After an amazing four days in Berchtesgaden we flew from Munich to Frankfurt for a night before continuing from Frankfurt to Washington Dulles on the Lufthansa 747-8. Since intra-Europe flights aren’t especially exciting, I won’t be covering that flight, and will instead pick up in Frankfurt.
I was really hesitant to book the Le Meridien Parkhotel Frankfurt, mainly because Starwood’s two other Frankfurt options are excellent. There’s the Sheraton Frankfurt Airport, which is ideal for a quick overnight layover. The club lounge there is the nicest of any Sheraton I’ve been to, which is quite surprising for an airport hotel. Then there’s the Westin Grand Frankfurt, which is in the city and belongs to American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts®. That means that even for a one night stay I get a $100 food and beverage credit and breakfast included, in addition to all of the usual Starwood Platinum perks. It’s an unbeatable value, and if I want to be in the city it’s my first choice.
That being I prefer the location of the Le Meridien for a city layover, given that it’s very close to the train station. Furthermore we were planning on having dinner at a restaurant just a few minutes from the Le Meridien, so in the end decided to stay there. I really was a “downer” about it, because I had only seen the exterior of the hotel, and it fits the very definition of “shabby chic.” Still, I figured the hotel was worth a review and given that the rate was only 125 Euros (compared to the other options, which were more expensive), it seemed like the best option anyway.
We took the train from Frankfurt Airport, which took about 20 minutes. From there it’s a quick five minute walk to the hotel, so the location can’t be beat.
Hotel exterior
The lobby was empty and within minutes we were checked in. The associate was extremely friendly and proactively offered us an upgrade to a junior suite in the “historic wing.” Given my previous impression of the hotel being “shabby chic,” I really wasn’t excited about being in the historic (aka old) wing of the hotel, but I was prepared to be proven wrong. We were also offered our choice of Platinum amenity, and we selected breakfast, for which the associate prepared a voucher.
Lobby
The entrance to the historic wing is to the left of the entrance of the hotel, and from there we took the elevator to the second floor. We were assigned room 200, the first room on the right.
Hotel hallway
Our room
When I opened the door I was very pleasantly surprised. The room had a classic design, though there was nothing “shabby” about it. It featured a king bed (really two twins pushed together, but that’s pretty common in Europe), desk, and seating area.
Junior suite
Junior suite
Bed
Desk
TV
Seating area
The views were of trees and some kind of weird back entrance, though sometimes it’s nice to feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere when in a city (not that Frankfurt has any especially “iconic” views).
View from the room
The bathroom was a bit on the small side though perfectly functional and well maintained.
Bathroom
Bathroom
The bathroom was stocked with Cinq Mondes amenities.
Amenities
Anyway, I was really impressed by the room, especially given the price we paid. It’s also worth noting that the Wi-Fi is fast, which isn’t always a given in Europe.
The hotel also has a pretty basic gym, though it was empty the one time I used it.
Gym
Gym
Breakfast was served in Restaurant Le Parc from 6:30AM till 10:30AM, and I was happy to see they offer Platinum members the entire buffet for free (as opposed to just a “continental” selection, which is what they have to provide as the Platinum amenity). The hotel seemed to be dead the whole time we were there, and it was especially evident at breakfast, as we were the only guests.
Le Parc Restaurant
The breakfast spread was great, consisting of everything imaginable. Given that it was my last day in Germany I definitely went a bit overboard on the fresh rolls and Nutella, which I’m working off at the gym to this day!
Breakfast buffet
Breakfast buffet
Breakfast buffet
Breakfast buffet
Breakfast buffet
Breakfast buffet
Anyway, this hotel is great, especially for the price, and I have nothing but positive things to say about it. I’ve gotta be honest, I was almost hoping I wouldn’t like this place, since I now have three great Starwood options in Frankfurt to choose from. I think I’ll continue to stay at the Sheraton Frankfurt Airport for short overnight layovers (maybe less than 14-16 hours), will likely choose the Le Meridien for layovers of up to 24 hours thanks to the proximity to the train station, and will likely choose the Westin for longer stays, especially thanks to their American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts® affiliation.
Frankfurt isn’t a stellar city when it comes to hotels, though Starwood has some great options.
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