ACfly

Hi All:

Just checked into the Le Meridien Parkhotel Frankfurt. Booked the classic room, and as a PLT, got upgraded to the Deluxe room in the newly refurbished Business wing.

A few observations about this hotel:
(1) Hotel is ideally located next to the Main train station in Frankfurt - very convenient to travel between airport (T1) and the hotel - 2 minute walk from the hotel. It is also a good starting point for folks planning to travel on train in germany.
(2) the Hotel has 2 wings - the old part of the buidling (with the older European rooms) and the business wing.
(3) Check-in agent seems surprised by a PLT membe - I guess theya re still getting used to the Starwood conversion. She saw my reservation on her computer, and then saw that I was PLT - went to her co-worker and spoke something in German, but I could hear the word PLATINUM in the conversation. She came back and informs me that I was upgrade to a Deluxe suite on a high floor. She then offers me the Platinum amenities - which included a 500 SPG point. The local gift is a ceramic Apple wine holder with the hotel name on it.
(4) The enitre lobby and entrance to the elevator are smoking areas - ashtrays everywhere and people smoking - I guess Germans like their cigarettes.
(5) The Deluxe room in the Business wing is very nice:
- Maple wood furnatures resembling those of Ikea - right down to the lamps.
- Purple night lights frame the closet and head bed board.
- Sofa/chair not the most comfortable - is covered in a leapard print pattern fabric - quite tacky I thought
- DSL/high speed internet connection @ 19 Euro per day or 50cents per minute.
- Power plugs in the room are European only
- Looking at the floor map, the deluxe @ 30 m square (nice size for European hotel) is about twice the size of a superior room - which is tiny by north american standard.
- Rooms X60, x85,x84 are Deluxe rooms - Best room is x85, x84 located at the end of the building
- There are 3 Deluxe rooms per floor
- Unless you are really high up (8th floor) you wont be able to see much of the Frankfurt skyline. Otherwise you look into the other building.
- Bathroom is nice with floor to ceiling marble/granite - 2 separate rooms - one houses the toilet and a small sink and the other houses the main sink and bathtub/shower combo
- Turndown service is offered at night - exept you dont get chocolate/sweet
- The king sized bed is really two single mattress put together. There is no cover sheets - just two duvets - one for each side of the bed
- Nice 42 inch Philips Plasma screen in the room
(6) Fitness/Spa - completely inadequate - one rowing machine, one eclipse and some weights squeezed in the spa (which is about the size of the Deluxe room). I can't imagine someone relaxing in that spa!
(7) one restaraunt and one bar - Decent food, good Breakfast buffet with all the triminings - service is patchy.

I have stayed at the Sheraton Frankfurt Airport, ArrabelleSheraton Gradn Frankfurt, and now le Meridien Parkhotel Frankfurt - of the three my favorite is le Meridien - decent sized, comtemporary room very convenient to get to from the airport and train station.