Crowne Plaza Frankfurt Congress Hotel Shuts Over Safety Defects

The Crowne Plaza Frankfurt Congress Hotel closed with immediate effect on Monday, September 21, 2026. Its operator, Novum Hospitality, cited serious building safety defects, moved guests who were staying there to other Frankfurt hotels, and has not announced any date for reopening.

The German hotel trade publication Hotel vor9 reports that the 395 room hotel in the Niederrad district can no longer be booked through IHG channels. If you are rearranging a Frankfurt stay and packing for Germany, our guide to the travel adapter for Germany covers plugs and voltage.

What Happened on Monday

Staff learned on Monday morning, by word of mouth at the start of their shifts, that the hotel would close, according to the travel trade title fvw. The closure took effect the same day. Hotel vor9 reports that guests staying at the hotel were taken by shuttle bus to other hotels in Frankfurt, and that online bookings through IHG were no longer available. The hotel belongs to IHG’s Crowne Plaza brand and was run by Novum under a franchise agreement, Hotel vor9 reports.

The property operated as a congress hotel with large meeting facilities. The Frankfurt news site t-online reports that its congress center could hold 500 guests. The building was formerly the Arabella Sheraton; Hotel vor9 says Novum took it over in 2018 and reopened it as a Crowne Plaza in March 2019 after a 4 million euro investment.

The Safety Defects Cited

According to t-online, Novum identified problems with fire safety, the sprinkler system, the attachment of facade elements, the operating safety of the elevators, and building materials containing asbestos. Hotel vor9 reports asbestos contamination and substantial structural defects, with remediation estimated at no less than 25 million euros, and says the building reportedly lost its insurance cover.

Novum Hospitality CEO Samira Etmenan called the decision to close extraordinarily difficult, t-online reports. The company says it could not reach agreement with the property’s owner, a French investment firm, on the renovations needed. The two German reports name different firms as the owner, and Deep Arrival has not been able to confirm which is correct.

Staff Dispute

The hospitality union NGG has criticized how the closure was handled. According to t-online, the union says the chair of the works council and the deputy chair were dismissed without notice and banned from the building, and that the operator bypassed required consultation with employee representatives. Hotel vor9 reports that about 50 employees have been released from work. Novum told t-online it is in constructive dialogue about the future of affected staff.

The dispute does not change the situation for guests, but it does suggest the closure was not planned with a long wind down, which is why future bookings were cut off at once.

What Guests and Event Planners Should Do

If you have a future reservation at the Crowne Plaza Frankfurt Congress Hotel, do not wait for a cancellation notice. Contact IHG or your booking channel to confirm the booking is cancelled and your payment or IHG One Rewards points are returned. If you booked through a travel agency or corporate travel tool, ask it to rebook you. The reports reviewed by Deep Arrival do not describe how future reservations will be handled, so get written confirmation of any cancellation.

Event organizers who had meetings or conferences scheduled at the hotel’s congress center should contact Novum directly about deposits and relocation. The closure is the second recent disruption for Frankfurt hotel guests; we reported earlier this week that the Hilton Frankfurt City Centre stopped taking bookings from November. If you need a replacement hotel during busy trade fair dates, book early.