Can anyone recommend a nice hotel near the international airport? I would like to stay at the Sheraton (located at the airport) but it's expensive at US $255/night.

Thanks for any info.

The Sheraton is wonderful. It is practically IN the airport. When I slept there I paid 145€ for a double room.

The second nearest is the Steigenberger Airport Hotel (also recommendable but less expensive).
You may use www.hrs.de. There is an icon to sort hotels by distance from airport.

The train ride from the airport to the main station (Hauptbahnhof) is as simple as it gets -- 15 min, no transfers -- just make sure you're headed in the correct direction. Lots of inexpensive hotels near the Hauptbahnhof. The neighborhood is safe enough, and much more interesting than the airport.

I stayed at this Mercure hotel two weeks ago. Price was about 120 E (ish). Shuttle from airport took about 8 minutes. Good food in the little beergarden - town around there looks okay to kill a few hours. Rooms were big enough and very clean.

Mercure Hotel Wings Frankfurt Airport
www.mercure.com