
Frankfurt Hotel Recommendation
Kimpton MAIN Frankfurt by IHG
Why I Don't Recommend Staying Near the Central Station
ⓒ Written & Photographed by Minhahae
As my trip to Frankfurt comes to a close,
I am absolutely thrilled with my stay, thanks to this incredible hotel!
I put so much thought into choosing where to stay in Frankfurt.
While it was slightly pricier than hotels near the Central Station,
the facilities, location, and safety were all so perfect that I just had to share it with you.
Below, I'll share my tips for choosing the best location in Frankfurt, key things to check,
and a detailed review of my actual stay!
Table of Contents |
1 | Location & Why I Chose It |
2 | Booking & Pricing |
3 | Room Condition & Amenities |
4 | Breakfast & Facilities |
1. Location & Why I Chose It
When choosing where to stay in Frankfurt, many travelers opt for the Central Station area
to make day trips to nearby cities easier. However...
Frankfurt Central Station (Hauptbahnhof) is actually notorious
as one of the areas in Europe where you need to be extra cautious about safety.
With a red-light district nearby, there are quite a few intoxicated people around.

The alley right in front of the Central Station
This is what the street near the station looked like
when I casually walked by early in the morning...
Other travelers I met also warned me about it. One solo female traveler staying there
said someone tried to follow her while talking to her, and even male travelers felt uneasy.
That's the kind of vibe the station area can have.
Our tour guide advised us that if anyone approaches you, just say "Sorry" and walk away immediately.
Avoiding the area during the early morning and late night makes it slightly better,
as there are plenty of people around during the day,
but it's still good to keep your guard up.

Since I was traveling alone as a woman, and considering that
an Uber from the Central Station to downtown is only about €7,
and the subway system is fantastic, I decided there was
absolutely no reason to stay right at the Central Station.
Once you head into the downtown area, which is the economic hub of Europe,
the streets are incredibly clean, there are no shady characters,
and seeing plenty of police patrols made me feel completely safe!

If you don't plan on sightseeing in the city and only need a base near the station
for catching trains, I'd recommend staying closer to the river rather than right in front of the station.
The IntercityHotel is located right next to the station, making it a very popular choice.
The price is very affordable, around ~$64 per night for 2 people,
so if you absolutely need to stay near the station, definitely check this out!
> Check IntercityHotel Rates Here
2. Booking & Price of Kimpton Frankfurt
After much deliberation, I booked the Kimpton MAIN Frankfurt,
a brand-new hotel that opened in 2025.
I usually wouldn't dream of staying at a 5-star hotel in Europe due to the high prices,
but this luxury spot was surprisingly reasonable—around ~$160 to ~$186 per night
during the Christmas season. Plus, taking an Uber from the station only cost about €6.90, making it super convenient!

Since most of the major tourist attractions are within walking distance,
I didn't even need to buy a public transit pass!
Even better, the luxury shopping street is right next door—
literally just a 1-minute walk away.

The street right in front of the hotel
Oh, and one of the absolute best highlights of this hotel? The Korean staff!
Meeting them at reception made communication so effortless and welcoming.
It's always a relief when you can communicate smoothly while traveling! ^.^
The rooms can accommodate up to three adults, making it an excellent choice for a family of three
or a group of friends traveling together.

The pricing is incredibly reasonable for a 5-star hotel.
I did a price comparison for a 1-night stay on Friday, February 13th,
and listed the two cheapest options I found among various booking sites.
I usually tend to use Trip.com quite a lot,
but the price difference here was pretty significant, so I booked through Agoda instead!
I stayed for 2 nights and it cost around ~$346.
>> Click here to check Agoda prices
3. Room Condition: Essential King Room
I stayed in the most affordable option, the Essential King Room.
The staff were incredibly friendly right from the moment I checked in,
and they even delivered my suitcase straight to my room!

Maybe because it's a newly opened hotel, but the facilities
felt so clean, fresh, and modern. From the moment I stepped inside,
I was in a great mood—and the lobby smelled absolutely amazing!
Check out the video below to see the room layout!
▼▼▼
Even the smallest room category is around 22–26 m²,
so there was plenty of space to lay out two 28-inch suitcases,
and best of all, the interior design was absolutely gorgeous!


The framed pretzel art hanging right as you enter was so witty and cute!
There was a two-sided, full-length mirror, which was absolutely perfect
for double-checking my outfits before heading out!


The faucet handles had a very fun, pop-art vibe, and if you look closely at the drain,
the stopper was shaped like a Mercedes-Benz star, which was pretty cool!
For bathroom amenities, they provide shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.
They felt really high quality, so you definitely don't need to bring your own.
And what was really neat is that both the regular showerhead and the rainfall ceiling shower
are operated by a push-button system.
It turned out to be incredibly convenient, way more than I expected!!
Of course, you can still swap out the showerhead if you want to. haha


The room looks a bit lived-in since I took this photo after staying for a day already, haha.
The bathrobes were nice and thick, and the slippers were so soft and plush—I made sure to use them all!
The hair dryer felt like one of those popular styling dryers, and the airflow
was super strong, so drying my hair was fast with zero frustration.


Bottled water is provided for free, but the minibar below it
is all paid, so I wouldn't really recommend using it, haha.
By scanning the QR code, you can easily view room service menus, minibar prices,
and request any extra amenities you might need.
Since the room felt a bit dry, I requested a humidifier and used that!
Just keep in mind that a deposit is required for rentals,
and you just need to bring it back to the lobby when you check out.

There was a desk in the room, making it a great spot for business travelers too,
and I sat here myself to do a bit of work on my laptop! haha
The lighting fixtures came in so many cool, unique shapes,
so checking out the interior details was so much fun!
Honestly, this eye-catching design was the main reason I chose this hotel out of so many options.

Since it's a King-sized bed, it felt incredibly spacious even for just myself,
and the bedding had that classic, crisp, crinkly hotel feel that I love!
Oh, by the way! I struggled a bit with the light switches at first,
but they are actually located on the side of the nightstand right next to the bed,
so you can easily turn them on and off with a quick click.

There were at least five different types of lighting set up in the room,
and they all blended together so beautifully.
As for the facilities—what can I say? Since it's brand new, everything was incredibly clean, fresh, and well-maintained.
I was absolutely thrilled with this room!

You can actually open the windows, which is a massive plus
if you're someone who loves fresh air and proper ventilation!
I had cranked up the heater and got a bit too warm, so opening the window
to let the fresh breeze in felt amazing haha.
4. Hotel Amenities & Facilities
This is where Kimpton’s attention to detail truly shines.
The two most memorable highlights for me were
the complimentary light breakfast and the Social Hour.

To be honest, I paid an extra 29 EUR (~$32) to have the full sit-down breakfast,
but if you just want a quick bite, they actually offer free fruit and juices
in the lobby—such a great perk..!
Oh, and by the way, you can also rent bicycles from the lobby for free!

Every day from 5 PM to 6 PM is "Social Hour."
If you grab a seat in the lobby or at the bar,
you can enjoy complimentary drinks of your choice (yes, completely free!!!!)
They serve white, rosé, and red wine, beer,
Americanos, gin, vodka, cocktails, and more!
You can also ask for non-alcoholic options.
I heard Germany is famous for its Riesling wine,
but I found out too late and missed out on trying their white wine... such a bummer.


While there's no swimming pool, they do have a gym!
You just tap your room key to enter, and it’s fully equipped with Technogym gear.
I only ended up doing a quick 20-minute run, though haha.


Somehow, I ended up being the very first person there when breakfast opened... haha.
While the selection wasn't overwhelmingly massive, every single dish tasted amazing.
The yogurt and the made-to-order omelet were absolute standouts!
I was actually getting a little tired of heavy German food at this point,
so this fresh breakfast was perfect, and the staff were SO incredibly friendly! *.*
To be completely honest, I debated so much between staying here and finding something near Central Station
(purely because of the price tag....)
But since it was the final stretch of my trip, I decided to splurge—and I’m so glad I did!
The hotel was so wonderful that it motivated me to go back home and work even harder to afford more trips like this! ^.^
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