Hilton HHonors - Hilton Frankfurt Trip Reports and Reviews

With CO's new promotion to FRA I couldn't help but redeem a reward at the Frankfurt Hilton for a night on my last run.

30k got me an amazing room with an view on the exec floor. The usual treatment was extended as a G-VIP. In the middle of the day, someone dropped in to deliver some chocolate covered strawberries and other fruits and cookies. nice touch.

Overall, I was very pleased and would highly recommend it.

I completely agree with your comments on the Frankfurt Hilton. Frankfurt is now one of my main mileage run destinations because of this hotel...They really seem to take the Diamond/Status stuff serious.

On my last stay (using awards certificates) we arrived at 6:30am and the hotel was sold out the night before, and rooms would not be available until after noon http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif...but, as he was finishing that sentence I think he noticed my status, excussed himself to check on something in the back. Next thing I know I'm on the top floor staying in the Truman Suite. And then, as in past vists, the fresh fruit and champaigne arrives!!!

While I've always been upgraded to the Executive Floor here, this was my first stay on the All-Suite floor...and what's interesting is that all the suites are named after U.S. Presidents.

A great hotel!!!

Agree. Fantastic Hotel and had the same experiences as others, except no suite. I was staying at a pretty discounted rate though. I would highly recommed it. Also there is a great young resturant called Central PArk that is right down the street. It was great, trendy and reasonabally priced!

We just got back from a trip and our airport was FRA. So for the first night I decided to book a "Romance Package" at the Frankfurt Hilton since our 10 yr anniversary is coming up. Very nice corner room with large glass "walls" overlooking the park. Recieved a small bottle of champagne & chocolate bar on arrival and a large champagne breakfast the next morning as part of the package. Really impressed with the service and the room.

At the end of our stay we spent a couple of nights at the Mainz City Hilton (also a short train ride from FRA). While it didn't compare to the Frankfurt setup it was still a very nice room overlooking the courtyard and some rooftop gardens. The breakfast buffet was also very good. Both mornings I noticed lots of Air Canada flight crew.

The Mainz City hotel is a crew hotel yes.
In Mainz I would highly recommend the Hyatt!

I found some very positive posts here about the Hilton Frankfurt before I stayed there this past weekend, so I must say I had high expectations of this hotel going in. I'm happy to report that it exceeded every one of them. Some high points...

1. Booked a cheapo rate ($125), and as a Gold was upgraded to a corner room with a fantastic view.

2. Room Service- Had a delicious Filet Mignon dinner that was delivered piping hot, quickly (30 minutes), by a very friendly gentleman.

3. At check in I enquired about the easiest way to get to the Nurburgring (famous race track about 3 hours away). She was familiar with it and said she would get back to me. Expecting some sort of leaflet or pamphlet, I was shocked when about 10 minutes later a man from guest relations called with driving directions. I apologized and said I would be traveling by train. No problem he said, and 5 minutes later I get a call back. He had called Frankfurt Main Station and had a schedule put together for me. Very impressive.

4. At check-out, I informed the front desk that the TV-Internet had not been working that morning (the only thing wrong with this stay). It was removed from the bill promptly no questions asked as it should have been.

As was said in earlier posts, this hotel is still very nice, very new, very clean, etc. etc., and it's staffed by some of the friendliest and most helpful people. I've had 19 stays with Hilton since BT2YM in February, and this is hands down the best yet.

I agree. This is a fantastic hotel and have always had good experiences. Around Easter they have live bunnies in a small fenced off area near the elevator. Something great for the kids!

Mmmmm... Bunnies

Yes, it's a very fine property indeed! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

thought you meant the 5'-6" Blonde Bunnies of Mr. Heffner... I was ready to book my trip.

I totally agree that this is an awsome hotel. Like you, I've gotten in there on some great weekend rates and always end up on the executive floor...and those corner rooms are great!

On a visit or two ago we ended up on the top floor (one floor above the executive floor) where all the rooms are huge suites named after US presidents. You could have played football in there!

What is the location of this Hilton in FRA?
Is it far from the airport? Do they have a shuttle?

I'll be overnighting in FRA before going back to the U.S. and seems like this property is the top choice.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Damian:
What is the location of this Hilton in FRA?
Is it far from the airport? Do they have a shuttle?

I'll be overnighting in FRA before going back to the U.S. and seems like this property is the top choice.</font>
The Hilton is in the city center. The hotel doesn't have a shuttle. You can go there by public transport (subway; 15-20min; fare 3.15EUR one way).

FRA is an airport. Frankfurt is a city. The Hilton is in the city, not in/at the airport.

[This message has been edited by Shareholder (edited 06-09-2002).]

I'm sorry, I meant Frankfurt but decided to use FRA as it is corresponding to Frankfurt, Germany.

Hilton Frankfurt Trip Report – February 2005
Hochstrasse 4
60313 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Phone +49 (0)69 13 38-0 00
Fax +49 (0)69 13 38-13 38
e-mail: sales_frankfurt@hilton.com

Filed on-site

We spent a long weekend at the Hilton Frankfurt and found a decent rate: “”WEEKEND IN STYLE” is a typical Hilton Europe rate that includes taxes and full breakfast for each guest, and here it was € 159 Euro (about US$207 at the current exchange,) for a twin, queen or king guest room (ROH, basically; the king and queen were pulled the previous Sunday, and after only the twins remained listed.) Weekends in style are offered in a number of European and African Hiltons Friday – Sunday, and can be a very good deal for those wanting a weekend away to relax and play.

On arrival, we were welcomed and upgraded to room 1130 on the Executive levels (floors 11 and 12.) The room is a large twin overlooking the green belt park that surrounds Frankfurt’s Stadtmitte (central city,) a lovely place to walk and enjoy people and dog watching (the pond’s ducks have their own house, with its own “Hilton” sign.) Nearest sites include the Alte Oper (Old Operahouse, rebuilt by the citizens of Frankfurt in 1976 from the rubble left in WW II and in spite the mayor wanted to eliminate it,) the Eschenheimer Tor, the remaining tower from the city’s old fortifications, now housing a restaurant and the Borse – Frankfurt’s stock market, with a large sculpture garden with the required bull and bear. Transport is easy – the walking is excellent, a taxi rank is active at the hotel’s front, and the hotel is in the center of a triangle formed by the Alte Oper, Eschenheimer Tor and Hauptwache U-bahn (underground) stations and Hauptwache S-bahn (suburban rail) station. Hauptwache is two stops away from the Hauptbanhoff (railroad station) via the S-bahn, in turn 15 minutes from the Flughafen (airport), Europe’s busiest. You can walk anywhere within the Stadtmitte in less than thirty minutes, even with the few inches of snow we encountered this morning. (Some of the Hauptbanhoff area can be a bit rough at night, with lots of sex for sale and some drunkenness and agro behaviors.)

The hotel was constructed in 1998, and is a lovely piece of modern architecture, with a 12-story atrium with glass lifts to the floors. The Vista bar and lounge is in the lobby, and serves a variety of pub food and drinks – a hoppy-finish Radeberger Pilsner is on draft, and on weekends, a “full English tea” is served. The Pacific Color restaurant has a glass front to the green belt, and serves the huge breakfast buffet (from Continental at €17 to American at €26) from 6:30 to 10:00 (and a Sunday brunch 12:00 – 15:00.) The remainder of the day the German interpretation of California cuisine is served – and it is a very popular restaurant. Finally, there is an Asian bar with “Asian tapas” that opens at 18:00. There is a number of meeting rooms, and a huge fitness center with almost everything you can conceive of – The Wave, including a pool.

The 11th floor houses the Executive check-in and concierge (weekdays) and an executive lounge with courtesy soft and alcoholic drinks. Continental breakfast including cold meats and smoked salmon, boiled eggs, breads, fresh and dried fruits, muesli and yoghurt is served daily, snacks at different times of the day – pre-dinner snacks at 18:00. Part of the lounge is non-smoking during breakfast only; stocking (glasses, snacks and the fridge) and table-bussing seemed to be quite leisurely much of the time, in spite of two staff.

The room we were given is spacious, particularly for a European hotel room, with comfortable twin beds covered by duvets and two pillows, flanked by night stands with bright endlessly-variable lights. The room is well-lit, includes an automatic mini-bar (move an item, even to look it over, and it is yours – at prices from €4 for a small orange juice to €9 for .25 liter of wine and €45 for a split of champagne (I didn‘t look!), who would think of using it, with access to the nearby Executive Lounge? The same area has a small ice bucket and a coffee service – and a menu to order up sushi from the Asian bar. The nonsmoking rooms in this wing all include – ashtrays and matches!

Additionally, the bright room in blonde wood accents and a huge window overlooking some aspect of the city – ours included the green belt and Alte Oper – is well-lit with a profusion of lights, has a very nice built-in work desk with telephone, modem and 240 V outlets, and a closet, luggage stand, three-drawer wardrobe, small round table, task and arm-chair. A small TV with Sony Playstation and a JVC stereo tuner - CD - tape player complete the room. The bath is huge, with a large shower and separate bathtub with dryer line, hair dryer and usual amenities – but a truly tiny soap, so if you are like me, you use your own larger soap on the road and are grateful you make room for it. Bath sheets, slippers and robes are provided in Executive rooms, but the only “welcome” amenity for Diamonds seemed to be the single bottle of Vitel water we received the first night, and presumably those are provided daily in these rooms. Central heat and air, so you get warm air winters, cold air summers, and have some limited choices in temperature – I opened the small window vent to cool the room enough to make the duvets (no sheets) comfortable.

In-room WiFi (802.11b) service is provided by Swisscom, requiring you to purchase a card at the lobby check-in desk. Signal strength is very good in room 1130. Rates are:

30 min - €4.50
2 hr - €9.50
24 hr - €24.50

Once you sign on for HSI, the clock starts running- you can not buy a two hour card and log on for four ½ hour sessions, for example. Swisscom and the hotel seem to make a killing on these “extras” – even an “0800” toll-free call on your hotel phone costs €2.50! (An unlocked GSM multi-band phone with a locally purchased SIM chip will save you tons of money in most hotels in the world, including this one – and the hotel chains seem to just keep raising the rates, completely ignoring the laws of supply and demand; it will be interesting indeed to see what they do with the coming of WiMax in their neighborhoods.)

Breakfast (Pacific Colors restaurant buffet) was truly great – the young waitress offered “normal” or fresh-squeezed orange juice and coffee throughout our breakfast. A selection of fresh and preserved fruits included lychees; a broad selection of cold meats and cheeses included smoked salmon, and the bread table groaned with a tremendous variety of good breads, with a smaller table of preserves nearby. Several cereals are on offer, as well as eggs, baked tomatoes with cheese, roasted potato slices, sausages and meatballs, mushrooms and crepes. You can certainly fill up with this buffet! Afternoons and evenings, this popular restaurant does a thriving business, and offers a la carte and fixed price menu items – even on weekends.

Sidebar – the sights:

Frankfurt has a small Romerberg – reconstructed old buildings face a plaza with a statue of Justice (Justitia) without the usual blindfold facing the old city hall offices, perhaps a reminder that she is watching the politicians. This is a picturesque area with the History Museum, several restaurants (the Zum Schwarzen Stern (http://www.schwarzerstern.de) is friendly and provides a good medium-priced feed in a building with a brilliant medieval façade and an inside feel of pre-World War I Germany. €25 three-hour city tours depart at 14:00 winters, 10:00 also the rest of the year. From the Romerberg – and elsewhere – you can see the modern glass and steel financial centres that have bestowed the tongue-in-cheek name “Mainhattan” on this city astride the Main River. (Just across the river on the pedestrian Eisener Steg bridge is a very busy Saturday flea market – but watch the pickpockets.)

One can visit hometown boy and Germany’s premiere poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s house and museum, and eating seems to be a way of life here – cafes and restaurants abound, as does shopping. We shop for shoes here – European shoes (such as Mephistos) sell at perhaps 30-40% less than US prices, even with the higher-priced Euro. Museums abound, just name your interest: film, transport, the arts, sculpture, architecture, communications, Judaism, world culture, money, you name it, and it probably has a museum in Frankfurt. Frankfurt also has a lively nightlife for all.

Getting away from Frankfurt is also easy – it’s Hauptbanhoff has perhaps 1,600 trains a day, and you can take day trips to Heidelberg, the Rheingau, even Munich. Except for winters, you can take day cruises to the Rheingau valley, home to picturesque castles and the famed Loreley, who lured sailors to their deaths (perhaps they had imbibed too much of the locally-produced and world-famed wine?)

Most come to Frankfurt to work – but stay on a weekend, and you will see the Frankfurters know how to play and have fun.

Post script: My Swisscom "30 minutes" has actually been cut off at 26 minutes - €4.50 and over 10% error, in favor of the company. Caveat emptor!

Wow - thanks - was considering a stay there and will probably book based on your report!

My trip has me arrive in FRA, train to Hannover, then on the way back I'm going to stop at this Hilton overnight (maybe two on your recommendation). While I haven't completely scoped out options for trains, it looks like I can go straight from the train terminal in FRA to Hannover on the way out (Easy connection?). Of course that's not the stop to reach the Hilton on the return.

Off topic - but how is the Admiral's Club in FRA?

Great report! ^
...we appreciate the detail.

Thank you.

OT, kind of, but... The FRA Admirals Club is landside, hidden in some construction on the 2nd floor by a group of travel agencies, same terminal you will depart from. You can check in here, if you only have carry-ons. Friendly people, a dated feel but a cappuccino machine, drinks of various sorts, not very varied snacks, and three showers. Being landside, you can use it as an arrivals lounge too! Usually very underutilized, and accessible via an escalator and several steps down into the club.

One of the best Hilton's in entire chain!! Staff sent me a Christmas Card as I had stayed several times over the holidays. The also have a fantastic pool and fitness centre!! Excellent breakfast but nothing beats breakfast at Berlin Hilton.

One of the best Hilton's in entire chain!! Staff sent me a Christmas Card as I had stayed several times over the holidays. The also have a fantastic pool and fitness centre!! Excellent breakfast but nothing beats breakfast at Berlin Hilton.

Search is out, and I'm at the Berlin Hilton in a couple of weeks. The breakfast is good? Anything else to know? How about getting to/from the hotel from TXL?

Having stayed at Hilton FRA two times during 2004 I can only agree! It is a great hotel!
Only downside is the strange location of the executive lounge, located in the elevator lobby and it is quite small. The selection of snacks is not the best in the world either. Best club lounge in Frankfurt is by far the Intercontinental hotel. But still my first choice in Frankfurt is definitely the Hilton!

Read the sticky about Search being down, and use the Google link to do the search (some of us have been using Google since before the "back by Feb 14 at the latest" Search removal - you can do some creative searches with it.)

Search is out, and I'm at the Berlin Hilton in a couple of weeks. The breakfast is good? Anything else to know? How about getting to/from the hotel from TXL?

Any recent experiences? I'm planning on staying this Sunday night.

Thanks!

Randomman

We'll see. But I doubt it has gone to heck in a handbasket in a few short months. ;) Have a great stay!

Any recent experiences? I'm planning on staying this Sunday night.

Thanks!

Randomman

Any recent experiences? I'm planning on staying this Sunday night.

Thanks!

Randomman
I was just looking at their site today. opted for a 10K award stay at scandic up the road. 30 bucks for internet? give me a break :td:

How is the transportation from the airport to the hotel? Cheap easy subway?

Thanks,

Randomman

You can use rail to Hauptwache station, very close by. Frankfurt is one of the best transportation-served airports in the world, a true intermodal node with inntercity express, local rail, etc. As I recall, 20 - 25 minutes time.

How is the transportation from the airport to the hotel? Cheap easy subway?

Thanks,

Randomman

The Hauptwache station is the best choice. There is another station just down at the street corner from the Hilton, but the stairs are frequently closed on the weekends and evenings, and requires a transfer to the line that serves that station. Hilton 3 block walk from Hauptwache. Taxi ride is slightly over the flag drop, from the main train station.

I, too, have stayed a number of times at this Hilton and find it a great value, either with their weekend rates, or using points, when the week day rates are too high. The lounge is on the 11th floor, as I recall, and has a very nice breakfast and evening snacks/drinks. I remember one winter night I didn't want to go out in the cold and actually was able to make a, modest, meal out of the lounge offerings. I have always been given a lounge floor room, as Gold, even on points stays. Fairly large corner king size room last time with a nice view, towards the Opera building.

I'll be there towards the end of October for a few nights on award. Really looking forward to it after reading these posts.
Thanks for adding the information on getting to the hotel from the airport!

Am I correct in assuming that I can go straight to the 11th floor to check in?

I often plan business meeting for up to 400 attendees - Frankfurt Hilton is my most preferred hotel! Great hotel, modern rooms, friendly and professional staff, no problems with anything in the hotel, technical or organisatonal things. If you want to make successful meetings in Frankfurt - do it here (or better, don't do it, it's not easy to get a room there ;) )

Can anyone recommend the best way to get there from FRA? The Hilton Site mentioned it's about 20 minutes or less via train. Like to avoid a 25+euro taxi.

Is the train easy to find, and to figure out what station to get off?

Thanks

Not such a great experience at Frankfurt Hilton.

I arrived to find that there were no Executive Level rooms available, and was put in a lower-level, pretty much standard room instead. Nothing great, but the hotel is fairly new, so seems that all the rooms are well-maintained and clean. The location is excellent for walking around the city -- very central.

I did have a very bad experience there -- I was kicked out of the executive lounge, which was a first ever for me as a well-traveled HHonors Diamond member. They gave me coupons for drinks and breakfast downstairs, which I never used, but I assumed that I could at least hang out in the lounge. Evidently NOT. They only allow those guests staying on the 11th and 12th floor to have lounge access, and by providing coupons they therefore were excluding me from the lounge.

As mentioned by others, the lounge is rather odd, like you are in the hallway. Not sure I’d want to hang out there much anyway. After a conversation with the hotel manager he explained that this should have been better explained at the front desk, but that’s their policy nonetheless.

Overall, the hotel is dramatic inside, with very architectural feel to it (like the Heathrow Hilton). They only offer valet parking. I noticed that they ignored me when I pulled up and felt this was likely since I didn’t have a suit on at the time – instead the doormen all ran to a group of suits that pulled up to unload behind me. It was a little off-putting.

Another pet peeve was the iron and ironing board that showed up when I called to request one (I really don't understand the European view on not putting one in the room, but that's probably a whole other post) – it looked like a mini-me of an adult version. It felt like a toy, and was about as effective.

Finally, my room service arrived an hour after I ordered it. The only explanation provided was that they were busy. This would not have been a big deal, but they promised that it would be there in 15-20 minutes when I called. I wasn’t demanding any quick service, but after they offered to have it there shortly it took forever waiting for it. Why would they promise to have it there so soon if they were so busy?!

Anyway, the hotel itself is nice, I just had a crappy experience there. I’d try it again, but insist on getting a room on the executive level and not have such high expectations of any service next time.

Not such a great experience at Frankfurt Hilton.
This is one of my favorite Hiltons actually; sorry to hear of your problems.

As I posted in another thread (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=472095&highlight=hilton+frankfurt), the Hilton Frankfurt did recently adjust their upgrade policy. If you receive an 11th or 12th floor room, then the lounge is included; if not, then not. The drink coupons are rather new; at least they've made some effort at compensating for the policy change.

For those of us used to the former policy, it is a setback. I think my future plans will include a same-day 5:55 p.m. call to make sure of an executive floor room upgrade. A bit drastic, but without that assurance, I'll probably consider sliding the booking elsewhere.

For those who weren't told of the change, it would definitely be a shock to be kicked out.

Can anyone recommend the best way to get there from FRA? The Hilton Site mentioned it's about 20 minutes or less via train. Like to avoid a 25+euro taxi.

Is the train easy to find, and to figure out what station to get off?

Thanks

Yes, it's easy .. and the best way to go.

Take the S-BAHN from FRA to Hauptwache. If the weather is O.K., you can walk to the hotel in about 5 minutes. Or you change to U-Bahn and go to Eschenheimer Turm (one stop)

Yes, it's easy .. and the best way to go.

Take the S-BAHN from FRA to Hauptwache. If the weather is O.K., you can walk to the hotel in about 5 minutes. Or you change to U-Bahn and go to Eschenheimer Turm (one stop)

USAFAN,
Thanks a million. Just realized how close my trip is (leaving DC on the 21st of this month) and realized I really had no idea how to get to the hotel. Usually I plan a little better.
Guess I'll see firsthand how the upgrade policy, drink certs, treatment, etc. work when I get there. Just looking forward to a few days in FRA and Heidelberg.

Here is a map from Frankfurt> http://www.hot-maps.de/europe/germany/hessen/frankfurt_main/homede.html

On the map:

S = S-Bahn
U = U-Bahn

Near Hilton is Gross Bockenheimer Strasse (Fress-Gass = Food-Road); lots of food .... Also nearby is restaurant "Leiter"

DIE LEITER
Fernando Mezzadra
60313, Stadtmitte, Kaiserhofstr. 11
Tel. (0 69) 29 21 21, Fax 29 16 45
Geschlossen: Sonn- und Feiertag
Menü 25 L, 30 D, à la carte 23/48

Even better, but not cheap:

ERNO'S BISTRO
Eric Huber
60323, Westend, Liebigstr. 15
Tel. (0 69) 72 19 97, Fax 17 38 38

Heidelberg is nice ... Wiesbaden and Rheingau (Rhein-Valley) are nearby and nice too! S-Bahn goes to Wiesbaden.

Best Italian restaurant in town is actually "Garibaldi's" in the Fressgass. Perfect food and incredible service!

A couple months ago I booked an award night at the Hilton Frankfurt for last week. I was with a friend and was looking forward to it a lot because I'd previously been there about a year ago and had had a wonderful experience as a Gold (upgrade to executive level, lounge access, great service). This time I had less than a stellar experience -- partly my fault, partly hilton.com fault, party Hilton Frankfurt fault.

1. I arrived at the hotel around 3PM: they had NO record of my reservation and no room ready for me. I showed the desk clerk my Hilton.com reservation confirmation printout for my award stay -- he was surprized to see it, said "Good you brought this -- the reason we have no record of your reservation is because you did not call the hotel to make the reservation but booked it on the internet." :rolleyes: I told him I thought that was what the website was for (sometimes I call ahead to hotels to make sure everything is set even if I have an internet confirmation, but not always, sometimes I'm just real busy). He said there are problems getting reservations from the website to the hotel (don't know if this is true or he was improvising -- if true it is troubling).

2. He found me a room anyway (lucky one was available!), not on executive floor, not allowed lounge access even as a Diamond. At first refused to give me breakfast coupons, then gave them to me.

3. He then asked for my award "voucher" -- turned out I hadn't printed that (I later learned it was because it had never been sent to me after the reservation confirmation was sent -- all my Hilton e-mail gets sorted into one e-mail box, and I hadn't double-checked for the voucher); I asked if he could look it up, he said no, so I said I'd go print it out off the computer and give it to him later.
I asked for a wireless internet card/password to use in my room to do this, he said I didn't need one, I should just hook up the cable in the room.
Cable in the room for wireless internet access did not work. I called front desk and they gave me nonsense advice that also did not work.

4. So I went down to the business center to try and look up and print my voucher, which I couldn't find on my laptop. A very helpful guy there logged me onto the hilton website and had me type in my password for my account, saw my award confirmation voucher right there on his screen, but he couldn't print it because the hotel already showed me as checked in! He was surprized the front desk guy had not taken care of this. He walked me to the desk, talked to a new desk guy (#2), who said he'd handle it and took away my confirmation sheet to work with. I didn't think to then write down the voucher # because I thought all was taken care of.

5. I left, returned from dinner, found a note from guy #2 telling me to call him, but he is now gone, so I talk to desk clerk #3. She tells me they can't do the voucher paperwork after all because they don't have my password (!), I should call Hilton line in Europe to fax it to them. I call the line, get a machine with voicemail indicating open hours that would not work. Then I call Hilton diamond line in the U.S. at long distance rates to fax it to Frankfurt, they have the booking date down as the date I arrived! They say Frankfurt should get the FAX within 15 minutes to 2 hours. I call the desk and give them the voucher # and tell them about the pending FAX, now they say that all they need is the #, not the FAX, thanks.

6. Next AM I try and check out -- now desk clerk #4 asks me where the voucher is! No record of a FAX, no record of my giving them the voucher # the night before. I give the # to them again to check out without paying.

7. To add minor insult to injury, the night before I noticed an erroneous mini-bar charge on my TV Folio. I called the desk and asked them to take it off as I hadn't consumed anything. She said she'd handle it immediately. The next AM at check-out, the charge is still there, was finally taken off.

The wasted time I spent handling this comedy of errors was about 3 hours.

1. In hindsight, it was my fault for not calling the hotel to confirm they had my reservation (though I really don't like the idea of always having to always call to be sure -- I'm writing the Diamond desk about this to find out what really went wrong, e.g., why I had internet confirmation of my booking on the website but no record at the hotel)
2. It was hilton.com's fault for not getting the reservation to Frankfurt, I presume (or maybe something wrong on the FRA end?)
3. In hindsight, yes I should have checked to make sure I had the voucher # and not just the reservation in advance, but why was it so difficult for all these people to get this straightened out? Why all the conflicting information and run-around? This is the part I would call "poor service". I was initially so relieved that the guy in the business center was so helpful and all was set, but no, with all the transfers of desk clerks they just couldn't deal with this deviation from the norm in an efficient manner.

Disappointing and exhausting.

It sounds like your stay was disappointing to say the least. I have noticed in the past 3 or 4 months, that there are a lot of disappointing incidents as a diamond for myself. I don't know why. Maybe there are now too many diamonds?? (special offers, etc). I am a diamond because of the requisite # of stays. In fact, the only fine stays were at a Hampton in Appleton, Wisconsin and Las Vegas Hilton. I had an absolutely awful experience at the Embassy at BWI. Portland and Seattle were bad. Hilton at LAX was borderline. I'm off to Boston next week and I'll report on that stay. BWI was so bad that I filed a complaint with the diamond desk. They said they were reporting it to corporate and I haven't heard a word since. Service is going downhill FAST.

A couple months ago I booked an award night at the Hilton Frankfurt for last week. I was with a friend and was looking forward to it a lot because I'd previously been there about a year ago and had had a wonderful experience as a Gold (upgrade to executive level, lounge access, great service). This time I had less than a stellar experience -- partly my fault, partly hilton.com fault, party Hilton Frankfurt fault.

1. I arrived at the hotel around 3PM: they had NO record of my reservation and no room ready for me. I showed the desk clerk my Hilton.com reservation confirmation printout for my award stay -- he was surprized to see it, said "Good you brought this -- the reason we have no record of your reservation is because you did not call the hotel to make the reservation but booked it on the internet." :rolleyes: I told him I thought that was what the website was for (sometimes I call ahead to hotels to make sure everything is set even if I have an internet confirmation, but not always, sometimes I'm just real busy). He said there are problems getting reservations from the website to the hotel (don't know if this is true or he was improvising -- if true it is troubling).

2. He found me a room anyway (lucky one was available!), not on executive floor, not allowed lounge access even as a Diamond. At first refused to give me breakfast coupons, then gave them to me.

3. He then asked for my award "voucher" -- turned out I hadn't printed that (I later learned it was because it had never been sent to me after the reservation confirmation was sent -- all my Hilton e-mail gets sorted into one e-mail box, and I hadn't double-checked for the voucher); I asked if he could look it up, he said no, so I said I'd go print it out off the computer and give it to him later.
I asked for a wireless internet card/password to use in my room to do this, he said I didn't need one, I should just hook up the cable in the room.
Cable in the room for wireless internet access did not work. I called front desk and they gave me nonsense advice that also did not work.

4. So I went down to the business center to try and look up and print my voucher, which I couldn't find on my laptop. A very helpful guy there logged me onto the hilton website and had me type in my password for my account, saw my award confirmation voucher right there on his screen, but he couldn't print it because the hotel already showed me as checked in! He was surprized the front desk guy had not taken care of this. He walked me to the desk, talked to a new desk guy (#2), who said he'd handle it and took away my confirmation sheet to work with. I didn't think to then write down the voucher # because I thought all was taken care of.

5. I left, returned from dinner, found a note from guy #2 telling me to call him, but he is now gone, so I talk to desk clerk #3. She tells me they can't do the voucher paperwork after all because they don't have my password (!), I should call Hilton line in Europe to fax it to them. I call the line, get a machine with voicemail indicating open hours that would not work. Then I call Hilton diamond line in the U.S. at long distance rates to fax it to Frankfurt, they have the booking date down as the date I arrived! They say Frankfurt should get the FAX within 15 minutes to 2 hours. I call the desk and give them the voucher # and tell them about the pending FAX, now they say that all they need is the #, not the FAX, thanks.

6. Next AM I try and check out -- now desk clerk #4 asks me where the voucher is! No record of a FAX, no record of my giving them the voucher # the night before. I give the # to them again to check out without paying.

7. To add minor insult to injury, the night before I noticed an erroneous mini-bar charge on my TV Folio. I called the desk and asked them to take it off as I hadn't consumed anything. She said she'd handle it immediately. The next AM at check-out, the charge is still there, was finally taken off.

The wasted time I spent handling this comedy of errors was about 3 hours.

1. In hindsight, it was my fault for not calling the hotel to confirm they had my reservation (though I really don't like the idea of always having to always call to be sure -- I'm writing the Diamond desk about this to find out what really went wrong, e.g., why I had internet confirmation of my booking on the website but no record at the hotel)
2. It was hilton.com's fault for not getting the reservation to Frankfurt, I presume (or maybe something wrong on the FRA end?)
3. In hindsight, yes I should have checked to make sure I had the voucher # and not just the reservation in advance, but why was it so difficult for all these people to get this straightened out? Why all the conflicting information and run-around? This is the part I would call "poor service". I was initially so relieved that the guy in the business center was so helpful and all was set, but no, with all the transfers of desk clerks they just couldn't deal with this deviation from the norm in an efficient manner.

Disappointing and exhausting.

I was just at the Frankfurt Hilton last night on an award stay. No problems at all. They had upgraded me the day before. Didn't have a certificate, so they called HHonors in the US and then passed them on to me to authorize the points deduction. I actually liked the hotel -- except for the outrageous Internet charge of 28 EURO for one day, but it's the same in most of Europe.

After reading such positive things about the Frankfurt location I looked forward to staying there, but I can attest to having a less-than-steller experience there recently.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=402191&page=2&pp=15&highlight=frankfurt

I stayed at Hilton Dallas North Suites last Fri. - 1 night award stay (shopping run):

Recap (as a Diamond):

1. Bill under door - showed $249 room rate for an award stay. I don't think so...... :mad:

Discussed with Front Office Mgr. - he said it would be corrected (see "correction" in # 3 below).

2. As a Diamond, given a Handicapped Accessible room - bars in shower, etc. - no thank you.

3. Happened to check my Hilton account balance yesterday. Interesting "correction" (see # 1 above). The "correction" was to deduct an additional 25K points from my account. Called Diamond Desk, and the nice lady there did apologize and called the hotel to chew them out for it - they deserved it.

4. Terrible TV channel selection there.
5. No bottles of water in room - had to ask.
6. Turndown service never done - despite phone call request.

Am now at Charlotte University Place - don't even get me started.... :mad:

I would switch hotels immediately, however, we are forced to stay here due to client mandate. :td: :td:

elbidercni, those were a rough set of events which snowballed into a seriously unnecessary headache. I can certainly understand it being disheartening. :(

I'll be staying there this Friday night and hope to report a different experience.

I'll be there this coming Saturday and Sunday night. The OP has inspired to me to go back through all of my emails regaring this trip, and print out copies of everything to take with me.

I am hoping that it is not necessary to contact the hotel prior to arriving! But I am going in laden with paperwork, for sure.

RE: 6. Turndown service never done - despite phone call request.

'I demand someone come and turn the quilt over for me!'

They probably didnt realize the Queen of England was staying at the Dallas Suites
No wonder the staff decieded to mess you about!

I had booked a paid stay online at the Boston Back Bay Hilton and then called Diamond Desk to see if it could be changed to a reward stay.
DD put in a special request and it was approved, I received a letter via email. However my online reservation was still showing up as a paid$$ res.

I printed everything out, and lucky I did.
Upon checking in, the front desk agent printed out a confirmation for me to sign, which showed a nightly rate of $349.
At this point, I told her this was supposed to be an award stay. They had no record of it. Here is where those printouts really come in handy.
They were then forced to override the stay to a reward, granted it did take 3 people to actually perform the override.

I'll be staying there this Friday night and hope to report a different experience.Not to dismiss your encounter, elbidercni, but I can say that our stay was perfect. I do believe that your souring experience was a extreme exception rather than anything near the norm, although I know that probably does nothing to help you feel any better. :(

We booked a standard room but, as a Gold, they had already upgraded us prior to arrival (based on the night's projected availability) to the exec floor (10th). Went straight to the room and already had the Manager's welcome letter and Kürbissimo greeting (sugar-coated pumpkin seeds, a pumpkin muffin and praline) waiting on us. Snacks in the lounge seemed even nicer than in the past few visits. Maybe they were extra-pepped up due to the Book Fair, maybe they've generally been enhanced, I don't know. Breakfast in the lounge was nice as always, although their selection (due to space) is not quite that of the buffet (an extra €26 p.p.) downstairs.

I do feel for you, elbidercni. FWIW, this is one of my favorite Hiltons and even though I'm just a customer, too, it's still not good to think that anyone could have such an awkward, bad experience there.

Not to dismiss your encounter, elbidercni, but I can say that our stay was perfect. I do believe that your souring experience was a extreme exception rather than anything near the norm, although I know that probably does nothing to help you feel any better. :(

We booked a standard room but, as a Gold, they had already upgraded us prior to arrival (based on the night's projected availability) to the exec floor (10th). Went straight to the room and already had the Manager's welcome letter and Kürbissimo greeting (sugar-coated pumpkin seeds, a pumpkin muffin and praline) waiting on us. Snacks in the lounge seemed even nicer than in the past few visits. Maybe they were extra-pepped up due to the Book Fair, maybe they've generally been enhanced, I don't know. Breakfast in the lounge was nice as always, although their selection (due to space) is not quite that of the buffet (an extra €26 p.p.) downstairs.

I do feel for you, elbidercni. FWIW, this is one of my favorite Hiltons and even though I'm just a customer, too, it's still not good to think that anyone could have such an awkward, bad experience there.

I had a wonderful stay there this past weekend. Room on the 10th floor, lounge access (where the breakfast offerings were quite good) and great service at the lobby bar (a little on the pricey side). So I was happy to not run into a situation like to OP mentioned! The welcome snack in the room was very nice, or so I heard as I didn't even get a bite of it because she was starving. Didn't try the restaurant, but it seemed to have a steady flow of customers, especially for the Sunday brunch.
All in all, I think it's a great hotel, very scenic, and I'd stay there again in a heartbeat.

I to had a great stay there this past weekend on the 10th floor, assume you where there for the book show?

I to had a great stay there this past weekend on the 10th floor, assume you where there for the book show?

No I was there for work and stayed over the weekend to relax. I had no idea how big that book show was!

I filed my letter of concern about my stay with the Hilton on-line Diamond desk and within 3 days got a reply from the Hilton Frankfurt manager (Roland VanWeezel) and his assistant (Floris Licht) and evidence that they had looked into my various complaints in great detail. No one can figure out why the hotel did not have a record of my reservation, but they did seem concerned enough to look into things and not blow me off.

In any event, her letter was polite and attentive and she invited me to come back to stay with them again and let her know when I would be doing so, so she could arrange an upgrade for me to "one of the nicest suites" in the hotel with VIP service. I sent her an e-mail back informing her of my travel plans, am waiting to hear back (she is now on vacation).

So, I'm pleased management was responsive to my complaint and in a timely manner (but when I go back, I'll still call and double-check my reservation just in case :) )

So, I'm pleased management was responsive to my complaint and in a timely manner (but when I go back, I'll still call and double-check my reservation just in case :) )Great news! ^

Just a little follow-up on the above: Hilton Frankfurt management (turns out Floris Licht is a man and not a woman) came through with flying colors in making up for my unfortunate experience last October. I had a wonderful time last week:

I arrived for my booked 2-day stay (booked at regular room rate for 2 people) and Mr. Licht had indeed pre-arranged a beautiful upgrade for us in the "Truman Suite" on the executive level with lounge access and a welcoming tray of French wine and fruit. Personnel were friendly and attentive, everything in the room worked beautifully (except the in-room safe kept eating our passports, had to call to send someone up to unlock the safe).

[We really felt pampered and relaxed, especially as we'd just checked out of a "luxury" 220 Euro/night famous old European hotel on the Rhein which unfortunately had lots of antiques but had no air conditioning, no fans, and no screens + bugs in the middle of a huge heat wave; we'd landed up spending most of our time soaking in cold water in the bath tub and then sleeping out on the balcony covered with bug spray]. The AC at the Hilton Frankfurt worked beautifully, quietly and reliable.

I can't wait to get back to the Hilton Frankfurt. Customer service really came through!

Has anyone stayed at this property recently? I've read all the posts here, and it sounds like a very nice Hilton, but I'm curious how it is now.

Also, is smoking still permitted in the executive lounge? How about the restaurant? Is Internet access still outrageous? (I expect so -- I was at the Rome Airport and Zurich Airport Hiltons last month and it was very expensive Swisscomm at both.)

Smoking is not permitted by law in any public areas within the hotel. So my guess would be, no smoking in the Ex. Lounge. Will keep an eye on that, too.

I do have a stay comming up next Friday. I'll post a trip report asap.

Has anyone stayed at this property recently? I've read all the posts here, and it sounds like a very nice Hilton, but I'm curious how it is now.

Also, is smoking still permitted in the executive lounge? How about the restaurant? Is Internet access still outrageous? (I expect so -- I was at the Rome Airport and Zurich Airport Hiltons last month and it was very expensive Swisscomm at both.)

I stay there frequently. No smoking, The lounge has good offerings food and booze-wise. Consistent upgrade policy for Diamonds. Internet fees on well known level. The restaurant is a place I would not use. Plenty of good eating places in five minutes distance.

Is internet outrageous? Well, every country is different and I like a good lounge with good offerings plus high fees for internet in Germany more than a poor lounge and cheap internet in the US. The first alternative is by far better for my own expenses. :p

I do have a stay comming up next Friday. I'll post a trip report asap.Thanks -- I look forward to it.

I stay there frequently. No smoking, The lounge has good offerings food and booze-wise. Consistent upgrade policy for Diamonds. Internet fees on well known level. The restaurant is a place I would not use. Plenty of good eating places in five minutes distance.Thanks for the info -- very helpful.

Is internet outrageous? Well, every country is different and I like a good lounge with good offerings plus high fees for internet in Germany more than a poor lounge and cheap internet in the US. The first alternative is by far better for my own expenses. :pIn my personal opinion, Internet access is outrageous in many places, including much of Europe and the U.K., but that doesn't mean I'll pick a different hotel just for that! But knowing in advance means I can grumble about it even before I get there :D I totally agree that a good hotel with a nice lounge outweighs having to pay 3x the U.S. rate for Internet access.

I have stayed at the Frankfurt Hilton several times over the last year and have always been upgraded. The staff has always been most helpful. The Diamond Welcome amenity had changed to a voucher allowing one to choose two (?) items from the minibar.
And as previous posters have said, there are many restaurants nearby. One small establishment I usually frequent is Solberfäss'je Haxenhaus at Große Friedberger Str.8 (Konstabler Wache). They have a website at http://lm-webarts.de/solberfaessje/ . I like the place because I can get excellent Eisbein or Haxe (pork knuckle) there.

I checked out of the Hilton Frankfurt on Saturday after a week-long stay. As an HHonors Diamond, I was upgraded to the executive floor, and had a room overlooking the park. I agree with the other posts regarding how nice the hotel is - I truly felt welcome here. There was no champagne or chocolate deliveries to my room, but the executive lounge was a real perk: various small snacks, free soda/beer/liquors, etc. I did eat at the bar downstairs on one occasion; the food was excellent, and the portions were huge! The proximity of the hotel to the U-bahn and S-bahn is awesome, and there's plenty to see/do right outside the door. I will definitely stay at this hotel again if I'm in Frankfurt!

I just returned from the Hilton Frankfurt (HHonors Category 5), Hochstrasse 4, 60313 Frankfurt am Main, Tel: +49-69-133-8000, Fax: +49-69-133-820, email: info.frankfurt@hilton.com

The hotel is located right in the city center. Walking distance to Zeil (major shopping street) or Alte Oper (opera house) is just 5 minutes, to Römer approx. 10 min. If you are arriving at FRA you can either take a cab, which will take at least 20 min., or use subway S8 departing from Terminal 1 to Frankfurt Hauptwache. From there it’s just a 5 min. walk, or you can connect to U1, U2 or U3 to Escheinheimer Tor (just 1 stop). The station is just around the corner from the Hilton. If you are arriving by car, valet parking is available. Valet / self (covered) parking is 27.00 € per day. If you’re arriving after 07:00 p.m., you’ll find a few free parking spaces right next to or opposite the hotel, without worrying getting a ticket. There are always taxis waiting in front of the hotel.

Check-in was fast and very polite. All my room-preferences set in my profile were honored. Received an upgrade to an Executive Room on 10th floor with lounge access. Baggage assistance wasn’t offered.

In my room I found a welcome note from Rooms Devision Manager and one complimentary bottle of Apollinaris silent water. The room was very clean, bright and had the modern Hilton deco with a special touch (a little bit different, but way nicer like all the other Hiltons) and a fantastic view of Frankfurts skyline. The room had A/C, WiFi, flat screen TV with at least 10-12 English-speaking channels, bathrobes, slippers, in-room coffee-maker, iron, ironing-board, extra pillow and a room safe in the closet as well as the new Hilton clock. The automatic minibar was stocked with: orange juice, Evian non-sparkling water, Coke, Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Tonic Water, Apollinaris Mineral water 4.50 €, Red Bull 6.00 €, Becks Beer, Heineken 5.00 €, Campari, Jägermeister 6.50 €, Gin, Martini, Rum, Vodka 7.00 €, Cognac, Whisky 8.00 €, white wine (0.2 l), red wine (0.2 l) 9.00 €. The bathroom was big, also very clean and well lighted, with a nice tub, a separate walk-in shower and the usual La Source amenities.

After dropping our bags at our room, we went downstairs to use their pool. All I can say is 10/10! Perfect!

The Executive Lounge (non-smoking) is located on 11th and 12th floor and is the best I’ve been to so far. We were greeted friendly by the staff. Opening hours: 06:30 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. Newspapers (German and English) and magazines were available. The bar was stocked with: white wine, red wine, Prosecco, beer, orange juice, tomato juice, Coke, Diet Coke, Fanta, Tonic Water as well as vodka, whisky, Martini and a few other spirits. They offered also some passion fruit cake, several different Danishes, tomato-mozzarella-sticks, wraps, assorted cheese with grapes and bread (we were at the lounge between 4 p.m. and 5. p.m.).

After having a couple of drinks and a passion fruit cake (I loved it!) we went to the movies. The theater was just a three minute walk away. Please note, if you are into movies, there is another theater Turm Palast http://www.cinestar.de/de/kinos-lokal/Frankfurt-am-Main-Turmpalast/Startseite/ down the street where movies are shown in their original language.

Afterwards we had dinner at the Pacific Colors Restaurant (opening hours: Breakfast from 06:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. (11:00 a.m. Sa. + Su.), lunch: from noon – 02:30 p.m., dinner: 06:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.). There’s also an outdoor patio (if weather permitted). As others mentioned before, be aware it’s PRICY! Service was very friendly and attentive.

The menu was good. Starters: Roasted scallops with Thai salad (19.50 €), rocket salad with roasted artichokes, pecorino cheese and chiabatta croutons (11.50 €), roulade of smoked salmon in crepe on baby leaf salad with honey mustard marinade (17.50 €). Entrees: Steak, steak of ostrich, Yellow Fin tuna steak, 5 black tiger prawns on lemongrass, Salmon filet with your choice of French fries, potato wedges, roasted potatoes, au gratin potatoes or basmati rice, accompanied by sauce bernaise, pepper sauce or herb butter (23.50 € - 35.50 €). Extra side dishes: mediterranean vegetables 4.50 €, spinach leaves 4.50 € seasonal vegetables 4.50 €. A huge selection on their top-notch salad bar is included! Continuing to their seafood section... Grilled swordfish on black bacon lentis, roasted wild mushrooms and white truffle foam (28.50 €), fired filet of sea bass on cucumber tomato tatar and herb oil (25.50 €), spit of monkfish on jerusalem artichokes and green asparagus with saffron gnocchi and braised tomatoes (31.00 €). Wine selection was good and included German and international wines (average price per bottle between 36.00 € - 48.00 €!). Quality of the food, except the pepper sauce, was extraordinary!

Next morning we had breakfast at the Ex. Lounge. Selection was OK and enough. French Rolls, toast, bread, muffins, Danish, cereals, milk, low fat milk, yoghurt, cheese, spread cheese, meat, ham, salami, butter, margarine, honey, marmalade, fruit salad, scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh squeezed orange juice and grapefruit juice, coffee, Espresso, latte macchiato and eight sorts of tea.

Check-out was fast, friendly and accurate.

Final notes: The Frankfurt Hilton is right in the middle of everything, has extremely friendly and attentive staff and there’s absolutely nothing negative to say about this property. Onliest downside is that the room rates, food and beverages are much higher than average. Please make sure to read JDivers trip report (post# 16) for additional and accurate information. I highly recommend this property.

Keep in mind that Frankfurt gets a second Hilton and a Hilton Garden Inn at Frankfurt airport by November / December 2009.

***pictures available upon request***

The hotel is located right in the city center. Walking distance to Zeil (major shopping street) or Alte Oper (opera house) is just 5 minutes, to Römer approx. 10 min. If you are arriving at FRA you can either take a cab, which will take at least 20 min., or use subway S8 departing from Terminal 1 to Frankfurt Hauptwache. From there it’s just a 5 min. walk, or you can connect to U1, U2 or U3 to Escheinheimer Tor (just 1 stop). The station is just around the corner from the Hilton. How would one walk from Hauptwache to the Hilton? Which exit from the station, which way to turn, which way to walk? (I have a poor sense of direction and really appreciate very explicit directions.)

Take the Schillerstrasse exit from the station and walk straight up that street to the end and cross the two roads. You can see the Hilton down to your left. Total distance from the station is about 400 metres.

How would one walk from Hauptwache to the Hilton? Which exit from the station, which way to turn, which way to walk? (I have a poor sense of direction and really appreciate very explicit directions.)

You should be in a small plaza after coming out from S-bahn station at Hauptwache underground. Look for CitiBank and Galeria Kaufhof (Department store) and take the street in between call Schillerstrabe. Probably around 5 min walk through some stores and restraurants (and Frankfurt Stock Exchange on the left), the street seems ended and you'll see an old, round building in front. Take a slight left here, pass through some outdoor cafe tables, you'll see hilton on the left (look up, Hilton sign is on top of the building) across the street.

Thanks!

Taking the "Schillerstrasse" exit from the train station is easy in that it puts you out on Schillerstrasse going in the correct direction. After turning to the left at the traffic light, I didn't see the Hilton sign but I did see the array of flags, which is a nice give-away that some hotel is there :)

(Much easier than, say, several London Underground stops where it's very difficult to know which way to go after exiting and easy for those with poor senses of direction to end up walking the wrong way.)

Really, the only difficult thing I encountered was purchasing the train ticket, since the machine at the airport station that shows English doesn't sell short-haul tickets, and the one that does sell them doesn't do English and requires entering a code for the destination (which turns out to be "50" for Hauptwache). There were very long lines of confused tourists at all machines :(

Good to hear you found the hotel all right. :)

There is a ticket office at the Frankfurt airport station. Staffs there speak English and take credit card so can be handy if no Euro or have problem with the ticket machine.

For the ticket machine, going back is a little easier as there is a button with airplane sign so no worry to find the code for airport.

Thanks for the great info and trip report. I am thinking about a change from the Westin to the Hilton for next week. My wife likes to have a Lounge.

My partner (HH Diamond) and I stayed here last weekend. UG'd to 10/f and received a welcome plate (an apple tart/apple strudel, rhubarb(?) compote and a chocolate-covered strawberry) as well as a bottle of ebbewoi (apfelwein) each evening. One evening we got a nugget of Peruvian chocolate with the plate.

Didn't eat breakfast in the lounge as the buffet downstairs was included in our rate (bargain EUR 100 from earlier this year).

The lounge setup is a bit weird though.

I am thinking about a change from the Westin to the Hilton for next week. My wife likes to have a Lounge.Note that the lounge is quite small. You can have a look before checking in if you like, just take the elevator there (no key or card required).

My partner (HH Diamond) and I stayed here last weekend. UG'd to 10/f and received a welcome plate (an apple tart/apple strudel, rhubarb(?) compote and a chocolate-covered strawberry) as well as a bottle of ebbewoi (apfelwein) each evening. One evening we got a nugget of Peruvian chocolate with the plate.

Didn't eat breakfast in the lounge as the buffet downstairs was included in our rate (bargain EUR 100 from earlier this year).

The lounge setup is a bit weird though.I got a welcome plate on arrival, but not thereafter. Also, no apfelwein. I had the lounge breakfast one morning, but thenafter went to the restaurant downstairs, as they have a better selection of tea.

The attached health club was nice. I enjoyed the half-Olympic pool, although it was crowded at any time of the day or night (always had to share a lane). The clothing policy is amusing, as one must wear a swimsuit in the pool area but must not wear one (or anything aside from a towel) in the "relaxation" area, which includes the sauna, hot tub, more showers, and a lounge separated from the pool area by a glass wall.

All in all I enjoyed the hotel and Frankfurt, and would happily go again on another MR.

one must wear a swimsuit in the pool area but must not wear one (or anything aside from a towel) in the "relaxation" area, which includes the sauna, hot tub, more showers, and a lounge separated from the pool area by a glass wall.


is this a real "must not" or a "not obligated to"?

We arrived and knew we were upgraded to a Executive floor room from looking at our reservation before leaving VIE. Given room on 10 which is the non-smoking floor. Upon arrival into the room no amenity as noted in prior FT posts. We were given a voucher upon check-in where we can choose two items a combination thereof from either the mini bar or room service such as ice cream. Not a bad idea. The room is comfortable but cozy. Lots of channels. HSIA is wired in room and I am on the economy plan at 22 euros for 24 hours from log-in. Was offered 15 minutes on the computer in the Lounge.

The Lounge is also a interesting set-up as noted. Not that practical but a nice offering. We had tea and evening snacks. You can get newspapers from the Lounge. My wife loved the tea selections in the Lounge. Berry and orange peko to be exact. A good location. Getting to the zeil is a little more thought than the Westin. Would stay again. Having a Lounge is nice.

There is actually additional lounge seating upstairs. Take the stairway located by the lounge reception desk. I stayed here on a weekend and the place was pretty dead.

This morning there was a complete spread with hot scramble eggs and bacon. In addition you can get newspapers from the Lounge. IHT and WSJ. German paper delivered to room but not English yet. Would without doubt stay again.