Arrival/Check-In: The Steigenberger opened in 1969, the first hotel at the Frankfurt International Airport. Today, it is large, bustling and vibrant. I arrived about 7 p.m., and, it was quickly apparent, so had several dozen other guests. Yet clearly the hotel expected us. Despite the crowd and the lines, reception had so many desks open and worked so quickly that I waited only about five minutes.

Guest Quarters: The hotel has 570 guestrooms. About 200 are standard rooms; another 100 were upgraded to superior in early 2012. The Executive Tower has a separate elevator and includes both junior suites and executive suites. A presidential suite is also available.

I stayed in the Executive Tower in an executive suite, a sleekly contemporary room done in muted shades of gray. The closet was sizable and (a factor that always pleases me) offered a plethora of sturdy hangers. The hotel says its rooms are all soundproofed; and in fact, despite its location only about 1,000 feet from the airport, I slept through the night with no noise, no disturbance. My only disappointment was in the bathroom; there was a sparse number of toiletries and no shower cap.

Services/Amenities: The hotel has four restaurants including, in the lobby, a large bistro/bar that is open 24 hours. Close to forests, it offers woodsy trails for hiking and biking. And there is an excellent 24-hour free shuttle to and from the airport leaving every 15 minutes, no charge and no reservation required. The ride takes three to four minutes.

The Experience: The Steigenberger clearly understands its guiding principle, which is to make the traveler comfortable for the night and assure a quick and effortless trip to and from the airport. I had an early-morning flight, and so I left the hotel at 5:30 a.m. Even at that hour, check-out was quick, efficient, competent and with a smile, as pleasant in the wee hours as it was at check-in. I could ask for nothing more.

GT CHECKLIST

• Doorman/valet
• Less than 10 minutes for check-in
• Separate tub and shower
• Large vanity
• High-quality towels
• Powerful, unattached hair dryer
• High-quality bed linens
• Large, flat-screen television
• Large desk with convenient outlets
• Large, complimentary laptop safe
• Complimentary in-room WiFi
• Complimentary bottled water
• Stocked minibar
• Ample lighting
• In-room coffee maker
• Iron and ironing board
• On-site restaurant and bar
• 24-hour room service
• 24-hour state-of-the-art fitness center
• Turn-down service

Steigenberger Airport Hotel

Unterschweinstiege 16
60549 Frankfurt/Main
Germany
tel 49 69 6975 0
en.steigenberger.com/frankfurt