Ahhh SG - to TOTALLY contradict what I've just written above - so after my going on booking.com to get that Axel hotel location it finally dawned on me that that is the sister hotel of Axel gay in Barcelona ( where I'm staying in January ) and even booking.com ( much to my surprise) stated it was bang in the middle of Berlin's Gay area and gay bars and clubs abound all round it - so, as my previous hotel was "cancellation possible" it was rapidly cancelled and Axel hotel now booked, so Berlin here we cum ! :-))

So, thanks again for the tip SG, you've just made that side of our Berlin trip MUCH easier for us I think, see yet again this board and it's members knowledge prove it's and their worth in so many useful ways !