Frankfurt Hotel

Frankfurt has never been a great hotel city. To be sure, its numerous hostelries have provided comfortable rooms at the inn, but without the flair of Paris or the discreet luxury of London. That's changing, thanks in part to international hotel chains that by sharpening competition have shaken local rivals into refurbishing their properties physically and improving their standards of food and service. Rooms are scarce when major trade fairs are being held and impossible to find in October, the month of the International Book Fair.

Frankfurter Hof, Bethmannstrasse 33. Tel.: 21501. Telex: 411806. Fax: 215900. Rooms/suites: 360. Historic, luxurious, and the most central of the major hotels, this asset compensates for somewhat unimaginative decor. The Steigenberger chain, headquartered here, has made sure that food and service in the four restaurants, particularly in the Restaurant Francais, are just right. A big plus: SAS Scandinavian Airlines check in at the hotel.

Gravenbruch Kempinski, Neu Isenburg. Tel.: (06102) 5050. Telex: 0417673. Fax: 505445. Rooms/suites: 317. The famous Kempinski chain has combined elegance with rural charm: the hotel is in a large park only a 15 minute drive from the city. Excellent restau rants, indoor and outdoor pools, beauty and fitness farm. Suitable for high level meetings and often so used.

Hessicher Hof Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage 40. Tel.: 75400. Telex: 411776. Fax: 7540924. Rooms/suites: 160. Handy for the Messeglande, or fairgrounds. The world's biggest publishers huddle in the bar and lounge to do megabucks deals during the book fair. Not much to admire on the outside, but plenty on the inside.

Holiday Inn, Mailanderstrasse 1. Tel.: 68020. Telex: 411805. Fax:6802333. Rooms/suites: 404. They include 28 rooms especially for female executives, 42 for nonsmokers, and 34 business suites on the Club Europe executive floor. Hotel is across the river from the rest of Frankfurt, in Sachsenhausen, but is a self contained conference center. Restaurant, bar, indoor pool, and fitness center.

Inter Continental, Wilhelm Leuschner Strasse 43. Tel.: 230561. Telex: 413639. Fax: 252467. Rooms/suites: 800. Overlooks the river and is close to the business, banking, theater, and shopping districts. This is one of the best in the chain, with just about everything for the executive: business services, 24 hour room service, airline checkin, restaurants (both moderately priced and exclusive), pool, health club, and meeting rooms.

Marriott, 2 10 Hamburger Allee. Tel.: 79550. Fax: 7955 2432. Rooms/ suites: 585. Situated in the Westend district, opposite the trade fair and conference center. This new Marriott, formerly Frankfurt Plaza, has 68 executive rooms plus meeting facilities for 15 to 1,200 people. Two restaurants, shops, spacious underground parking.

Park, Wiesenhuttenplatz 28. Tel.: 26970. Telex: 412808. Fax: 26978849. Rooms/suites: 279. These include 30 for nonsmokers. A stone's throw from the Hauptbahnhof; five minutes by streetcar to the fairgrounds. This is really two hotels. Movenpick, the Swiss owner, has overhauled the whole place, right down to the public toilets; inspectors cast their expert eyes over them every hour and sign their names to displayed certificates. Apart from all that, a symbol of care and attention, the hotel is efficient and cozy. La Truffe Restaurant is one of the city's best, and the Casablanca Bar is a favorite rendezvous for American and other executives.

Pullman Savigny, Savignystrasse 14 16. Tel.: 75330. Telex: 412061. Fax: 7533175. Rooms/suites: 126. Part of the well run Franco Belgian hotel group. Walking distance from the fairgrounds. Comfortable rooms, bar, and restaurant. A good example of the French drive to capture an important segment of the German market.

Ramada Frankfurt Caravelle Hotel, Oeserstrasse 180. Tel.: 39050. Telex: 416812. Fax: 3808218. Rooms/suites: 236. Adjacent to a pleasant wood. A mile from fairgrounds. Ten meeting rooms. Secretarial services.

Scandic Crown, Weisenhuttenstrasse4l. Tel.: 273960. Telex: 416394. Fax: 273 96795. Rooms/suites: 144. Modern, well equipped, and close to the Hauptbahnhof. Savoy and Rhapsody restaurants, bar, and disco.

Sheraton, Rhein Main International Airport. Tel.: 69770. Telex: 4189294. Fax: 69772209. Rooms/suites: 820. One of Europe's largest and best airport hotels; connected to the arrivals section by footbridge and adjoining the business center. Excellent service: the whole place is geared to the executive. Several restaurants, including the haute cuisine Papillon, many bars, pool, fitness center. Above all, superb communications.

Steingenberger Airport Hotel, Unterschweinstiege 16. Tel.: 69750. Telex: 413112. Fax: 69752505. Rooms/suites: 350. Modern, efficient, and determined to spoil the visiting executive with thoughtful caring. Bus shuttle to the airport. There is an outdoor summer restaurant, and one can dance in the Montgolfiere club.

Moderately Priced

Arcade, Speicherstrasse 3. Tel.: 273030. Telex: 6997510. Fax: 237024. Rooms: 200. Modern and comfortable, but with no special trimmings. Breakfast is memorable; bar and restaurant are good; conference rooms. Central.

Novotel Frankfurt Messe, Voltstrasse 1. Tel.: 793030. Fax: 79303930. Rooms: 235. France's Novotel (Accor) group, now the largest in Germany, has placed this hotel 50 meters from the exhibition center. Restaurant. Some 13 meeting rooms handling six to 350 people.