The last time I was in Berlin, last September, it was to run the marathon - 26.4 miles. This time, 8 months on, I drunk, ate and boogied my way around the city, easily covering the mileage that I had previously puffed my way along. 

What makes Berlin special, is the way all the scenes interact and meld together in harmony. In London, or LA, or New York - the arts, literature and music sit polarised in their own beds of activity, with little mattress hopping whatsoever. The party and arts scene in Berlin embraces everything, all at once. There is a community that thrives on sharing and exchanging talent. Artists work with writers, writers work with musicians, in short they are all having one big creative hot bed of an orgy. And it's quite something. 

There were many highlights during this recent trip. The different areas offer so many different things. For the first few days we stayed at the home of electro/R&B artist Snax in the hip underground neighbourhood of Friedrichshain. Snax - who works with the likes of Jamie Lidell and Peaches - moved to Berlin from New York several years ago, and fell in love with the affordable accommodation and thriving music scene. Snax hosted us to the Berlin's most notorious night spots, such as the Ibiza-esque Berghain and the Panorama Bar, as well as off-track illegal arty squat parties and dirty record label discos. 

But in truth, there was another side to the city that I enjoyed, even more. The western part of the city is more corporate and sheened over, but a short cab ride away from the hip artists and musicians comes a newer world of shopping centers, bars and fancy hotels. 

Me and my partner Simon were fortunate enough to stay at the Grand Hyatt near Potsdamer Platz http://www.berlin.grand.hyatt.com. The Berlin underground had spat us out a tad disheveled, not to mention sleep-deprived, so having our last night within the Hyatt's luxurious walls was the perfect end to our wild weekend. 

I have stayed in many hotels, all over the world, and The Grand Hyatt in Berlin has now made it into my Top 5. The stylish and modern decor upon entrance coupled with a warm and friendly reception from its staff, was merely just an initial tempting nibble. It was the swimming pool on the roof in the Spa and Fitness area that was the enviable icing on the hotel cake. Swimming lengths with a view across the city gave us rushes of pleasure that had not, so far that weekend, been reached.

In short, Berlin is the city to go nuts in and throw all caution to the wind. But when you find yourself out of steam, there is no better location to regroup and repair for the next installment.