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After more than five hours of driving on Germany's beautiful autobahn, cruising at speeds of up to 180 kilometers an hour, we arrived at Villa Kennedy, a five star superior, handled by the Rocco Forte group of hotels. Three in the afternoon and we were hungry. I wished we had grabbed a sandwich on the road.
A luxurious hotel indeed, with a restaurant and cafe oozing with style and finesse, leather and colored fabrics, sofas and dark wood, a high ceiling and arcades. We walked through the reception down to the restaurant facing the inner court and its fountain; a beautiful place.
Rated the best in Frankfurt on Trip Advisor...
The Villa Kennedy, part of the Rocco Forte family and member of the Luxury Hotels of the World is indeed a beautiful place to spend your weekend. Visited by many from all around Europe, this place has it all, except finesse of service. I'm not sure it deserves its reputation.
It started with our arrival. At the entrance there was one member of staff for valet, no doorman, and no staff were up to the venue's standard. The same person takes the car and handles your luggage, without having time to show you to the reception. That same day asking for the car we had to wait for ten long minutes while the concierge himself had to get the car because, again, only one member of staff was handling arriving customers, their car and their luggage. It would also have been more professional if the greeting staff would have worn a hat.
3pm, on arriving at the reception our room was not ready! Yes, they knew our arrival time, 3pm, and the room was not ready. It took the receptionist one long hour to come back with the keys. Deciding to have lunch at the cafe, we had an extremely deceiving experience... The were removed of the menu and we were invited for drinks that same evening - not enough.
The bar at Rocco Forte serves a selection of starters, currywurst sausages and salmon, salads, pasta, burgers and meat. Facing the bar are some couches and lounges along with a piano. Since the restaurant closes in the afternoon, we had to eat from the cafe menu which is very pleasant, while using a round table from the Italian restaurant.
I loved the menu, lots of pages decorated and painted with nice pictures describing drinks in a funny and funky way. Hepp cutlery, Villeroy plates and Schott Zwiesel glasses, it's luxury at its finest.
I chose to have the curry sausage with fries, followed by the surf and turf burger, wagyu beef, lobster and sauce Charon. My wife had meat.
Now let's eat; The Asiatic tempura to start was good. A colorful plate of crunchy vegetables and some shrimp served with a tomato sauce - like the one we have with nachos - and sweet and sour sauce. Vegetables with a light crunch, covered with a tempura envelope and salted.
The curry sausages cut in slices with very strong spices - think of ras el hanout - bathing in a sweet tomato sauce. The sausages are served next to a bowl of fries. Chicken Caesar with Parmesan, ranch dressing, crunchy lettuce, croutons and grilled shrimp; A bit salty, but good. A filet of meat that's not up to standard and sauces that are too watery. My plate, the surf and turf burger, was a good one. A fluffy brioche bun filled with avocados, rare wagyu meat and half a lobster.
Now let's get back to the hotel, this castle is amazing. I'm sure what happened today is not normal at the hotel.
An L-shaped castle oozing with finesse and style. Luxury at its finest, a kind of modern look inside an old style house. Dimmed lights, large paintings, beautifully decorated alleys, metal and stainless steel, reflective marble and large wood boards cover the floor. The Rocco Forte Munich, the Ritz Carlton and now the Rocco Forte Frankfurt, I think this one is my favorite.
Rooms with a view on the inner court. A normal-sized room with two single beds - not one king sized one - a desk, an LCD TV, a large L-shaped sofa, a mini bar and a coffee machine, yes a coffee machine, this major element was missing at the last two hotels. The bathrooms are wide and stylish with an art piece decorating the wall, a bathtub and shower as well as a sink and large mirror.
Walk around the hotel, check the bar and conference areas. Look at the ballroom and walk the wide corridors. A beautiful hotel.
9pm, it was time for drinks at the bar. A piano playing beautiful, soft tunes, dimmed lighting, a warm ambiance, we enjoyed the moment while our table was prepared for dinner. Gusto, the Italian restaurant, is also well reviewed on Trip Advisor.
Dinner was good, a fine Italian offering a selection of pasta, risotto and meat dishes. It's a restaurant I recommend you try, enchanted by fine piano music and a very good service.
Breakfast at Villa Kennedy is served between 7 and 11am. The same restaurant hosts you for breakfast. A calm space where you hear the air conditioning unit throwing its air around and waiters removing the plates. It misses a nice classical musical background. The best is the kid's corner, a low table specially prepared for kids. You can also find salmon and cold cuts, cheese and bread, a healthy corner and viennoiseires. Bizarrely there are no sausages, potatoes or cooked things. You are also charged extra for eggs!
Honestly, not the quality I expected. Service is like any other hotel, not a five star superior. No one smiles or pampers you like they should, they don't walk around, asking if you need service or if everything is going well.
We ordered the scrambled eggs and Eggs Benedict, which were both exceptional. Moist and juicy, scrambled eggs with salmon on the side and Eggs Benedict floating in this excellent Hollandaise sauce and topping a lightly crispy English muffin which broke under the knife with an enjoyable sound.
The hotel is good for a five star where businessmen come for work, but surely not a luxurious mansion with international standards.
Conclusion:
- The welcoming was not up to standard when you expect a real doorman helped by a valet parking staff.
- The room was not ready at 3pm when the latest available check-in is at 2pm.
- The room is neat but not luxurious - at least in my opinion.
- A slow kitchen.
- The breakfast could have been way better with more choices and a more professional service.
