Radisson Blu Hotel, Frankfurt

Class: Deluxe

Style: Cutting edge

Rooms: 428

With another installment in the always surprisingly design-conscious Radisson Blu series, Frankfurt continues to take steps toward the modern and stylish hotel scene it deserves. A glass cube housed inside of a massive glass disc, this Blu, designed by the British architect John Seifert, looks as though it could roll away or blast off at any moment.

The future-chic architecture is not wasted on just the exterior view. Interiors exploit the glass-faced construction to maximum effect with floor-to-ceiling walls of panorama windows, allowing daylight to just pour into almost any room in the hotel — make sure to see the dusk sunlight hit the gravity-defying lobby wine tower. It looks like some sort of wine-powered engine-core giving life to the building, which would be fitting, as the hotel is located in a state-designated environmental low-emission area.

The ultra-mod glass and metal design is beautifully juxtaposed with the warmth and downright cozy feel of the rooms and suites, with four distinct room styles to choose from, thanks to Matteo Thun, Italy’s rising interior-design star. All the bells and whistles are accounted for — high-speed internet, widescreen TV, cable/satellite — as well as a few thoughtful surprises: standing on heated bathroom floors, taking in a view of either the beautiful Frankfurt skyline or the Taunus countryside, is not at all a bad way to start the day.