm a freediver. I'm a mermaid. Water is part of my life.
The pool at The YARD is indoors, underneath a large skylight that lets the natural light in. I loved that because it meant I could enjoy the pool regardless of what the weather was doing outside.
And it was deep enough for me to actually practice in my mermaid tail.
So obviously...
I put on the tail.
SCENE: THE YARD POOL
INT. THE YARD POOL — DAY
DeDe enters the pool in a mermaid tail. A man coming from the sauna makes a hard stop. The look on his face is confusion and curiosity. He looks again. He is clearly trying to figure out what exactly is happening. Finall…
MAN
“Is that... real?”
DeDe laughs.
DEDE
“It’s real. No AI.”
He starts asking questions about the tail. Where did you get it? Do you actually swim in it? Do you do this professionally? Then comes the question I apparently could not escape in Berlin:
MAN
“So, do you play basketball? In the FIBA?”
DeDe pauses. Looks down at the mermaid tail. Looks back at him.
DEDE
“No. Not anymore. That was loooong ago. I’m just here to watch. I’m just a mermaid now.”
He laughs.
DEDE
“I know. It sounds confusing.”
And that was basically my Berlin trip in one conversation. I came for basketball. I was staying at a hotel. I was swimming like a mermaid. And somehow all of those things made perfect sense to me.
I also met other guests who were fascinated by the tail, which turned into one of those spontaneous travel interactions that I love. You never know who you're going to meet when you travel.
Sometimes all it takes is a ridiculous outfit, a weird hobby or, in my case, a giant mermaid tail to start a conversation.
The Pool Wasn't the Only Place to Unwind
The pool area also had showers, a sauna and a small gym. It wasn't some massive fitness center where you were going to spend three hours lifting weights. But if you wanted to get in a quick workout, it was equipped enough to do that.
And after a day of walking all over Berlin and cheering at basketball games, sometimes the best workout is simply making it back to your room. The sauna was a nice way to decompress, and the shower afterward was even better.
Then came the bed. And those beds were very comfortable. My mermaid tail slept good. After a full day out, I could shower, get into bed and actually relax.
Because Yes, I Was Still Working
One thing people sometimes forget about traveling as a creator is that you're not necessarily on vacation. I'm working. I'm filming. I'm editing. I'm answering messages. I'm organizing footage. I'm trying to remember which camera battery I charged and which one I absolutely did not.
So having strong WiFi was important to me. I could come back to my room, get comfortable and work.
That made The YARD more than just a place to sleep. It became my home base.
And then, naturally, Berlin decided to test the “home base” theory.
The Phone Incident
Let's talk about the phone. Because apparently I wasn't allowed to have a completely normal trip.
At some point during my Berlin adventure, I broke my phone and suddenly couldn't make outgoing calls and the screen wouldn’t come on. If you've ever traveled internationally by yourself, you already know why that sent me into a little panic.
Your phone is everything. It's your map. Your transportation. Your communication. Your camera. Your translator. Your connection to the rest of the world.
And suddenly mine was not cooperating.
SCENE: THE YARD FRONT DESK
INT. THE YARD BERLIN — LOBBY
DeDe walks up to the front desk, visibly stressed.
DEDE
“I have a problem.”
The staff looks concerned.
DEDE
“My phone is broken, and I can't make calls. And I have to make it to this phone repair shop before the game.”
There is a pause and a warm reassuring smile. And iinstead of making me figure it out myself, they stepped in.
They helped me call a taxi. They made sure I was okay. They talked to me and made me laugh.
And when I ultimately decided to stay an extra day while I went on a mission to find another phone, they helped make sure everything was taken care of.
That meant a lot to me.
Because when you're traveling solo in another country, kindness hits differently. You can be completely capable and still have a moment where you think, Okay... I need somebody to help me figure this out.
The staff at The YARD did that for me. They were kind, patient and genuinely accommodating throughout my stay.
And I remembered that.
Five Minutes to the Train
Another thing I loved was how close the train station was.
Before arriving, I had been worried about how much walking I'd have to do to get to public transportation. Especially because I had brought cowboy boots.
And if you've ever walked around a European city in cowboy boots, you know that you need to know exactly what you're getting yourself into. But the train station was about a five-minute walk from the hotel.
Five minutes. That's it.
And once I figured that out, getting around Berlin became incredibly easy. The YARD was about a twenty-minute ride to Uber Platz, where I was headed for the basketball games, so I could get to the arena without turning transportation into an entire event.
I also got complimented on my USA FIBA outfits more than once. So apparently the wardrobe was working. 😂 The train made it easy to get around during the day and, just as importantly, easy to get home at night.
Coming To the Hotel as a Solo Traveler
There were nights when I came back late after the games. As a solo woman traveler, I pay attention to how it feels to return to a hotel after dark.
The fact that the train station was so close and the neighborhood around The YARD was quiet and charming made a difference. I wasn't coming back to some chaotic area where I had to navigate a huge crowd or walk forever from transportation. I could get off the train, walk a few minutes and be back at the hotel.
After spending the day cheering, walking, filming and exploring, that was exactly what I wanted. Sometimes safety and comfort aren't about some giant luxury feature. It could be simply knowing that when you're tired and it's late, you know exactly how to get home.
And Then It Was Time to Leave
Eventually, my Berlin adventure had to end. Noooo! I don’t want to leave! Tear drop But I had to get back home.
The ride from The YARD to the airport was about forty minutes by Uber, which honestly wasn't bad at all. After a trip where I had been moving around so much, I appreciated having a straightforward ride to the airport. And check-in at the beginning of the trip had been easy too.
The YARD offers online check-in, and I opted for early check-in for about $25.
For me, it was worth it. After traveling, being able to get into my room earlier, put my bags down and actually settle in was exactly what I needed.
Why The YARD Worked for Me
Looking back, I don't think there was one single thing that made me enjoy staying at The YARD. It was the combination.
I liked walking outside and immediately being in a real neighborhood where I could see families, kids, parks and museums. I liked being able to walk to stores and restaurants. I liked that when I wanted to stay in, I could order food. The breakfast was soooo good and started off my day with energy and fuel. I am a sucker for natural light. It helps with my pictures, videos and my mental clarity. The green touches throughout the hotel made it feel earthy and warm. I liked having enough room for my clothes and camera equipment. The pool is Mermaid RayShell approved. I liked being able to practice in my mermaid tail. I liked the sauna. I was appreciative of the small gym nearby. The WiFI saved me when I couldn’t connect to my Cellular Data. The comfortable bed awarded me with great sleep.
And I really appreciated the staff. Especially when my trip took that unexpected turn with my phone.
The YARD gave me a peaceful place to come back to while I was experiencing Berlin. It gave me a comfortable place to work and a pool where I could be a mermaid.
It gave me easy access to the city.
And when I needed help, there were people there who were willing to help. That's what I remember.
So, Would the Mermaid Stay Again?
Absolutely.
I came to Berlin for basketball.
I left with basketball memories, new stories, a broken phone adventure, some incredible pizza, a lot of walking, new content, a new appreciation for Berlin's neighborhoods and a hotel that became part of the story.
That's what I love about travel. You can start with an itinerary, but you don't really know what the story is going to be until you live it. And this one had everything. I got FIBA Basketball in Berlin. Pizza where the sauce tasted homemade. A makeup Emergency that was solved within 15 minutes. A broken phone that could have ended my trip in disaster but I got through it with The Yard’s help. Cowboy Boots that didn’t hurt my feet because the train station was so close. A sauna to relax. A really good breakfast that allowed me to be energized throughout the day. And a hotel that made coming to my makeshift home at the the end of the day feel easy.
Not bad for a basketball trip.
DEDE'S BERLIN TIP
If you're visiting Berlin and want to explore the city while still having a peaceful place to come home to, I really appreciated staying somewhere with easy access to public transportation.
The five-minute walk to the train station made a huge difference for me, especially on those late nights after FIBA. And if you're anything like me, you'll probably find yourself walking more than you expected anyway. So bring comfortable shoes. Or don't.
Apparently I chose cowboy boots. I survived.
STAY AT THE YARD
If you're planning your own Berlin trip, you can find more information about The YARD and book directly through little BIG hotels here:
Book THE YARD Berlin with little BIG Hotels
DeDe's readers can also use DEDE5 for 5% off a direct booking.
DeDe's Journals is part of the House of Hardeman, where I document the places I stay, the experiences I have, the things I try and the stories that happen along the way.
My stay at The YARD was part of my Berlin experience. All thoughts and experiences shared here are my own.
