Frankfurt’s Most Compelling New Hotel Is Hiding in Plain Sight

It’s easy to get lost in The Florentin, and that’s just what I’ve done on my way to breakfast, wandering through its low-lit hallways, stone arched courtyards, and wallpapered salons. The atmosphere is serene and discreet and seems removed from the metropolis outside. In a city of rapidly rising skyscrapers and business hotels, the Florentin is a return to Frankfurt’s elegant past.

The hotel is the former Villa Speyer, a 1901 banking scion‘s mansion in the leafy Sachsenhausen neighborhood, and it’s a neo-Gothic dream: an imposing stone facade with a corner tower designed by Alfred Günther in Germany’s Wilhelminian style. More recently, the property operated as Villa Kennedy under Rocco Forte before closing in 2022. After a three-year, multimillion-dollar renovation, it reopened in December 2025 under the German luxury hotel brand Althoff Collection.

The hotel maintains its heritage feel, but the interiors have been reimagined in a warm, modernist style with 147 rooms and suites. The timing aligns with a bigger shift in Frankfurt, a banking capital repositioning itself beyond its business reputation as it prepares to host the World Design Capital in 2026.

Who is the Florentin for?

Photo by Daniel Schaefer

Design-minded travelers for both business and leisure who want a quieter and more residential base in Frankfurt. The Florentin will appeal to guests drawn to architecture, well-designed interiors, and the city’s evolving cultural scene, as well as those who value space, discretion, and a feeling of escape within reach of the museums along the Main River.

Who it isn’t for

Travelers looking for a central, high-energy hotel or a plug-and-play business hotel. If you want to be in the middle of the financial district, the Florentin’s tucked-away setting may be too removed for you, and its warren-like layout may be disorienting or inefficient for travelers who prefer direct, easy-to-navigate spaces.

The location: Sachsenhausen neighborhood

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Set in the tree-shaded, villa-lined streets of Sachsenhausen, the Florentin offers a quiet alternative to the bustle of Frankfurt’s inner city. It’s a 10-minute walk to the riverside Städel Museum, and the surrounding promenades connect to more than a dozen other museums and to walking and cycling paths next to the river.

The neighborhood is filled with bakeries, butchers, markets, cafés, and small parks that sit alongside tram and train stations. During my stay, I opted to walk nearly everywhere, including a 15-minute stroll across a bridge into the city center, rather than rely on the hotel’s complimentary car service.

The logistics of arrivals and departures are straightforward. The main train station, where I arrived on a direct train from my home in Zurich, is about an eight-minute drive, and Frankfurt Airport can be reached in roughly 15 minutes by car.

The rooms at the Florentin

Photo by Daniel Schaefer

Althoff’s renovation preserves the villa’s nine original suites, while newer categories blend well into the existing historic architecture. There are 147 rooms across 11 categories, ranging from spacious entry-level rooms (about 330 square feet) to expansive loft terrace suites that are double the size of the entry-level rooms, with furnished stone terraces overlooking the property’s inner courtyard and its striking American oak tree.

Interiors, designed by Singapore-based Unscripted Design, have muted earth tones, ivory-colored upholstery, heather-gray cashmere throws, and warm wooden finishes, including ash and smoked chestnut, alongside subtle nods to Japanese design, such as shoji-style doors and concealed storage that prevents surface clutter. My room (No. 124) had a generously sized walk-in closet that could accommodate two large suitcases, as well as an appropriately indulgent bed dressed in crisp white Rivolta Carmignani linens.

Spacious bathrooms are lined with green or gray Verde Alpi marble and Travertine, with walk-in rain showers, bidet toilets, and heated towel racks in a Bauhaus style. Amenities are by Grown Alchemist, with unusual scent profiles (camellia and geranium; watermelon and vanilla).

Guests staying in the original nine suites have access to a series of vividly designed salons, all created by Atelier Zürich. These suites are destinations unto themselves, with mustard-yellow velvet sofas, stained-glass porticos, rattan peacock chairs, geometric-patterned rugs, green crystal chandeliers, and cobalt-blue ceilings.

The food and drink: two restaurants and a bar

Photo by Lateef Okunnu (L); courtesy of The Florentin (R)

The Florentin has three dining venues, but the clear standout is The Dune, the flagship restaurant, and a highlight of my stay. Led by chefs Niclas Nussbaumer and Lea Rupp, the duo behind the former two-Michelin-starred Mühle Schluchsee in the Black Forest, the restaurant offers ambitious cooking and a surprisingly warm, laid-back approach.

Moody and dark, the dining room emits low ambient beats. It may seem imposing at first, but the experience is anything but. Service is warm and knowledgeable; the staff is happy to walk through techniques and sourcing. The playful meal kicked off with a shot of Norwegian lobster essence with sancho pepper, followed by a series of delicious creations: caviar-topped waffles, pickled celeriac with egg yolk and smoked parsley, venison with French-Indian Vadouvan spice and spinach. A strange but delicious bite of corn flakes and caviar was crunchy, salty, and sublime. The wine pairing highlights lesser-seen bottles like a white Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Elsewhere, The Garden serves a more casual, all-day menu, with decent schnitzels, truffled tagliatelle, bouillabaisse, and tonka bean panna cotta. The bar offers a solid selection of schnapps, kirsches, and other eaux-de-vie (fruit brandies), alongside German white wines and draft beers.

Staff and service

The mostly international staff were exceptionally warm and helpful but not intrusive. When I got turned around in the hotel’s mazelike hallways, someone always appeared to guide me without fuss.

When I asked questions in German, my second language, I got responses in German, but when I stumbled over a German word, the staff seamlessly switched to English. Small moments made a big impact: a server expediting breakfast when I was short on time, or the front desk checking in after my last-minute dentist visit and offering me pain medication or cocktails.

Accessibility

The Florentin can accommodate guests with limited mobility, including wheelchair users. Public areas have wide corridors, and modern elevators connect all floors. Select rooms are adapted for accessibility, and accessible parking is available. The hotel also offers allergy-friendly rooms. Call +49 69 6051350 for more information.

Wellness: A 10,000-square-foot spa and pool

Photo by Daniel Schaefer

The 10,000-square-foot spa and pool is a strong offering for a city hotel, though it stops short of a true destination spa. The tranquil space includes a 45-foot indoor swimming pool, Finnish and bio saunas, a steam room, an infrared cabin, and five treatment rooms, with treatments developed in collaboration with Dr. Barbara Sturm. A daylight-filled fitness room, open 24/7, is equipped with the latest Technogym Artis machines.

Despite the breadth of offerings, the property’s layout can seem tight, particularly if the hotel is busy. During my visit, only one other guest used the spa, yet we still found ourselves rotating through spaces to avoid overlap. The heated pool, while sizable, ran cooler than I expected.

The writer stayed at a media rate. Afar’s coverage is independent; the hotel did not review or approve this story.