You know the kind of hotel that feels more like a home away from home rather than a hotel? They’re my kind of hotels. I like my creature comforts, you see. So when Capri by Fraser, Frankfurt, a brand-new four-star design hotel, invited me to stay during their first week of business, I knew I was in for a treat.
Location
Capri by Fraser Frankfurt is ideally located in the Europaviertel, a new urban district located in the centre of Frankfurt. It only took me 15 minutes to walk to the hotel from the Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (central station) and the city centre is easily within walking distance. In fact, I didn’t use public transport once during my stay, although there is a U-Bahn station close by if I had wanted to. The hotel is located directly behind the Frankfurt Messe, the world’s largest trade fair, which makes it a great accommodation choice for those travelling to see an exhibition.
Checking in
The staff at the reception desk were welcoming, professional and organised, making the check-in process a breeze. Within a matter of minutes my room key and Wi-Fi password were in my hand and I was being whisked away upstairs to my room. The colourful, urban design of the lobby with its iMacs for guests to use, comfy lounges and little quirky features had me keen to come downstairs and spend some time hanging out in what felt more like a living room than a lobby.
The rooms
Upon entering my one bedroom deluxe apartment, the first thing that hit me was just how spacious it was. The apartment was huge! Large rooms are something that Capri by Fraser Frankfurt prides itself on, with every room in the hotel (153 in total) being between 32 and 47 square metres, definitely much larger than your standard hotel room size.
As soon as I stepped through the door, I immediately felt right at home. This was more than your average hotel room — it was a residence completely fitted out with all the facilities needed to feel homely while maintaining a modern and minimalist design. The living area not only housed a sofa, large corner desk and a wall-mounted LED TV, but also a dining table with four chairs and a fully-equipped kitchenette.
The bedroom with its enormous king-sized bed and second TV was exceptionally luxurious and and comfortable. Sinking down into the fluffy pillows and soft mattress after a long day of sightseeing with a book was the perfect way to end the day.
The bathroom was spacious and bright, with both a large mirror and also a magnified makeup mirror. The rain shower, bathtub and fluffy bathrobes added an extra comfort level. I don’t know about you, but I get a little too excited about quality toiletries when I travel and I get a little giddy when I am treated to nice products. Capri by Fraser Frankfurt’s toiletries are supplied by New York’s Malin + Goetz, a family owned and operated brand that uses natural ingredients and unique formulas to care for sensitive skin. I just adored the peppermint shampoo and cilantro hair conditioner, which, by the way, left my hair feeling bouncy and soft, not like the usual result from hotel shampoos!
To make guests feel more at home, every room at Capri by Fraser Frankfurt has been fitted with a kitchenette complete with stove top, microwave, refrigerator, pots and pans and tea and coffee making facilities, with Nespresso machines a standard in all one bedroom apartments. I love having my own kitchen in hotel rooms; you don’t always feel like heading out for meals, especially during longer stays and having your own kitchen to cook helps keep costs down. I had the chance to test out the kitchen and cook my own dinner thanks to Hello Fresh, who supplied me with all the ingredients I needed to cook a chicken satay. Even though the kitchen was a lot smaller than I’m used to (what do you expect in a hotel room?) and I needed to wash a few dishes as I was preparing the food, the resulting meal turned out to be surprisingly delicious.
Being geared towards both younger travellers as well as business travellers, Capri by Fraser Frankfurt has made technology its priority. The Wi-Fi is lightning fast — good Wi-Fi is super important to me when I travel — and the rooms come with docking stations for iPhones and iPads. I loved sharing my updates with my readers via Instagram, Facebook and Twitter during my stay which wouldn’t have been possible with a shoddy internet connection.
Dining
Breakfast is included in the room rate and is served until 11am at Caprilicious, which makes it perfect if you want to have a little lie in. Let me tell you, the spread was impressive! Not only was there the usual scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns and pastry selection, but also individual chia seed puddings, yoghurt drinks and homemade berry compote. The staff were eager to serve guests and ensured that breakfast supplies were always well-stocked. Sascha, the chef, was super attentive and passionate about cooking quality food for guests and personally oversaw the breakfast sitting. Usually because I’m up late, I miss out on the bacon because it runs out before I make it down to breakfast. But not here! Needless to say, I didn’t need lunch after the morning’s feast. Caprilicious is also open for lunch and dinner if you don’t want to tear yourself away from the hotel.
Drinx bar
Even though I had all the creature comforts I could need in my room, I was lured down to Drinx bar on more than one occasion by the promise of expertly crafted cocktails by resident bartender, Miguel. An expert in mixology, all it took was a few simple questions about the ingredients I liked and Miguel had crafted the perfect drink using fresh ingredients and homemade syrups. The bar also serves small tapas plates which were frankly some of the most delicious bar snacks I’ve ever sampled. Chicken lollipops and deep fried sushi rolls took me to foodie heaven!
24/7 gym
When travelling, I’m the first to admit that my regular fitness regime takes a side step as I find myself prioritising eating, drinking and generally enjoying myself over exercising. But when a hotel has a gym that’s open 24/7, there really is no excuse not to find time for a quick workout. At 8:15am on a Saturday morning, I found myself booked in for a personal training session at the gym with the guys from EMS Lounge who had come over to the hotel to give me a little wake up and a taste of EMS (electro muscular stimulation) training. I was fitted with a suit that conducted electricity into my muscles and hooked up to a machine. The tingly sensation was like something I’ve never experienced before, as my muscles were stimulated with electrical pulses. I had found it hard to roll out of my comfy bed that morning, but after this short training session, I was definitely wide awake!
Other facilities
Capri by Fraser Frankfurt boasts two conference rooms that have been colourfully but tastefully designed. I love that lollipops, water and the latest technology are a standard in these business facilities, which I’m sure guarantee productivity! The other unique facility at the hotel is the ‘Spin and Play’ laundry room where guests can do their laundry while playing games on provided iPads on a comfy sofa. I personally hate sending my washing off to be cleaned when I stay at hotels; I find it to be overpriced and always worry that my garments will be lost or ruined. Capri by Fraser Frankfurt’s laundry room is an intuitive and convenient solution.
Book this hotel if…
If you’re looking for a comfortable stay with all the modern luxuries in a hotel that feels more like a residence, you will be very happy with a room at Capri by Fraser Frankfurt. With modern facilities geared towards globetrotting professionals working on different time zones, you’ll have everything you could possibly need for either a short-term or longer-term stay. The staff are exceedingly polite and accommodating and the food and drink options were of the highest quality. When I had to check out on Sunday morning to make my flight back to Berlin, I didn’t want to leave — definitely the sign of a great hotel experience!
Rooms can be booked through the Capri by Fraser Frankfurt website.
Disclosure: I was invited to Capri by Fraser Frankfurt as a guest, but as always, this review is an honest reflection of my experience.
Capri By Fraser Frankfurt sounds like a wonderful place to stay! It has everything that you need and more. Beautifully furnished too!
It really was! It was so comfortable and the interior was beautifully designed 🙂
Going next week. So excited after I read all of this. Thank you!
Yay! You’ll love it Dina! Have fun 🙂