Schlosshotel Kronberg - Hotel Frankfurt

Hard-charging, businesslike Frankfurt has a genteel, aristocratic side as well, one that’s on display at Schlosshotel Kronberg, in the Taunus foothills just outside of town. The venue is the former Schloss Friedrichshof, the turn-of-the-century home of Victoria, Princess Royal, and her influence, as well as that of her husband, Kaiser Frederick III, is still visible, even after some very thorough renovations, throughout what’s now a five-star luxury resort.

While the antiques and the artworks are Prussian-era, as a hotel the Schlosshotel Kronberg is very much a contemporary concern — the bathrooms, the beds and the various electronics are every bit as modern as the atmosphere is historic. And in certain dimensions, the old ways have the advantage: the smallest rooms here start out at a “cozy” twenty or thirty square meters, but very quickly grow quite large, and every room in every category has an expansive view of the Schlosspark’s gardens and greenery.

Restaurant Victoria offers fine dining in an impossibly elegant wood-paneled setting, while Restaurant Enrico d’Assia serves Italian and German cuisine, and Frederick’s Bar pours classic cocktails in a suitably classic environment. Meanwhile the Victoria Lounge opens onto the sunny terrace, and tea is served in Victoria’s library every Sunday afternoon.

In this part of the world, they take wellness quite seriously indeed — a world-class spa is tucked away in a cottage on site. And within the grounds of the Schlosspark is an 18-hole golf course that’s no afterthought — this is one of Frankfurt’s finest.