JW Marriott Frankfurt: Luxury or Corporate Culture?

The JW Hotels belong to the luxury brands of Marriott, like the St. Regis Hotels or the Ritz-Carlton Hotels. One category below, in the Premium category, are Le Méridien, Westin, Autograph Collection Hotels or the “normal” Marriott Hotels. So in the JW I am in a luxury hotel. The promise of the hotel on the website is big: luxury hotel with spa, relaxation oasis, mindfulness and much more.

When I arrive there is no doorman, which is a must in a hotel of this category. So I park my car myself and unload my luggage myself. The concierge doesn’t greet me when I come into the lobby, she seems busy with something else. Check-in is very quick and uncomplicated, everything is prepared. I’m even offered water, tea and a warm towel.

After that, however, I am only accompanied to the elevator and not to the room. This is usually standard in a luxury hotel. At 6:55 p.m. I go to the restaurant – the only one in the hotel, by the way, and not exactly standard in a luxury hotel either. It’s a nice restaurant, but unfortunately I don’t meet anyone there.

So I decide to visit the announced spa first. But it’s closed. Nobody had pointed this out to me, at the latest at check-in there would have been an opportunity to do so. Spa, wellness, mindfulness – I can’t enjoy any of that. When, if not at the weekend, do you use the spa!

Next try, the fitness area. On the way there I pass a row of open storage room doors. Funny. Then the surprise: the fitness area is not a fitness area, but a gym. I ended up in a fitness first. The selection of devices is huge here, which is definitely a plus. However, it’s not JW Marriott’s promise either. I expect a contact person in the fitness area of ​​a luxury hotel. But that doesn’t exist here.

The rooms are tidy, if a bit old, some of the wood has been scraped off and should be cleaned up. There is parquet flooring, there is a coffee machine and a really good work area. The minibar with beer, cola, water and juices is included. The bathroom is also fine, the shower and bathtub are separate.

Don’t get me wrong: none of this is bad, it’s nice and beautiful here, a very good 4.5 to five star business hotel. But it has nothing to do with luxury. At 6:30 p.m. the turndown service bell rings. I ask the lady to come back a little later, but that doesn’t happen anymore.

The difference between claim and reality is very big here. That’s a pity, because everything would have been arranged for the JW in Frankfurt, where I don’t think there is a single really excellent hotel. Everyone is waiting here for the return of the German luxury hotel brand Althoff. In the coming year, Villa Kennedy is to be reopened after the renovation phase as an Althoff urban resort. Then Frankfurt would finally have a flagship hotel.

It’s almost a bit tragic in this city: lots of business hotels, but no luxury houses. Angry gossips claim that the Nassauer Hof in Wiesbaden is the best hotel in Frankfurt, and I share this opinion. And the Kempinski Hotel in Gravenbruch also markets itself as a Frankfurt hotel, although it is quite far out, more near Offenbach.

One more note about breakfast. It’s a bit like everywhere else in the business hotels. Everything is very similar: jam and butter are packaged, there is fresh fruit, but no fresh berries. Instead, I see an Arabic corner that I really like. The fact that breakfast is not included in the room rate is completely incomprehensible to me. That’s not how I imagine a stay for 319 euros per night. That’s strange.

The question about the room number

When checking out, the following conversation unfolds: “What is your room number?” “Oh, I forgot it, but my name is Rath.” “And your room number?” “As I said, I forgot it, but you are there in front of the computer and can enter my name.” “Yes, but the room number makes it easier for me.” An absurdity for a hotel of this category. Do I need to mention that there is no doorman, bellboy or porter at check-out to help me with my luggage? Admittedly, it’s just before six in the morning, but all this is just not the level of service that I expect in a luxury hotel.

From my point of view, this JW Marriott is like any other Marriott hotel, only the JW was placed in front of it. The fact that they call themselves a spa hotel doesn’t make sense to me at all. Maybe the spa area is really great, but unfortunately it was closed. The room price remained the same, by the way.

Conclusion: The JW Marriott would have every opportunity in Frankfurt, the location in the middle of the financial district is perfect and the popular Zeil shopping street is not far away. But the hotel does not meet the expectations that one has of a luxury hotel. I would also like a little more warmth and local color instead of the usual cool corporate culture. I can see little of the alleged mindfulness here. Nevermind.

Rath’s Voyage Rating (current rating in bold)

1. Explicit Travel Warning
2. Better than under the bridge
3. So-so, not oh, là, là
4. Complaining at a high level
5. If only it were always like this
6. Great cinema

Insidertipps

Shopping The Zeil is THE shopping street in Frankfurt, one of the top-selling in Germany. Here you will find everything you need. If you prefer to go for a stroll and explore small shops, you should go to the Sachsenhausen district. It is still in the old town area right on the Main. There are many cider taverns and many nice little shops.

jogging track The best running track in Frankfurt is clearly on the banks of the Main. Of course, there is a lot going on here, especially in the morning before work. But I’ve even seen bankers here at eleven o’clock at night on their after-work rounds.

Restaurant I was enthusiastic about the Moriki. In the restaurant of Berlin chef Duc Ngo, modern Asia meets traditional Japanese influences.

cultural For me, Frankfurt is the city with the greatest museums. There are around 60, first and foremost the Schirn Kunsthalle and the Städel Museum – each worth a visit.

About the author: As a former grand hotelier and operator of the Travelgrand.ch travel platform, Carsten K. Rath is a professional globetrotter. He travels to all the hotels he writes about for the Handelsblatt on his own account.