More about hotels in Hesse
Hesse is the state that gave Germany its skyline. Frankfurt's cluster of glass towers rises straight out of the flat Main river plain, home to the European Central Bank and more high-rises than anywhere else in the country. Away from the finance district, Hesse slows right down: spa towns built around thermal springs, a university town stacked up a castle hill, and vineyard slopes running down to the Rhine.
Wherever you land in Hesse, there's a stay to match how you want the trip to go. Base yourself in Frankfurt for the skyline and the apple wine taverns, head to Wiesbaden to actually slow down, or book a room with a river view out past the vineyards. Here's where to look, and what it'll cost you.
Where to stay in Hesse
- Frankfurt: home to the Commerzbank Tower and the rest of Germany's tallest skyline, plus the apple wine (Ebbelwoi) taverns of Alt-Sachsenhausen once the sun goes down. Browse Frankfurt hotels.
- Wiesbaden: Hesse's spa town, built around a thermal spring that's been drawing bathers for centuries, with a grand 19th-century Kurhaus anchoring the town centre. Browse Wiesbaden hotels.
- Marburg: a university town stacked up a hillside, with half-timbered lanes climbing to a 13th-century hilltop castle and the old lecture halls where the Brothers Grimm once studied. Browse Marburg hotels.
- Rüdesheim and the Rhine Gorge: Riesling vineyards tumbling down to the riverbank, a cable car strung up through the vines, and the Rhine Gorge's cliffs starting just downstream. Browse Rüdesheim hotels.
How much is Hesse accommodation?
Expect to pay around AU$160 a night for a mid-range hotel across Hesse, though Frankfurt runs noticeably higher than the spa towns and villages around it.
- Backpackers/Hostels: from AU$55 per night for a bunk in a Frankfurt hostel near the Hauptbahnhof, an easy walk from the apple wine bars.
- Budget hotels/Guesthouses: from AU$100 per night for a simple room in a family-run Gasthaus, common in Marburg and the Rheingau villages.
- Mid-range/Apartments: from AU$160 per night for a proper hotel room or serviced apartment, the standard pick in Wiesbaden and Frankfurt's Westend.
- Boutique: from AU$230 per night for a design hotel with a rooftop bar and a skyline view, mostly clustered around Frankfurt's train station district.
- Luxury/Resorts: from AU$380 per night for a grand hotel with its own spa wing, whether that's in Frankfurt's Altstadt or built over Wiesbaden's thermal springs.
Top-rated hotels in Hesse
- Steigenberger Icon Frankfurter Hof (Frankfurt): open since 1876 right in the financial district, with its own art gallery and marble bathrooms that still feel properly grand.
- Roomers Frankfurt Central (Frankfurt): a design hotel a few minutes from the Hauptbahnhof, with a rooftop spa and sky lounge looking straight out over the towers.
- Radisson Blu Schwarzer Bock Hotel (Wiesbaden): built on a bathhouse site dating back to 1486, with its own thermal pool fed by the Kochbrunnen spring next door.
- VILA VITA Rosenpark (Marburg): set in its own gardens along the Lahn river, with a wellness wing big enough to fit two saunas and a snow cabin.
- Breuer's Rüdesheimer Schloss (Rüdesheim): an 18th-century schloss on the riverfront that pours its own estate wine in the courtyard, with live music on some evenings.
Tips for finding the perfect accommodation in Hesse
- Book Frankfurt well ahead if your trip lines up with a trade fair. Rates can double or triple during the big ones, and rooms sell out fast.
- Staying near Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof puts you on the direct train line to the rest of Hesse, handy if you're splitting your stay across a few towns.
- If a thermal spa is the whole point of the trip, check whether the hotel's own bathhouse is included in the room rate or billed separately. Some, including the Radisson Blu in Wiesbaden, charge guests an entry fee on top.
- Marburg's old town is steep and mostly on foot, so a room within the old walls saves you dragging bags uphill.
- Rheingau vineyard hotels around Rüdesheim book out fast during the Riesling harvest in autumn, so lock in dates early if that's your season.
Flying into Frankfurt puts the rest of Hesse within easy reach by train. Traveloka's Frankfurt activities listings are worth a look too, if you want to fill in the days around your hotel stay.
