The Best Hotels in Frankfurt

Frankfurt Hotels

Admire international artwork inside impressive gallery halls, take a leisurely stroll through expansive botanical gardens, and sail the swift waters of the winding Main River as you explore the heart and soul of cosmopolitan Frankfurt. This unique German city is a hotbed of culture, where theatres are crammed into downtown streets, squeezing between independent art galleries, and ornate concert halls. Stylish restaurants with fine-dining menus grace its immaculate lanes, while fashionable nightclubs allow popular music to reverberate through its boulevards. Frankfurt is vibrant, modish, and attractive, with a rising skyline that soars above green carpet of the Rhine valley.

Things to see

At nearly 600,000 square meters of show space, the Messe Exhibition Hall, otherwise known as the Frankfurt Trade Fair Grounds is a sight to behold. Its impressive circular design stands several stories high, only just dwarfed by the Postmodern-designed Messe Turm office tower next door. Television shows, live performances, and trade exhibitions grace these 10 galleries in an exciting year-round calendar of events. The sprawling grounds of the Frankfurt Zoological Garden sit in the center of the city, behind surprisingly low red-brick walls that offer teasing glimpses of the animal habitats they surround. You can view 4,500 animals in their natural environments here, spying lizards in their steamy rainforest enclosure, or scanning open grasslands for a glimpse of the elusive tiger on the prowl. The award winning Frankfurt Opera, in the heart of Willie Bradt Platz, is the exciting home of revivals, recitals, and new productions in this cosmopolitan city. You can enjoy a lively performance of Tosca in all its glory, before stepping out into the energetic heart of Frankfurt for a meal at one of the nearby ethnic restaurants.

Hotels in Frankfurt

From the timeless elegance of its palatial 5 star resorts, to the friendly ambience of its discount hotels, Frankfurt has somewhere to suit every traveler’s budget and preferences. Along the Main River, and spread across the Financial District and the Bahnhofsviertel neighborhood, luxury hotels in Frankfurt are plentiful and easy to find. Glamorous facades or towering high rises, opulent decor, and sophisticated technology in every room lets you know you’ve arrived in one of the city’s illustrious accommodations. Mid-range hotels still typically delight with excellent room sizes and styles, and on-site extras like fitness centers, while budget hotels in Frankfurt tend to sit in the suburbs. While they might not offer high thread count linens or crystal wine glasses, they’re usually comfortable and close to great transport links for discovering the city.

Where to stay

Bahnhofsviertel is Frankfurt’s ‘train station quarter’, a modern, glass building-designed stretch of the city where electric trains take precedence over motorized transportation. It’s a commercial and business district, filled with soaring towers, and ostentatious hotels, where boutique designer shopping, and up-scale eateries fill every boulevard. The medieval buildings of Frankfurt’s Old Town nestle around its most famous square, the Römerberg, a cobbled plaza where passing market traders erect their colorful stalls, and some of the hotels in Frankfurt overlook the famous timber-built Ostzeile houses in the east.

How to get to Frankfurt

Frankfurt Airport welcomes international flights from around the world to its modern terminal, an airfield that’s of such importance to the city it even features on self-guided cycling trails. Onward transportation to the center of Frankfurt is easy by hire car, but public transportation is just as convenient, with buses, taxis, trains, and shuttles all serving the inner-city districts. Inside Frankfurt, electric trains patrol the streets, linking popular tourist sights to hotels in Frankfurt.

When are the best times to travel to Frankfurt?

Frankfurt’s a bustling city at any time of year, with a wealth of all-weather attractions. The summer months of June through August are the most pleasant, when locals flock to the river bank to soak up the sun. But the city enjoys a mild year-round climate, so winters rarely get too cold. Frankfurt hotel prices spike whenever there’s a big trade show in town, so plan your visit wisely. The biggest are the Frankfurt Book Fair in October, and the Frankfurt Motor Show, which takes place every other year in September.

What are the top must-see attractions in Frankfurt?

The Römer is perhaps Frankfurt’s most iconic building. This opulent Gothic-style structure has served as City Hall since the 15th century, but was destroyed in World War 2. However, it was swiftly rebuilt, and has since been lovingly restored to its former glory. The Cathedral of St. Bartholomew is another major historical landmark, with its handsome red brick exterior and towering spire. In stark contrast, the Main Tower is one of the city’s most dazzlingly futuristic skyscrapers. Visitors can access its observation deck for jaw-dropping panoramic views from a 200-meter vantage point.

What are the best types of food and restaurants in Frankfurt?

Traditional Frankfurt cuisine is hearty, warming, and heavy on the meat. Local specialties include Rippchen mit Kraut – succulent pork cutlets gently heated in a rich broth, served with sauerkraut and gently spicy mustard. It’s best washed down with a glass of Apfelwein, a tart local cider. However the Frankfurt of today is a cosmopolitan metropolis, where you can enjoy first-rate food from every corner of the globe. There’s a particularly impressive array of eateries on Grosse Bockenheimer Strasse, which is known by locals as Fressgass, or “munching alley”.

What are the top things to do in Frankfurt?

Culture vultures should make a beeline straight for the Museumsufer, or museum embankment. Here you can peruse priceless fine art in the Museum Giersch, or learn all about the city’s Jewish community at the Jüdisches Museum. For the loveliest views of the city and surrounding areas, hop on a cruise boat and take a tranquil day trip down the shimmering Main river. If the weather’s fine, set aside a day to explore the lush, expansive Palmengarten, Germany’s largest botanical gardens. Here, you can enjoy the spectacle of colorful tropical flowers, fluttering butterflies, and peaceful green lakesides.

What are some fun facts about Frankfurt?

Frankfurt’s high-rise skyline, riverside location, and reputation as an economic powerhouse has earned it the nickname “Mainhattan”. The city is, as you may have guessed, the home of the Frankfurter sausage, which can be traced back to the 13th century, and which served as the inspiration for the modern American hot dog sausage. Frankfurt was also the birthplace of Johann Wolfgang Goethe, perhaps Germany’s most influential and celebrated writer.

What kinds of public transport are there in Frankfurt?

Travel in Frankfurt is no hassle at all. There’s a comprehensive public transport network, which includes U-Bahn trains, trams, and buses. You can buy flat-rate single trip tickets, or day passes that allow unlimited travel on all modes of transport. You’ll find ticket machines at every station, and English instructions are available. Trains run until after midnight, and a limited bus service runs throughout the night.