In 2022, my favorite hotel in Frankfurt closed. At the time, the plan was for the property to no longer be used as a hotel. Fortunately the owners backtracked in 2023, and announced that this would in fact once again welcome guests.
The property was supposed to reopen in 2024, but that timeline has slipped. However, we now have some more details about when the hotel will reopen, and the hotel will even get a new name.
In this post:
Villa Kennedy Frankfurt closed in April 2022
Villa Kennedy Frankfurt closed as of April 2022. The hotel, which belonged to the Rocco Forte collection, was in operation for over 15 years, since 2006. Employees at the hotel were offered transfers to the group’s 15 other properties, though that likely wasn’t convenient for most, since it would require moving.
The 163-room hotel was generally regarded as Frankfurt’s best place to stay, and the hotel also had quite a history that dates back well over 100 years. The property was purchased by CONREN Land in 2021, which was at the time examining other concepts, including the possibility of it becoming a retirement home.
Why I was sad to see Villa Kennedy closing
Obviously hotel closings in general are sad, since many people lose their jobs. Beyond that, though, this is a property that I really enjoyed. My family is from a small town in Germany not far from Frankfurt, and typically when I visit, I like to first spend a couple of nights in Frankfurt.
Even though Frankfurt is a business hub, the city lacks luxury hotels. There are plenty of decent mid-range properties, but that’s about it. Villa Kennedy was the exception, as it was truly such a charming, relaxing property, with great service. I loved how the hotel had a beautiful courtyard, which was a nice place to enjoy a drink outdoors in the summer.
Frankfurt has a few other luxury properties, including the Sofitel and Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof, but they’re not on the same level, in my opinion.
A few general thoughts on the Rocco Forte brand and the Frankfurt hotel market:
- I really think this hotel could have succeeded if it belonged to a global hotel group with access to a better distribution system, whether that comes in the form of a Park Hyatt, St. Regis, or Four Seasons
- I’ve long thought that the Rocco Forte brand is ripe for a takeover; the company has a small collection of excellent luxury properties, and the footprint complements some other luxury hotel brands quite nicely
- Why does Frankfurt have so few luxury hotels, given what a financial hub it is? The best theory I can come up with is that it comes down to there not being huge elasticity when it comes to room rates for luxury properties in the city, along with a lack of premium leisure demand, but is there something else I’m missing?
“The Florentin” will open in the summer of 2025
Villa Kennedy is expected to reopen in the summer of 2025, and it’ll be rebranded, and known as “The Florentin.” Sadly the hotel won’t join a global hotel group, but rather will belong to Althoff Collection, a small German hotel group with around half a dozen properties. The renderings of the updated property are gorgeous, so I’m quite excited about this.
The property is currently undergoing a full renovation and will feature 147 rooms, so it’ll have a slightly smaller room count than it previously had. This will be comprised of 95 studios, 39 suites, 12 signature loft suites, and one presidential suite.
I’m thrilled to see that the property will be reopening, and will even be undergoing a full renovation. It looks like it’ll be better than ever before.
That being said, I can’t help but be a bit confused by the decision to make this property part of a small German hotel group. Frankfurt is an international business hub, not one necessarily targeting premium German leisure traffic. So if the hotel plans to market itself to international travelers, this seems like an odd branding choice.
Also, obviously this is personal preference, but I liked the Villa Kennedy name a lot more than the new name. The old name reflected the history of the property, and how it still feels a bit like a (palatial) villa. Meanwhile “The Florentin” sounds like a hotel you could find anywhere. For what it’s worth, here’s how the logic behind the new name is described:
“The Florentin” reflects the lush, blooming centrepiece of our hotel – the extraordinary inner courtyard. Derived from the word ‘blooming’, the name symbolises growth and constant renewal, a tribute to the natural beauty and vitality that surrounds our guests. It is a promise of relaxation and inspiration, embedded in elegance and exclusivity.
Bottom line
Villa Kennedy Frankfurt, a Rocco Forte hotel, closed as of April 2022. While the plans were initially for the property to be converted into something other than a hotel, the owners have backtracked. The hotel is currently undergoing a full renovation, and should reopen in the summer of 2025. It’ll be managed by Althoff Collection, and will be branded as “The Florentin.”
I’m looking forward to staying here! I’m just kind of bummed that this isn’t joining one of the major global hotel groups.
What do you make of plans for The Florentin Frankfurt?
I’m from Frankfurt but moved to Southern California 30 years ago. Our family had stayed at Villa Kennedy every time we visited, about 2-3 times annually. To us staying there always felt like coming home mostly because of the wonderfully caring employees who are scattered amongst the Sofitel Alte Oper and JW Marriott now. Visitors and (I mean how many do we really get in FFM?) tourists just aren’t willing to spend as much money...
I’m from Frankfurt but moved to Southern California 30 years ago. Our family had stayed at Villa Kennedy every time we visited, about 2-3 times annually. To us staying there always felt like coming home mostly because of the wonderfully caring employees who are scattered amongst the Sofitel Alte Oper and JW Marriott now. Visitors and (I mean how many do we really get in FFM?) tourists just aren’t willing to spend as much money on hotels in Frankfurt as they are in Munich or Berlin for example. The Charles hotel in Munich which also belongs to the RF group isn’t anywhere near as nice a hotel as Villa Kennedy but the prices are much higher - it’s Munich after all. It would have been great if a big hotel chain with some upscale hotels had taken over the property but we will certainly return to the remodeled house next summer to give it a try. Ich hätte mir sehr gewünscht, dass die Althoff Gruppe den Namen Villa Kennedy übernommen hätte….Florentin ist etwas gewöhnungsbeduerftig.
Rocco Forte also c50% owned by the KSA Public Investment Fund who are putting in substantial backing for expansion so no real driver for them to exit.
Hi Ben, while a bit further outside, have you ever stayed at Schlosshotel Kronberg? Lovely grounds. And it's only 20 mins from FRA airport.
One of the reasons for the difficulties luxury hotels are facing in Germany is the German mentality of not valuing or rather being willing to pay for quality. That mentality was captured and shaped by a marketing campaign of consumer electronics retailer Saturn dating back to ca. 2002 with the tagline “Geiz ist geil” (stinginess is cool). This very much describes the situation in Germany very well and unfortunately has a long lasting effect.
...
One of the reasons for the difficulties luxury hotels are facing in Germany is the German mentality of not valuing or rather being willing to pay for quality. That mentality was captured and shaped by a marketing campaign of consumer electronics retailer Saturn dating back to ca. 2002 with the tagline “Geiz ist geil” (stinginess is cool). This very much describes the situation in Germany very well and unfortunately has a long lasting effect.
For some reason the Althoff group is successful nevertheless. So I have some hopes that they will be more successful than Rocco Forte.
Ben, I agree on your comments on the hotel and the name. Villa Kennedy was my favorite hotel in Frankfurt and I like the name much more than Florentine.
I just hope they fix the issue with water pressure in the shower which I experienced more than once when staying there.
I've never understood your thinking on Rocco Forte being taken over. They have a small portfolio and they do what they do very well. They are true to their focus, with a few other (great) hotels mixed in. It's not like the family needs the money, so I have no idea why they would sell.
Thank God they are updating the rooms. The look of the rooms was the hotel's weakest selling point.
Will the breakfast menu include eggs florentin? Maybe a steak florentin for dinner?