Circumknowitall

I've stayed at, and can recommend the Bristol Hotel.

http://www.bristol-hotel.de/

Its very handy for the station

christianj

If money is no object then I would skip the Hilton and stay at the Villa Kennedy (or even the Roomers if you like dark trendy places) in FRA city and then have dinner somewhere in town. Roomers is just around the corner from the main train station so the area is considered a little seedy by some but very convenient to catching a train to FRA. I think the area is perfectly fine and I usually stay at the LeMeridien just down the street. Europeans are used to the area near train stations being a little seedy but definitely not dangerous. Uptight US travelers seem to take issue with walking past a porn bookstore or two.....I don't but then again I lived in Germany for a long time and know that the areas are perfectly fine.

Boraxo

So now 5 years later, and I have a full Saturday and then a connecting flight at 1pm Sunday. Will have a car rental as I would like to visit a town just east of FRA where my ancestors lived.

Any place fun (i.e. bars, restaurants) to hang out on a Saturday night in July? Is Mainz a better choice than downtown Frankfurt? Also need a recommendation for a 4* or 5* (preferably a chain) - not at the airport. Thanks

mandolino

The Westin Grande in central Frankfurt is one of the nicest hotels I've stayed in anywhere. Great cocktail bar.

It's at the far end (from the Hbf) of the Zeil (famous shopping st but shops are closed on Sunday), with plenty of bars and restaurants around.

We had a car and the hotel parking was fine. I've also been there by train and public transport.

irish_goat

If you need a late/early bar in Frankfurt, here is quite cool. It's a bit rough and ready, but I like that. https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUs...urt_Hesse.html

mosburger

I last visited my childhood hometown FFM late May and found a newly opened Italian fish & seafood shop and fast-food style restaurant at Bockenheimer Warte.

https://www.facebook.com/MareAzzurroFFM/

Looked really good and at a central location.

A stone's throw or two from there is the Westbar, close to the Palmengarten botanical gardens,

http://www.westbar-frankfurt.de

I have personally never enjoyed the financial quarters in the past 38 years and the red light district between the bank towers and the main station is only palatable at times in the Kaiserstrasse and Muenchener Strasse.

The "Gutleutviertel" on the other side of the main station where I stayed overnight to experiment is rather interesting and could become very "hip" later but still seems somewhat rough.

So, from personal experiences and gut feeling, Bockenheim (and areas north of there) and the historical Jewish quarter of Westend are still highly recommended.

The "City" Hilton should not be too far from there if my memory serves me correctly.

TheMadeTraveler

Hi Boraxo,

I don't have personal experience about Mainz or downtown Frankfurt but after going through reviews on Tripadvisor and other website, Mainz would be better option than Frankfurt. However, it is recommended to cross check from your side.

If you choose Mainz, below are the bars you should choose from:

• Bar jeder Sicht, Hintere Bleiche 29, 55116 Mainz, Germany
• Uncle Willy's Pub, Binger Str. 5, 55116 Mainz, Germany
• Irish Pub, Weißliliengasse 5, 55116 Mainz, Germany
• The Porter House Irish Pub, Große Langgasse 4, 55116 Mainz, Germany

If you are looking for 4* or 5* hotel, Hilton or Hyatt will be the best options for you. You can check customers' reviews on Tripadvisor.

cathaana

If the weather is nice, just head down to the river and it will be fairly busy. Same goes for the area around Eschenheimer Tor. They are both easily reached from the Hilton or Westin.

mandolino

Schweitzer Strasse on the Sachsenhausen side of the river is one long stretch of casual bars and restaurants, some very good.

(In Frankfurt, that is)

SunshineStay

See also my related-post in the Starwwod hotel forum.