Hotels are often more than places that offer a place to stay. The large and luxurious establishments, in particular, still offer a culinary offer for everyone in the city in which they are located, in the lobby, bar and restaurant. It is true that the times are no longer when every five-star hotel does this from morning to night, but quite a few still have the ambition not only to cater to house guests. In Frankfurt, one of them is The Westin Grand, the former Arabella Grand Hotel, which was renamed in 2007 and now belongs to Marriott. After a long period of closure and renovation, also due to the pandemic, the house was reopened a few months ago and completely redesigned.
The heart of the hotel has been the bar with bar manager Fatih Akerdem for decades since his Arabella days. Under the aegis of the Turkish-born, certified barman, living encyclopedia of cocktail history and tireless inventor of new drinks, the bar in this establishment was one of the very well-known in the region. Akerdem is retired. The bar is now run by James Vetter, a man with a Scottish mother who wears a kilt with his full beard, even at work, and has many whiskey-based drinks in his repertoire.