Totoro

Does anyone know whether the above parking lot is still available at a comparable price? $38/night self-park at the Sheraton is a bit steep. Thanks!

River in Sight

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8320/4.5.0.81 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

I saw the sign for $5 night and weekend parking there as recently as December.

Totoro

Thank you jkm024 for confirming this.

I just returned from a stay at this property. In smaller print at the parking garage entrance, the sign states up to 24 hours "out by 9am." I presume the garage would charge an additional $5 to stay from 9am onward even for stays <24 hours. I avoided this by parking on the street (free 6pm-8am) and dropped my car at the garage at 8am. Leaving at 7pm, I paid the $5 flat rate. This is the best downtown parking deal ^

The Sheraton offers a $20 weekend parking special for up to 24 hours which was more reasonable than the $38/night standard rate.

I found the staff very well-trained in taking care of Platinum guests. At check-in, the agent acknowledged platinum status and offered choice of Plat amenity (beer/movie or 500 pts). I received a bag with bottled water an Nutri-grain bar. I had a room booked for 2, and the agent also provided 2 breakfast vouchers for the restaurant (lounge closed on weekends) -- no haggling on whether Club Lounge benefit extends to second guest. Without prompting, the agent searched for upgrade availability but was only able to find SPG floor room (no suite).

Room was clean with typical Sheraton decor, bed and toiletries (including shower gel and 2 bars of soap!). The only deviation from expectations was absence of bottled water. I suppose the front desk provides the gift bag for that reason. I did not have time to check whether Club Lounge was available for beverages. Regrettably, I also did not have time to visit the fitness center.

Weekend breakfast in restaurant begins at 6:30am. I found the offering more than adequate with made-to-order omlette station as well as typical hot foods (sausage, potatoes, french toast, etc) along with oatmeal and generous assortment of sliced fruit (grapefruit, orange, honeydew, cantelope and pineapple). The only beverage selection was orange juice or coffee.

Overall, I found this a very satisfactory stay. I would return to this property without hesitation.

RTWSTARALLIANCE

Wow. Talk about a range of reviews. I will be in PHL for two nights on a kinda cheap MR. The Sheraton prices out reasonable so thinking about it. How is public transport from PHL? Taxi rates. The key. Is this the proper place to be for a tourist? I called the Hotel and they think they are. All opinions appreciated along with other chain ideas. Or SPG ideas. Thanks.

NBSPGMEMBER

I would recommend the Sheraton Society Hill, the area is historic, quiet & relaxing, the "trolley" stop at Penn's Landing is nearby, so you can "shuttle" around town for $2 (Phlash). There is also a PPA Parking garage next to the hotel which is secure and affordable (18$) 24h. The City Center property is a nice location also, but is less quaint, with skyscrapers and offices; your usual business district. However, Logan Circle and City Hall are both gorgeous landmarks and they are next door. Enjoy Philly!

RTWSTARALLIANCE

Thank you. Keep the info coming. Appreciate.

River in Sight

RTW - I've stayed at most of the SPG properties in Philly, including this property, the Sheraton Society Hill, the Sheraton University City, Le Meridien, and the Westin.

As you've probably noticed, the Sheraton City Center is generally the cheapest choice; I've gotten it for less than $90/nt in the past. The hotel is fine, but it is my least favorite SPG in Philadelphia. Here are my thoughts on the five SPG properties that I've stayed at:

• Westin - This is probably my overall favorite. Though I've never been upgraded to a suite here, the regular rooms are perfectly nice and very comfortable. Great location in Center City, very good gym, and very good restaurant. Very clean and quiet.
• Le Meridien - In general, the rooms are smaller than the Westin, but some of the rooms are very nice and overlook Love Park. This hotel probably has more character than the Westin and the location is similar.
• Sheraton Society Hill - I really like the location of this hotel, but some of the rooms are not great. My (Platinum) coworkers have been given rooms looking out over the swimming pool (no exterior view), which is not the best
• Sheraton University City - Only stayed here once, but I did like being so close to UPenn for my morning jog; don't have much else to say.
• Sheraton City Center - Have stayed here a few times, generally as a last resort. Have had a few problems here with cleanliness/fire alarms/etc. Among my work crowd, this is the least favorite SPG in Philly. However, the price is often right and I wouldn't necessarily avoid this hotel in the future if the price were right, especially if I were paying out of my own pocket. On the plus side, there is a lounge, which the Westin / LM can't match.

If you take the Airport train to Suburban Station, you'll be able to walk to LM, the Westin, or the Sheraton CC. Sheraton Society Hill is relatively inconvenient for public transit from PHL, unless there is something I'm unaware of. Hope that helps!

sciguy0504

I stayed here a few weeks ago for a night and thought it was more than adequate. Service was unpolished but everything I asked for was accomplished in an efficient manner. The view from the rooms on the higher floors is very nice (Ben Franklin Parkway, Logan Circle and the Art Museum). The room I had was modern and clean but the bathroom door didn't shut all the way. It was quiet. The area is safe during the day and at night. I think the main drawback is that it is a few blocks away from the "hipper" areas of Center City.

I walked past the Westin during my time in the city and the location is very good for restaurants, bars and shopping, however, it may be more noisy.

JFKSFOLAX_friend

I've stayed here many times and this sums it up very well. The property is generally inexpensive, breakfast vouchers are provided, the rooms are fine, water is provided....it's fine. Just not fancy.

If the prices are even reasonably close, I would choose the Le Meridien or Westin...but the prices aren't usually close.

RTWSTARALLIANCE

Thank you all. This is out of my pocket so still thinking.

neuron

Stayed here on the weekend and my general thought is that its an average 3* hotel.

Had a little problem with checkin as my SPG Amex would not swipe -- took about 5-10 min to sort that out. Other than that, the gentleman who checked me in was nice. I got a back with water and Nutrigrain bar -- no 250pt offer as reported last year. Did not see any teddy bears either. For my little wait, I was given 2 vouchers for appetizers.

The common areas were clean and the room was nice (I do like the Herman Miller Chair). The downside is the hallways (esp the elevator area) are very dark and as someone has pointed out before, the AC is very loud. Though when I opened the door, it was set at 63F, so it was prob working on overdrive. The only other big problem I had was the thin windows and walls, which were no barriers to noise. I could hear helicopters overhead (I think they were going to the Hahnehman University Hospital) and my horny next door neighbors throughout the night.

EWRFlyerAL

Stayed here last night. At check in I was given an upgrade to a Jr. Suite as well as 2 welcome bags (for SO and me) with granola bars, Tastykakes, bottled water, and a rubber duck in each. Also given vouchers for buffet breakfast in the restaurant (valued at $17 each and one of the best Sheraton breakfasts) since the lounge is closed on weekends. Internet code was provided and late checkout was offered. Since the lounge was closed on Friday night, the front desk clerk comped my parking. Overall, decent place and excellent Plat recognition.

dhammer53

Everyone says to ask for a cityview room on the 17th floor. Note, ask for a room on a higher floor for an even better view. The room (1719) is a large room with a nicely decorated bathroom that's more than enough room.

The online photos are realistic.

My wife says the dark blue carpeting in the hallway needs an update. I dunno. Looks good to me. Very comfortable bed/bedding. Shower pressure is 'green' acceptable (means acceptable, but not like the good old days of lots of water pressure).

6 computers available to write hotel reports on in lobby.

Parking at meters:
- credit cards accepted
- 25 cents for 10 minutes.
- mid-day parking good for 2 hours
- read the signs

If you exit the hotel to the right, there's a $5 parking lot good for overnight and weekend. Your $5 is good for 24 hours. @:-)

You can park4free on the streets in the overnight. Check the signs.

Location of this hotel is good. A few blocks to the subway. Long walking distance to many 'hot spots' in town.

At 7000 points per night - a steal. ^
I stayed at the Westin on a past visit, and have no problems returning to the City Center hotel.

dh

turnleftbrighteyes

I stayed here over the weekend, and while it’s not the nicest Sheraton I’ve ever visited, and I had a few housekeeping issues, it’s a decent hotel, especially for Priceline prices (it’s a 3 1/2* on PL). No SPG status for me.

There were some housekeeping glitches. When I checked in, the only thing in the bathroom was one wrapped bar of soap. I know SPG has enhanced away some amenities (I may not travel as much as the rest of you, but I remember the fun threads on the single bar of soap at the Westin!), but no shampoo? conditioner? lotion? Also the toilet wasn’t flushed, which is just gross. My room was also missing the do not disturb sign (which I didn’t notice until the next day, when I didn’t want to be disturbed). There was a single sheet of paper on the “Pen and Paper” pad (no pen), that had a coffee stain on it. Throw away the dirty paper, geesh! But guest services sent up all the missing bath products—including shower gel! yay!—so they corrected everything.

Upon returning to the room the second night, my used towels had been removed, but no new towels were provided. I enjoy being insanely profiligate with my towel use when in a hotel, so I had managed to use both hand towels and wash cloths, so all I was left with was a single bath towel. So, once again I had to call guest services to ask to have basic housekeeping supplies delivered. Again, it was done fairly quickly, but it was irritating nonetheless. I also was not resupplied with shampoo or anything: I still had plenty left, in the shower, but I’ve never stayed anyplace that doesn’t resupply on the second night, even if there is stuff visibly left in the shower. And the tea was not restocked. And, yes, I left a decent tip for the housekeeper, and still didn’t get towels. Hrmph.

Kudos to the property for correcting errors once I contacted them, but some remedial training might be in order.

On the good side, the bed was extremely comfortable, and for once, there were ample pillows. I had a room with two doubles, and there were 8 very fluffy pillows. I didn’t hear much outside noise (and I was next to the ice machine, I suppose the perk of my cheap Priceline booking!). The a/c in the room was quite loud, though.

There are flat screen TVs, although I actually miss the better picture quality on old CRTs in hotel rooms than the lousy quality you get everywhere on big flat screens showing non-HD channels. Also, a major rainstorm was yet another reminder of why cable is better than satellite. The hotel has Showtime, news channels, and the basic networks.

There's a decent place for brunch a 5-minute walk away: Sabrina's Cafe, on Callowhill.

MDefl

We stayed at this property for a few years during the week between Christmas and New Years. 1 night stays. A very good stay if you want to see the Franklin Institute or Natural History museum. Overall, a pretty decent property, 3 stars. The staff is friendly and attentive. The rooms work. My kids loved the pool although the hallway outside the pool is freezing.

We stayed at the Sheraton Society Hill last summer for 2 nights. I really enjoyed that stay but we didn't spend much time in the room. For those of you who are not from Philly, this is the property you want to stay at if the goal is to check out all the historical stuff. A ton of things to do and great restaurants everywhere. The only downside is that if you bring little kids, the place gets fairly wild after 9:30 or so. It is a mecca for 20 something partiers.