| Want to receive extra benefits for your stay at Jumeirah Frankfurt, including complimentary breakfast, a space available room upgrade, a property credit, and more? Contact [email protected] for more details. He may even be able to help if you already have a stay booked. |
While Frankfurt wasn’t our final destination in Germany, we spent a night there for a couple of reasons:
- Winston hates flying, so we wanted to fly nonstop from Miami to Frankfurt to minimize Winston’s flying time (and then we’d drive to Hamburg, and then eventually Berlin, from there)
- We were getting tested for coronavirus upon arrival in Germany and had to quarantine while waiting for results, so doing that near Frankfurt seemed like the best option (we got our results the same evening we arrived, so that ended our quarantine)
In this post:
Booking Jumeirah Frankfurt
Even though Frankfurt is in many ways the financial capital of Germany, it doesn’t have many great hotels. My favorite hotel in Frankfurt is Villa Kennedy, a Rocco Forte Hotel. It’s a gorgeous property with a beautiful courtyard, but it’s also not in the heart of the city.
For years I’ve been intrigued by Jumeirah Frankfurt, generally considered to be the best business hotel in Frankfurt. For those of you not familiar with Jumeirah, it’s a Dubai-based luxury hotel group. Burj Al Arab, the world’s self-proclaimed seven star hotel, is also owned by Jumeirah.
I always found it a bit surprising that Jumeirah had a property in Frankfurt, so this seemed like the ideal time to give it a try.
The rate for our one night stay was 225 EUR, and we were able to book through Virtuoso, which came with the following perks:
- An upgrade, subject to availability
- Breakfast for two in the Max on One restaurant
- An 85 EUR food & beverage credit once per stay, which can be used at Max on One restaurant, at the Ember Bar, or through in-room dining
- Early check-in and late check-out, subject to availability
The rate was reasonable when you consider all the inclusions, though I’d note that usually the hotel is significantly more expensive — we were staying over the weekend (and this is a business hotel), and I’m sure coronavirus has also caused rates to be lowered.
Jumeirah Frankfurt location
Let’s start with what I love most about the hotel — Jumeirah Frankfurt has an excellent location. It’s in the heart of the city, just a short walk from the MyZeil shopping area and the Altstadt, including Römerberg.
This property is within walking distance of just about everything I like to visit in Frankfurt, so that’s a big advantage it has over Villa Kennedy. If you’re looking for a more economical option but want to be in the same area, I’d note that there’s a Moxy and Residence Inn literally next to the Jumeirah.
Jumeirah Frankfurt arrival & check-in
We arrived at Jumeirah Frankfurt at around 11AM, and it’s hard to miss — it’s the tallest standalone hotel in Frankfurt, at 25 floors. The hotel opened in 2011, so the exterior is pretty modern and cool-looking.
Jumeirah Frankfurt exterior
There was no bellman outside, though within a few minutes of pulling up a hotel employee came outside to greet us. She explained that there was no valet at the moment due to coronavirus, though that we could park in the nearby garage.
Fortunately the garage is right next to the hotel, and parking for one night cost 32 EUR (which is steep, but not unexpected for a major city).
Jumeirah Frankfurt entrance
The hotel’s lobby felt small for a 218 room, 25 story hotel. It just consisted of a long hallway with reception to the right, and a few seats in the back.
Jumeirah Frankfurt lobby
Jumeirah Frankfurt lobby
Check-in was fast, and we were informed that we were upgraded to a panoramic suite for having booked through Virtuoso, which ordinarily retails for double the cost of a base room… awesome!
Jumeirah Frankfurt is pet friendly, so there was a 25 EUR fee for Winston, which is fair enough (he was just sad that there wasn’t a turkey welcome amenity for him).
The elevators were across from reception. In order to access the elevators you had to swipe your key card and select the floor you wanted to go to, and then it would tell you which elevator to use.
Jumeirah Frankfurt elevators
We were assigned room 2406, on the second to highest floor. Obviously taste is subjective, but like I said, I thought the decor was just… not great.
Jumeirah Frankfurt elevators
Jumeirah Frankfurt hallway
Our suite was towards the end of the short hallway. Since the hotel is spread out across 25 floors, there are only about 10 rooms per floor.
Jumeirah Frankfurt panoramic suite
Our panoramic suite was roughly 600 square feet, though consisted of one room (you would assume this is a junior suite based on the fact that there’s no separation between the living area and sleeping area, but that’s not how this hotel views it).
The room featured an entryway with the door to the bathroom on the right, and the rest of the room straight ahead.
Jumeirah Frankfurt panoramic suite entryway
Just inside the entrance was the living area, with a loveseat and a chair.
Jumeirah Frankfurt panoramic suite living area
On the coffee table was a sign indicating the room had been sanitized, as well as a couple of containers with masks, hand sanitizer, etc.
Jumeirah Frankfurt “coronavirus amenity”
Past the living area was a glass desk, as well as the king size bed.
Jumeirah Frankfurt panoramic suite
The glass desk had well placed outlets, as well as a tablet with more information about the hotel.
Jumeirah Frankfurt panoramic suite desk
There was a stand in the very back of the room with a TV.
Jumeirah Frankfurt panoramic suite king bed
The king bed was comfortable, especially by German standards.
Jumeirah Frankfurt panoramic suite king bed
Across from the living area was a minibar and a coffee machine. Rather generously, everything in the minibar was complimentary, including the drinks and snacks.
Jumeirah Frankfurt in-room minibar
Jumeirah Frankfurt in-room minibar
Jumeirah Frankfurt in-room coffee machine
Jumeirah Frankfurt in-room coffee machine
There aren’t many hotels in Frankfurt where you can get a view from a high floor, so it was cool to be higher up for once. Then again, Frankfurt doesn’t exactly have the most picturesque skyline, at least in this direction.
Jumeirah Frankfurt view
The suite’s bathroom was huge, and featured double sinks, a tub, a walk-in shower, and a toilet with another sink. The toilet could be accessed from the hallway at the entrance to the room, and there were doors between the two parts of the bathroom.
Jumeirah Frankfurt panoramic suite bathroom
Jumeirah Frankfurt panoramic suite tub
Jumeirah Frankfurt panoramic suite shower
Jumeirah Frankfurt panoramic suite toilet
Toiletries were from Aromatherapy Associates.
Jumeirah Frankfurt Aromatherapy Associates toiletries
Wifi in the room (and throughout the hotel) was fast and free.
So yeah, to sum up the room, I appreciated the upgrade and it was large. Beyond that, though, there’s nothing that felt particularly luxurious about it. I don’t want to be harsh, but the hotel opened in 2011, and I have to wonder if this would even be considered particularly luxurious at that point?
The room also had quite a bit of wear & tear, which isn’t surprising since the hotel hasn’t been renovated since opening (as far as I know).
Jumeirah Frankfurt wear & tear
Jumeirah Frankfurt wear & tear
Jumeirah Frankfurt dining
When it comes to dining at Jumeirah Frankfurt, there are a few options:
- Max on One, which serves breakfast and dinner; this is the hotel’s “modern French restaurant with an Asian twist”
- Ember Bar & Lounge, which is the hotel’s lobby lounge; this is open throughout the day
- El Rayyan, which is open for lunch and dinner; this is the hotel’s Lebanese restaurant
- In-room dining, which is available 24/7
I would have loved to go to the Lebanese restaurant (it’s one of my favorite cuisines), but since we were quarantining until our test results came in, we instead ordered in-room dining.
In-room dining
Jumeirah Frankfurt’s in-room dining menu is puzzlingly limited, with just nine options (sorry for the picture quality, as the room service menu is on the TV):
If they have two full service restaurants serving dinner, wouldn’t you think that some of those items would also be available through in-room dining? Of the limited options we decided on two pizzas and a bottle of wine, which used up our 85 EUR food & beverage credit.
Jumeirah Frankfurt in-room dining
For the most part I find that Germany does “authentic” Italian personal pizzas pretty well, but these were an exception. Still, we had a nice evening watching shows in bed.
Max on One breakfast
Breakfast was served in the hotel’s signature restaurant, Max on One, located on the first floor. Breakfast is served daily from 6:30AM until 11AM. I loved the design of the restaurant, and in particular the bookshelves with thousands of books.
Max on One restaurant
Max on One restaurant
Max on One restaurant
Many people might be surprised to hear this, but breakfast buffets are still very much a thing in many parts of Germany. At Jumeirah Frankfurt you order your drinks, egg dishes, and sweets from a server, and then everything else is available at the buffet.
I ordered a cappuccino to drink, and was disappointed to find that it was simply one of those machine cappuccinos, which I never enjoy. I get that this is a widely accepted practice in Germany (I don’t get why, though), but I still think at a luxury hotel they should have barista-made cappuccinos… but that’s just me.
Jumeirah Frankfurt breakfast — cappuccino
The buffet itself was quite extensive — I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.
Jumeirah Frankfurt breakfast buffet
Jumeirah Frankfurt breakfast buffet
Jumeirah Frankfurt breakfast buffet
Jumeirah Frankfurt breakfast buffet
Jumeirah Frankfurt breakfast buffet
Jumeirah Frankfurt breakfast buffet
Jumeirah Frankfurt breakfast buffet
Jumeirah Frankfurt breakfast buffet
Jumeirah Frankfurt breakfast buffet
Jumeirah Frankfurt breakfast buffet
Jumeirah Frankfurt breakfast buffet
I wasn’t very hungry, so I didn’t have anything from the buffet, but rather just had the farmer’s omelet, with vegetables and potatoes.
Jumeirah Frankfurt breakfast
Ember Bar & Lounge
While we didn’t actually have a drink there, Ember Bar & Lounge is the all day bar just inside the lobby of the hotel. Personally I wish there an outdoor area, which I love in summer in Germany. To me this just felt like your average Sheraton lobby bar.
Jumeirah Frankfurt Ember Bar & Lounge
Jumeirah Frankfurt gym, pool, and spa
Jumeirah Frankfurt has Talise Spa on the fourth floor, though it was closed due to coronavirus.
As far as the pool and the gym goes, there’s a Fitness First Platinum gym connected to the hotel, and hotel guests get access. I didn’t really feel comfortable taking pictures, both given privacy laws in Germany, and also given that Germans can be weird about pictures. 😉 While I go great lengths to avoid having people in my pictures everywhere in the world, I’m especially cognizant of it in Germany.
Jumeirah Frankfurt Fitness First
The gym is open from 6AM until 11PM on weekdays, and from 8AM until 10PM on weekends.
You see these kinds of partnerships between hotels and gyms every so often, and there’s pros and cons to this system:
- Proper membership gyms are infinitely better than most hotel gyms
- At the same time, they’re not 24/7, and you’re much less likely to have the gym to yourself
Bottom line
I was curious to check out Jumeirah Frankfurt, since it’s generally regarded as Frankfurt’s best hotel in the heart of the city. It was also my first stay at a Jumeirah branded property, not that I was expecting this to be the Burj Al Arab. With that in mind, I have two very different thoughts on the hotel.
First of all, I think we got a solid value for our stay, given that rates are lower than usual, we were staying for one night on a Virtuoso rate, and we got a great upgrade. Furthermore, I love the location of this hotel.
That being said, I personally found this to be one of the most unmemorable luxury properties I’ve been to. I get a business hotel might not be quaint or charming, but I feel like very little thought was put into the design of the hotel. The lobby doesn’t seem to match the rooms, yet I didn’t particularly like the design of either.
While I don’t regret staying here, I don’t think I’d return. Villa Kennedy is infinitely more charming than Jumeirah, though admittedly doesn’t have as good of a location. If I wanted to stay in this area again, I’d probably pick another property where I could earn or redeem points.
What do you make of Jumeirah Frankfurt — am I being too hard on the hotel?
| Want to receive extra benefits for your stay at Jumeirah Frankfurt, including complimentary breakfast, a space available room upgrade, a property credit, and more? Contact [email protected] for more details. He may even be able to help if you already have a stay booked. |
Only bottled beer (w/alchonol) via room service is Heineken? Uhh....
I have stayed a few times at the Jumeirah in London and it was quite nice as far as location, decor and price.
Is it me or Emirates and Jumeirah and DXB seem to have the same designer
Stayed there last year and was similarly unimpressed. It struck me as quite strange that there wasn't a nicer lobby and bar, but someone at the hotel suggested that, given the brand and predominant clientele, they weren't much for drinking and mixing of the sexes. I think I had the same room type. It was also fine. It is a good location and easy to get to from the airport, but that's about all it had going. I won't likely be back there.
Sure, who wouldnt want a view over Frankfurt´s city center where you can watch addicts and drifters from all over the world deal with each other... This is one of the places where you should pay in order not to have a view imo.
The interior of the hotel is terrible... It looks so dated and uninspired... More suitable for a sad business Hotel. In Frankfurt city center there is the historic Steingerberger hof hosted in a magnificent 19th century palace. It's definitely more charming!
Nice Rimowas! Have u ever given Away a try?
I have never found the location of the Villa Kennedy that inconvenient. Lots of places you can walk within 10-15 minutes. I tried Hyatt Place by Frankfurt Airport, but much prefer the Villa Kennedy even without points.
Even though it's not a points hotel per se, the Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof's got a great location and is situated in a very charming historical building.
Would definitely recommend checking it out should you be back in Frankfurt looking for a luxury hotel.
I stayed here last year and quite enjoyed the stay, at the time we had a full blown libanese meal via room service so I suspect they have some reduced offerings at the moment. I particularly liked the overall service, breakfast quality and selection, bathrooms, excellent beds and free minibar. Decor in lobby etc is not very tasteful, the rooms are ok but starting to show age.
Meanwhile a bottle of organic French wine in your nearest German supermarket is 3.50 euros
Ridiculous
I’m not surprised they have a buffet still. There are no documented cases of fomite transmission and even if it were a risk, leading virologists and epidemiologists are confident that this virus cannot be contracted via the digestive system. As long as mask wearing at the buffet was both required and enforced (as I’m sure it was in Germany), the risk from having a buffet would be slightly more than nil.
It’s a conversation...
I’m not surprised they have a buffet still. There are no documented cases of fomite transmission and even if it were a risk, leading virologists and epidemiologists are confident that this virus cannot be contracted via the digestive system. As long as mask wearing at the buffet was both required and enforced (as I’m sure it was in Germany), the risk from having a buffet would be slightly more than nil.
It’s a conversation we could have in the US if the opportunity for nuance hadn’t been destroyed by those who chose to deny, mislead, and create risk for political gain (along with those hubristic few think they don’t have to follow public health rules).
EUR 85 for a pizza and a bottle of plonk? Daylight robbery...
This hotel seems meh to me. That being said, my wife and I stayed at Etihad towers in Abu Dhabi last year which is also a Jumeriah hotel and it was excellent. It was elegant and had amazing food options, highly recommended.
Wow they significantly downgraded the selection of complimentary snacks, believe me, they were pretty generous pre-Covid19 with snacks and sweet treats.
This hotel appears to be quiet dated and uninspired. I transit via Frankfurt alot and always stay at the Hilton just blocks away. They are remodeling the rooms and just before lock down I got a corner room facing the park behind which was very nice.. They, too, use a Fitness First for gym. As a Diamond, it's a good points hotel before the long flight ✈️ home. I will try Sofitel and Villa Kennedy next trip.
Zero Wow factor!
Menus look like they have been put together with one of everything to please all, while pleasing no-one.
Breakfast buffet looks like a 2-3 star hotel spread; nothing 5* about it.
Epic fail!
Yes, uninspired is how I would describe the decor..and that bath..what were they thinking? 85 euros for two dry looking pizzas and a bottle of wine ?...hope the wine was good. I hate these sort of hotels unless I am there on business where the care factor is zero and all I need is a comfortable bed.
Regarding Hotel and lodging costs;
Frankfurt is or was a Fair town. When there is a major fair (Messe) prices will reach absurd levels for any room at any establishment. The price might be tripled for the fair and then back to normal 2 nights later.
I always prefer a specific 5 star Hotel but several times I shopped around due to the messe induced price hike. I discovered that during a messe, 3 and 4 star Hotels had rates as high as the 5 star,
@Nate
Agreed. Villa Kennedy is the nicest hotel with nice decor. Rocco Forte is a chain that deserves praise. Frankfurt isn’t exactly a tourist town and there aren’t many sights to see. It’s an easy 10 minute walk to the river front where there is a nice path with various museums and buildings. You can take the bridge closet to the hotel and it puts you at the main train station or you can walk...
@Nate
Agreed. Villa Kennedy is the nicest hotel with nice decor. Rocco Forte is a chain that deserves praise. Frankfurt isn’t exactly a tourist town and there aren’t many sights to see. It’s an easy 10 minute walk to the river front where there is a nice path with various museums and buildings. You can take the bridge closet to the hotel and it puts you at the main train station or you can walk on the aforementioned path and take a scenic pedestrian bridge closer to the business district.
The Jumeirah looks disappointing. There is no excuse for such bland decor in 2020 and in the Jumeirah brand. Holiday Inn looks nicer.
Hate to quibble but I refer to the shopping area as The Zeil. I believe one large building was knocked down and replaced with an indoor mall called "My Zeil".
"Winston hates flying". It's an animal. Late phase capitalism nonsense.
"everything in the minibar was complimentary"
The selection of snacks like pretty embarrassing though
I was at villa Kennedy before the virus. After wandering Frankfurt for two days. I discover schhausen neighborhood. Quite nice. There is a old grand dame hotel in the city center.
I stayed there in March before world shut down and I quite like it. Took Grand Room which was well organised. Breakfast was underwhelming but decent. Didn't have time to check out spa/swimming pool. Paid 265 GBP, booking it a few hours before arrival. It was unplanned stay in Germany, due to border closure in Poland.
You definitely got better deal.
I stayed before in Jumeirah hotel in Dubai.
I was in Hamburg 2 wks ago and Buffets are not allowed there. Was at the Marriott Renaissance and they took orders at your table and served you. Buffet was closed. State laws differ.
I don't think your review is too harsh, but I don't think the location of the Villa Kennedy is that bad. There isn't much in Frankfurt. Plus if you were planning on quarantining in the hotel, location shouldn't have been a big factor.
There are worse "nice" hotel in Frankfurt. For example, the Westin and the Le Meridian.
One really easy option to get there from the airport is missing in this nice report: the local S-Bahn (S8 and S9) trains. There's a train every 15 minutes and it takes 17 minutes from Airport Regionalbahnhof to Hauptwache station. The hotel is 300m away from the platform. Much cheaper than a taxi, even in first class, and no traffic jams.
The mentioned Fitness First location has a quite nice 20m-pool and a great sauna.
@Schlingu, they already had negative test results by then.
OK, thank you
@Schlingu
He had already the night before the result of the tests.
It was ok.
Read the previous post about the test in Francfurt airport
@Amman. Go with silver. You won’t be disappointed. Absolute classic.
I was super nervous about the dents at first, but now I embrace them as it adds character and helps “tell a story” about your past travels.
Ah, just saw the other post about test times - thanks
Quarantine and going to breakfast, how goes that together?
Ben, great review. Very interested in test times and how long you and ford had to wait; as well as how they informed you.
does anyone here have a black aluminum rimowa? i'm undecided between black and silver because i've heard black tends to looks worse when scratched up.
IMHO, Sofitel Frankfurt Opéra also has a good location in city centre, decent service, nice staffs, and chic design. Oh, and the heavenly bed.
Are those Ford's Rimowas or did you finally jump ship?
Hi Winston!
Nice to see you on a picture!
I hope you enjoy your time in Germany and you are happy to see again your grand-mother.
Cheers!
Welcome to Frankfurt! Behind Villa Kennedy, in my opinion the nicest hotel in Frankfurt now is the Sofitel Opera, both in terms of the hotel itself and the location.
Funny to me the spa is closed but they are okay with a buffet breakfast.