Frankfurt Germany

"would like some suggestions of hotels to stay in" This certainly sounds like a question for Jo. The train system in that area is outstanding. The most obvious suggestion is to go down to the Bacharach/St Goar area on the middle Rhein.

I guess a lot depends on whether you want to have 2 rooms, with everyone together, or a room with teen girls and one with teen boys and the parents in another room, etc. A bit more information would be helpful. Also the age of the teens, as there is quite a big difference between 6 girls of 13 and 14 and those of 17-18. Same with the boys. What kind of budget and when are you planning your trip? We need to see if there is a trade fair on then which drives hotel prices up. What kind of things are you interested in seeing? Castles, palaces, medieval towns, medieval churches, Jewish history, art, Roman stuff, etc. Frankfurt offers a lot to do on its own, especially when it comes to musuems, festivals, Imperial history of Germany or Jewish Culture. It is ideal for day trips to towns like Buedingen, Heidelberg, Wuerzburg, Bad Homburg, Mainz, Wiesbaden, Seligenstadt, Idstein, and of course the Rhein River, the Main River or the Neckar.

We stayed at the Frankfurt Am Zoo Hotel with our 2 children and were pleased with its ability to accommodate 4 people in one room, its safe area, and its location. A great breakfast came with the room (although you should ask about this). It was next door to the Zoo, and a 5-10 minute easy (flat) walk to a bustling city area. The hotel itself was in a neighborhood area, with local small restaurants nearby, but we were very close to the "happening" section without being in it (which could be helpful with a teen group). I had read a few comments about seedy areas in Frankfurt, and was very pleased with this find-not cheapo, but more affordable than many others. The hotel was clean, safe, and nice and we were able to have a double bed and 2 twin beds in our room. Here is more info for you to investigate: http://www.hotel-am-zoo.com/v2/e/info_uk.html and reviews at http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187337-d199353-Reviews-Am_Zoo_Hotel-Frankfurt_Hesse.html. Hope this helps (there are other hotels in this area, too). SuzieeQQ
San Diego CA

I stayed at the Ibis Centrum and recommend it. 1. A 10-minute walk from the train station, near the river. 2. €59/night for a double room (no breakfast) and only €49 for a non-refundable booking 3 weeks or more in advance 3. Very clean, staff are very friendly and helpful. 4. Free wifi in the lobby, and one computer for guest use. 5. Quiet area. I was alone and never felt uneasy. Well, I wasn't alone all that much, thanks to Jo, but when I was, it was fine, even coming back at 11 pm or later.
6. AC with in-room controls and windows that open wide. Drawbacks: I thought the towels were a bit thin and not very big, but they were the same in 4 and 5 star hotels I stayed at in other cities. The rooms are small and there's not a lot of storage space. It's a 5-minute walk to the tram stop to go to the center. It's probably less than 20 minutes to walk there - along the river. Besides the day trips, spend some time in Frankfurt. There is so very much to see! and eat!

Thank you for the suggestions.

I don't know why I didn't think of this, but you might consider a family room at the Jugendherberge. This is a youth hostel, but a really nice one, not a party hostel. It is located right on the river on the Sachsenhausen side. Close to everything, it might be ideal for your 2 families.

My thought was that the Ibis is affordable and the adults wouldn't have to share rooms with the teens. That would probably work with the youth hostel too.