Element Frankfurt Airport Review

A Suite Night at the Element Hotel at Frankfurt Airport

To fly in Lufthansa’s fantastic first class cabin from Frankfurt to New York, I had to layover in Frankfurt for a night.  My flight on Lufthansa from London arrived in Frankfurt around 8:35ish in the evening.  By the time I cleared immigration and retrieved my checked luggage, it was 9:15 PM.  I proceeded to the hotel shuttle pick-up area, and that’s when my night took a bizarre turn.

Shared Shuttle to Element Hotel

The Element Frankfurt Airport Hotel does have a shuttle which is awesome.  Frankfurt doesn’t allow Uber to run and I’m sort of anti-taxi.  Taxis always seem to be more expensive, and the drivers tend to be rude.  Anyway, a shuttle meant not having to overpay for a taxi.  However, there was a moment when I considered paying 12EUR+.

According to the hotel, the shared shuttle runs every thirty minutes.  The shuttle didn’t show up to 9:45, fifteen minutes later.  Those fifteen minutes felt like an hour.  To make things worse, I told my parents I would be at the hotel within ten minutes of getting my bag, so they became worried and psycho-dialled me until I got into my hotel room.

The shared shuttle was packed to the gills.  I mean this puppy was full.  Luckily, the Element was the third stop.  With the shuttle still packed, I came to the realization that this probably meant that half of the shuttle was going to get off at the Element Hotel stop.  I’d have to make a b-line for the front desk when we arrived at the hotel.

As the bus pulled up to the Element, I clinched by carry-on and slowly rose from my seat.  The bus stopped, and I darted off shuttle expecting thirty other irritated travelers to follow eagerly.  The bus closed its doors and drove off.  I was the only one staying at the Element Frankfurt Airport Hotel.

Check-In

As I approached the hotel, I realized that almost every light was out.  Even the lobby looked dark.  As I entered the lobby, I realized that the majority of the lights were off and there wasn’t anyone at the front desk.  I thought maybe I was in the wrong place.  The whole experience mirrored the beginning of an apocalyptic flick.  I was waiting for a zombie to emerge from the business center.

I rang the bell.  Three minutes passed, and no one came.  I rang the bell again.  No one came.  Once again, I rang the bell, and after six minutes of waiting for someone, a lone employee came running out of a hallway.  He was polite and welcoming but pretty odd.  He seemed frazzled like he had been doing something when I arrived at the hotel and he had to hide it quickly.  He also seemed to be off in his own world.  Still, he thanked me for being Platinum (I’m Gold, but hey, I’ll take it).  He also informed me that my upgrade had cleared and I had been upgraded to the nicest suite in the hotel.  That was strange as I usually have to beg for a preferred room.

After a bizarre commute from the airport and just strange experience at the front desk, I made my way to the seventh floor.

Element Hotel Suite

When I arrived at the seventh floor, the elevator doors opened to reveal a completely black and eerie hallway.  I was hesitant to exit the elevator.  I began to emerge from the elevator and suddenly, the hallway lit up, and hip electronic music began to play over the loudspeakers.  As I noted in my post, “I Think I’m the Only One at My Hotel,” this hallway obviously hadn’t seen any action for hours, maybe days.

Anyway, it turns out there were less than thirty guests total in a hotel with over one hundred rooms that night.  I was likely the only guest on the entire seventh floor.  This also was likely the reason I received such a fantastic upgrade.

I was given room 720.  720 is one of the hotel’s suites.  The suites feature a kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom.  It’s relatively small compared to some of the other Element suites I’ve stayed in, however, it was still more space than I would need for my short overnight stay.

Element Hotels are designed for both short stays and extended stays.  The suites are designed for extended stays as they feature a full kitchen.

Element Frankfurt Airport Hotel Kitchen

A full kitchen can often be more of a con rather than a pro.  Often, hotel kitchens are the last thing to receive maintenance and aren’t well kept.  This was not the case at the Element Frankfurt Hotel.  All the appliances were in working order and well kept.  Other than a few scratches on the backsplash and wall, the kitchen was in great shape.

Element Frankfurt Airport Hotel Living Room

The next area of the room was the living room.  The living room was decorated well and consisted of a large TV, desk, couch, and coffee table.  There were also a couple of outlets near the desk.  The windows in the living room area are floor to ceiling and open to allow fresh air into the room.

I kind of made a mess of my suitcase over the last two days so having this much space to repack was a much-welcomed surprise.

I also appreciate a proper desk with this much space.  I was able to get some homework and blogging done during my stay.  A separate living room also meant I didn’t have to eat dinner in bed.

Element Frankfurt Airport Hotel Bedroom

The bedroom consisted of a king bed, another TV, and two side tables.  I also appreciated the abundance of outlets.  It should also be noted that having two TVs did nothing as the only programming available was international news.  Luckily, the wi-fi in the hotel room was fast, and I was able to stream Netflix during my stay.

I managed to get a fantastic night’s sleep which I desperately needed.  The bed was a little firm yet, still comfortable.  This also might have been the quietest room I have ever slept in.  The lack of other guests and traffic meant there was virtually no noise pollution.

Element Frankfurt Airport Hotel Bathroom

The bathroom was located adjacent to the bed.  It featured a shower, toilet, and vanity with a sink.  It was the bare minimum which is all I need.  Additionally, the shampoo and body wash isn’t available in mini bottles just dispensers mounted on the wall.  I know many travelers hate when hotels do this, but I don’t mind.  I will say that Element has some of the worst smelling shampoo and body wash of any hotel chain.

Also noteworthy, the lighting was terrible.  Each time I went to the restroom, or when I took a shower, I was reminded of just how much acne I have….

Element Frankfurt Airport Hotel Other In-Room Amenities

My suite also had a lot of closet space.  There were a ton of hangers and places to store my luggage.  Also found in the closet was a safe I used to store my passport and boarding pass.  Adjacent to the closet was a Nespresso machine.  I was surprised to find out that the Nespresso machine actually brews an excellent cup of coffee.

Overall I was pleasantly surprised by how clean and comfortable my room was.  I really appreciated this upgrade after a long day of travel.

Element Frankfurt Airport Hotel Breakfast, Property

I woke up early to ensure I got down to the complimentary breakfast buffet.  I had booked a room+breakfast rate which turned out to be a waste of $8 as I found out that every guest has access to the breakfast buffet.  I didn’t complain as I was too tired to fight in broken English over $8.

The buffet was very extensive and was by far the best complimentary breakfast buffet I’ve come across in my travels.  There was something for everyone.  Dishes included meats and cheeses, pancakes and sausage, fresh fruit, breakfast breads, and pastries.

After breakfast, I decide to take the long way to the fitness center and explore the hotel grounds.  It was a beautiful morning, so I decided to leave the hotel and walk around.  There’s a fantastic little park behind the hotel.

The lobby is basic.  It features a business center, pantry, some couches, some chairs, and a communal table.  It was decorated well and would be a great place to socialize if other people actually stayed at the hotel.  There’s also a fitness center which features a treadmill, ellptical, a bike, and some weights.

Element Frankfurt Airport Hotel Staff

The one area this hotel is lacking (except for getting guests to stay there) is their staff.  I think this was mainly the communication barrier but there was something about the staff that was offputting.  They weren’t very friendly or accommodating.  When I checked in the front desk rep didn’t any other place except for the airport terminal that served food.  When I requested a travel adapter for the power outlets I, was told to, “Come and get it.”  That’s super odd was typically hotels bring guests amenities.  Overall, the staff seemed untrained.

Overall

My stay at the Element Frankfurt Airport Hotel was bizarre.  This was mostly because there weren’t any other guests from what I could tell.  The hotel staff also made this stay a little awkward.  Other than the spotty hotel employees, I can’t complain.  I managed to score a suite and a terrific night’s sleep.  I would actually recommend this hotel was it’s super close to the airport and features a free hotel shuttle.  The nightly rate was also under 100EUR with taxes and fees included.

Have you ever stayed at an Element Hotel? What do you think about Element Hotels?