Inside MM:NT Berlin Lab, the new futuristic aparthotel captivating the tech-savvy

Wallpaper* spends two nights at the currently-on-trial MM:NT Berlin Lab, a digitally hosted escape for guests who value independence

A futuristic looking bar area and a wooden bedroom
(Image credit: Photography by Silke Briel)

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

Exterior sign of MM:NT Berlin Lab

(Image credit: Photography by Lars Brønseth)

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.

Dining area at MM:NT Berlin Lab boasting a pink mosaic counter

(Image credit: Photography by Silke Briel)

A blue table with brown chairs

(Image credit: Photography by Silke Briel)

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.

An eclectic living room with a green velvet sofa

(Image credit: Photography by Silke Briel)

Futuristic-looking green lockers and abstract painting

(Image credit: Photography by Silke Briel)

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.

A wooden bedroom with bed and Noguchi-style lamp

(Image credit: Photography by Silke Briel)

Two modern stools and a wooden table

(Image credit: Photography by Silke Briel)

A pink-tiled bathroom

(Image credit: Photography by Silke Briel)

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.

A wooden bedroom

(Image credit: Photography by Silke Briel)

A wooden kitchen with speckled sink

(Image credit: Photography by Silke Briel)

A green tiled shower

(Image credit: Photography by Silke Briel)

MM:NT Berlin Lab is located at, An d. Spandauer Brücke 11, mmnt-intime.com

Clare Dowdy is a London-based freelance design and architecture journalist who has written for titles including Wallpaper*, BBC, Monocle and the Financial Times. She’s the author of ‘Made In London: From Workshops to Factories’ and co-author of ‘Made in Ibiza: A Journey into the Creative Heart of the White Island’.