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Frankfurt: Which Starwood? [Master Thread]

Frankfurt: Which Starwood? [Master Thread]

Old Oct 7, 2002, 11:27 pm
  #1  
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Arrow Frankfurt: Which Starwood? [Master Thread]

Some remarks and pictures about recent hotel stays in Frankfurt

Sheraton Airport Hotel & Tower @FRA


- upgrade to Tower room (cosmetical products from Escada in the Tower rooms would be availbale on the upper floors)
- separate check-in and check-out for the rooms in the Tower
- good location with direct access from the airport
- Tower lounge with excellent food and a variety of drinks
- very nice and helpful staff - especially in the Tower
- big safe with power supply, e.g. for notebooks, cameras
- newspaper at the door in the morning
- outstanding breakfast buffet


- small room
- Tower lounge may become a big smoking-zone
- upgrades are rare - this hotel has the highest average load within Germany: ~90%


ArabellaSheraton Bsingpalais @Frankfurt-Offenbach


- upgrade to executive room on a higher floor
- excellent restaurant Juillard's (Asian and international cuisine)
- variety of Platinum welcome gifts, e.g. fruit basket, big bottle of mineral water, chocolates
- location next to public transport (S-Bahn)
- pool/gym
- excellent breakfast buffet
- very consistent about my stays


- simple furnitures and small room
- rather dark light in the bathroom
- no newspaper at the door in the morning


ArabellaSheraton Grand Hotel @Frankfurt


- excellent restaurants (esp. Sushimoto - Japanese cuisine)
- good location next to city center (Zeil) and public transport
- newspaper at the door in the morning
- marble bathroom with floor heating
- bright light in the room and in the bath room
- functional room + working desk
- large pool/gym/spa area


- rooms vary a lot: from outstanding (I only saw these rooms on pictures) to disappointing
- small room for breakfast buffet; no good separation of non-smoking area and smoking area/food area
- possibility of check-out during breakfast is announced in the room - but the hostesses seam not to know about it (they offered to call an agent from the reception what I rejected)


ArabellaSheraton Congress Hotel @Frankfurt


- upgrade to deluxe room on a higher floor
- fruit basket and a big bottle of mineral water is always in my room for Platinum status
- pool/gym
- newspaper at the door in the morning
- very consistent about my stays
- breakfast buffet already available at 6:00am (most hotel start at 6:30am)


- simple furnitures and small room
- rather dark light in the bathroom
- location is away from "live"
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Old Oct 8, 2002, 2:29 am
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Thanks. I agree, avoid the Congress Hotel where possible. How far is the Airport Hotel from the railway station ? Directly connected or shuttle bus ?
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Old Oct 8, 2002, 2:51 am
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by GK:
Thanks. I agree, avoid the Congress Hotel where possible. How far is the Airport Hotel from the railway station ? Directly connected or shuttle bus ?</font>
The Airport hotel is by far the very best Starwood in Frankfurt.

1.) "Regional Bahnhof" for S-Bahn to Frankfurt and surrounding
5min walk, you don't have to leave the building (go downstairs in terminal 1A, 1B, 1C); luggage trolleys can be used all the way

2.) "Fernbahnhof" for train connections within Germany
10min walk, you don't have to leave the building (go upstairs in terminal 1A); luggage trolleys can be used all the way

edited because better alternatives found:
1.) Leave the hotel, take the first elevator on the left side on the bridge to the airport terminal and you will be at the "Regional Bahnhof"

2.) Pass through the door on the opposite site of the reservation desk. This door is the exit to the walkway to the "Fernbahnhof" (5min walk)

[This message has been edited by LH738 (edited 11-04-2002).]
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Old Oct 8, 2002, 7:45 am
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Thanks a lot for this outstanding report with photos!
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Old Jan 20, 2004, 4:06 pm
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Frankfurt: Which Starwood?

I have read a number of excellent posts regarding the four Starwood properties in Frankfurt.

I will be attending a trade fair in May at Messe Frankfurt (Frankfurt Fairgrounds), and seek information on the most convenient *Wood.

All reports state that the Sheraton Airport is the pick, but I have some concerns about the distance and access to the Messe, and outside work activities (eating and drinking).

First trip to Frankfurt so assistance will be much appreciated.

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Old Jan 20, 2004, 10:52 pm
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The only Starwood property I have stayed at in the area is the Arabella Offenbach. I was quite pleased with the quality of the rooms and the public spaces, including a good breakfast buffet included in my room rate.

I found it very convenient for getting to the Messe--I don't remember if it was a direct train to the Messe, or if you had to transfer across the platform at one of the stops, but it only took about 15 minutes and went right to the Torhaus in the middle of the fairgrounds.

Also I liked the surroundings in Offenbach, with some decent choices of restaurants within walking distance--more convenient for dining than many areas in Frankfurt.
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Old Jan 21, 2004, 2:24 am
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I think that you have to drive with the subway in all cases:
Sheraton Airport: 15min to main station then change platform to subway to Messe (+ 5min)
Sheraton Congress: 10min walk to subway, 10min to main station then change platform to subway to Messe (+ 5min)
Sheraton Bsingpalais Offenbach: 15-20min to the Messe (I also don't remember if there are direct trains to the Messe. I think you have to change but you don't have to change the platform)
Sheraton Grand: subway goes straight to Messe (5 min)

Westend (not far away from the fair) or Sachsenhausen with lots of restaurants are the places to go in Frankfurt. If it's a big fair, these places may become very, very crowded though. It's not easy to find a table for several people (in case you are not alone) during a fair. The Sheraton Grand is the most convenient to reach these places (sometimes possible to walk / reasonable price if you take a cab). The subway has less frequency in the very late evening and will stop operating during night (if I remember correctly).
WannaFlyUAmore already mentioned that there are good choices in walking distance in Offenbach. Most likely less crowded compared to the places in the center of Frankfurt during a fair.


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Old Jan 21, 2004, 7:14 am
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You will have to switch trains when coming from Offenbach.
If you plan on going out at night while you are in Frankfurt, I would suggest the Sheraton Grand.
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Old Jan 21, 2004, 9:57 pm
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If you are planning to meet business associates for dinner in Frankfurt, it's best to get a hotel in the central area of the city and to book your restaurants in advance. If you prefer to relax in the evening and have a quiet, spontaneous dinner alone or with colleagues who are staying at the same hotel, the Offenbach location is sufficiently removed from the fair so that you can walk into restaurants and get a table without a reservation. My experience is based on 10 years of attending the Frankfurt Book Fair (which I believe is one of the more heavily attended Messes) and a few times at the music fair as well. I have stayed in many different hotels, including the Marriott across from the fairgrounds, but the Arabella Offenbach stands out as a favorite--although it's a bit pricey compared to some other choices in my budget, which tends toward the middle and lower priced options. It's also reasonably convenient for train or taxi access to dinners in the city.

The convenience of a hotel with transit access to the middle of the fairgrounds is not to be underestimated, particularly since my company tends to exhibit in Hall 8, right next to the train stop, but a LONG walk from the city entrance to the fairgrounds.
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Old Jan 22, 2004, 8:38 am
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by under the clocks:
I will be attending a trade fair in May at Messe Frankfurt (Frankfurt Fairgrounds), and seek information on the most convenient *Wood.

</font>
I have looked at the Frankfurt Fair schedule. There is only the IFFA "meat fair". That is a small fair compared to other fairs (book, cars), so the traffic is not a big problem. Still, I would not live on the other side of the city, like Offenbach.
Actually, when you organized the fair, you should have received information regarding accommodations (from Frankfurt Fremdenverkehrs-Verband). It is not unusual to live in a private home during such a fair. The fair is near Westend and Bockenheim; both are nice areas.

[This message has been edited by USAFAN (edited Jan 22, 2004).]
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Old Jan 22, 2004, 7:23 pm
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I stayed in the Offenbach (am *Wood Plat) and was treated like royalty. Small European room, yes, but great service and excellent buffet. Considering the dirt cheap price I paid - it was an excellent combination. Besides, riding the trains are the best thing about Germany...
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Old Jan 22, 2004, 8:44 pm
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There is also a hotel on the Messe grounds: the Maritim. This hotel is just in front of that big round building (Festhalle), which I believe marks the entrance to the Messe grounds:

http://www.maritim.de/english/index.html
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Old Jan 23, 2004, 12:06 am
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As many Frankfurt fairgoers know, for the most popular fairs most hotels more or less double their usual rates--and in many cases travel agencies lock out blocks of rooms and mark them up to an even more exhorbitant rate. So my experience is colored by this reality of price-gouging no matter the quality of the hotel. However, the hotels close by the fairgrounds such as the Maritim and Marriott, and even the cheapie neighborhood hotels, are the most susceptible to price inflation for heavily attended fairs.
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Old Jan 29, 2004, 9:18 pm
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Hotels in Frankfurt during a trade show? Don't get me started!!

I've had a lot of fun in Frankfurt attending the Frankfurt Book Fair for the last 4 years, but as I've worked for a company with limited resources, I've never been able to choose my own hotel and have been stuck in some incredibly seedy places (such as the Hotel Manhattan, where one night coming back from dinner, we literally could not get in the front door due to two junkies shooting up in the doorway...had to wait for police to come drag them away). This past year, however I had a charming hotel in the university district, which was about a 15-minute walk from the Fair. Now, for the future, I'm torn over whether to try one of the Sheratons (and rack up mucho points) or keep looking for other charming, small hotels.

BTW, if you ever find yourself longing to see U.S. sports while in Frankfurt, that Marriott discussed earlier in this thread has a large American sports bar...I drowned my sorrows there last October watching the Cubs fall apart in the playoffs.
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Old Aug 24, 2004, 6:53 pm
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Frankfurt: Which Starwood?

I just register here and have been a member of SPG w/AMEX for 6 months. I am planning a trip to Frankfurt Germany in Late Sept/Oct and was wondering what *wood properties are there in Frankfurt and what experiences had people had with them. Thanks
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