Embassy Suites Philadelphia - Center City {US-PA}
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: SAN
Programs: DL SM, Marriot PLT, Tall guy in need of legroom
Posts: 1,478
Embassy Suites Philadelphia - Center City {US-PA}
Just stayed here over the weekend and W-o-W!
This is the best Embassy Suites I have ever stayed at. friendly staff, breakfast was great and happy hour had top label booze and a nice patio outside. The rooms were HUGE. patio, etc was great.
This is the best Embassy Suites I have ever stayed at. friendly staff, breakfast was great and happy hour had top label booze and a nice patio outside. The rooms were HUGE. patio, etc was great.
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: SAN
Programs: DL SM, Marriot PLT, Tall guy in need of legroom
Posts: 1,478
Then maybe it's been re-done? Building like nice--looks like it used to be an old apt. building. Across the street from four seasons....dont think you have the right neighborhood? This one is basically in Logan Square...views of the art museum from a high floor.
#5
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Moreland Hills (CLE)
Programs: Over-entitled UA 1.3MM Gold, AA Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott L-T Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 5,521
MUST have been re-done in the last few years.
I stayed there several years ago. AT THAT TIME, what a dump. My most vivid memory was waiting just under 12 mins for the elevator on a weekday morning.
Glad the property has improved. Still, I'll stick with the HGI at 12th/Arch or the Doubletree on South Broad.
I stayed there several years ago. AT THAT TIME, what a dump. My most vivid memory was waiting just under 12 mins for the elevator on a weekday morning.
Glad the property has improved. Still, I'll stick with the HGI at 12th/Arch or the Doubletree on South Broad.
#7
Join Date: Nov 2002
Programs: AA EXP, HILTON PLAT
Posts: 226
comments? Embassy Suites Philadelphia Center City
Would appreciate any comments of this hotel.
There are going to be 4 of us staying just one night in a reward room. I'm currently HHonors Gold.
How is the managers reception? breakfast?
Are all the suites pretty much the same?
There are going to be 4 of us staying just one night in a reward room. I'm currently HHonors Gold.
How is the managers reception? breakfast?
Are all the suites pretty much the same?
#8
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Nashville
Programs: DL DM 3 MM AA PLAT HH Lifetime Diamond Marriott Plat AMB lifetime titanium Hertz PC
Posts: 6,187
Originally Posted by jspatchwork
Would appreciate any comments of this hotel.
There are going to be 4 of us staying just one night in a reward room. I'm currently HHonors Gold.
How is the managers reception? breakfast?
Are all the suites pretty much the same?
There are going to be 4 of us staying just one night in a reward room. I'm currently HHonors Gold.
How is the managers reception? breakfast?
Are all the suites pretty much the same?
Troy
#10
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: JNU
Programs: HH D, AS MM/MVPG for life/AL, Awesome Wipes VIP Club, NEXUS, Hertz 5-Star Gold
Posts: 2,893
I stayed there right before Thanksgiving in 2003. Between then and now, the hotel has undergone a major renovation - and it might not yet be completely done, as posts on TripAdvisor.com seem to imply. That said, this was a great place to stay - within walking distance of museums, the Reading Terminal Market, and many good restaurants. The manager's reception was OK. I remember they served Yuengling Lager beer - a premium brand. Normally at ES's you get Bud or Bud Lite.
#11
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 31
I stayed there in November of 2004 for one night. The hotel was nice enough. The rooms were huge. We had a sprawling living room w/kitchenette and a big balcony. Then a separate bedroom with two double beds. Didn't get to the manager's reception, but it is in an ideal location - right off the interstate and walking distance to most everything.
#12
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: PHL/KOA - SU '03 M BB NCAA Champs/Phillies '08 WS Champs/Eagles '18 SB Champs
Programs: AA EXP (3MM)/HH Diamond
Posts: 684
We just checked out yesterday. Overall, we were very pleased and would stay there again. The rooms are quite large, with a balcony off the "living room" and the bedroom. Each room has a kitchenette, with mini-fridge and microwave, two tvs and a pull-out couch.
We stayed on a point-stretcher for one night - 18,000 points. At check-in, the desk clerk tried to charge me $20 for the night, then apologized and said that was the amount that the hotel charges HHonors. I remarked that $20 seemed pretty low, but she just shrugged her shoulders.
The manager's reception was pretty nice, a little crowded for a Sunday night (although it was a holiday weekend). Many different types of wine, Yeungling and Coors light on tap, Bud and Bud light in cans, and a number of bottles of medium shelf liquor. Breakfast was in TGIFriday's, which is attached to the hotel. Standard hot buffet, with an omelet and made-to-order egg station. I thought the breakfast was pretty decent. There were 5 of us, 2 adults and 3 kids, and we received certs for each of us. We were at breakfast from around 7:30-8:00 and there was hardly anyone around.
The only negative of the stay was the wait for the elevator when we were leaving our room around 9:00 am - it took about 15 minutes for an elevator to show up. Apparently the TGIFriday's on the second floor gets really busy by 9:00 am, and there are only three elevators for the entire 23 floor building. We did not have any elevator issues at any other time.
I was able to get late checkout at 2:00 without any problem. In addition, I'm Gold, so we also received two extra bottles of water (there were already two bottles in the fridge) along with a two-pack of Milano cookies.
Overall, a good stay and we'll be back.
We stayed on a point-stretcher for one night - 18,000 points. At check-in, the desk clerk tried to charge me $20 for the night, then apologized and said that was the amount that the hotel charges HHonors. I remarked that $20 seemed pretty low, but she just shrugged her shoulders.
The manager's reception was pretty nice, a little crowded for a Sunday night (although it was a holiday weekend). Many different types of wine, Yeungling and Coors light on tap, Bud and Bud light in cans, and a number of bottles of medium shelf liquor. Breakfast was in TGIFriday's, which is attached to the hotel. Standard hot buffet, with an omelet and made-to-order egg station. I thought the breakfast was pretty decent. There were 5 of us, 2 adults and 3 kids, and we received certs for each of us. We were at breakfast from around 7:30-8:00 and there was hardly anyone around.
The only negative of the stay was the wait for the elevator when we were leaving our room around 9:00 am - it took about 15 minutes for an elevator to show up. Apparently the TGIFriday's on the second floor gets really busy by 9:00 am, and there are only three elevators for the entire 23 floor building. We did not have any elevator issues at any other time.
I was able to get late checkout at 2:00 without any problem. In addition, I'm Gold, so we also received two extra bottles of water (there were already two bottles in the fridge) along with a two-pack of Milano cookies.
Overall, a good stay and we'll be back.
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Wanting First. Buying First.
Programs: Lifetime Executive Diamond Platinum VIP with Braniff, Eastern, Midway, National & Pan Am
Posts: 17,492
Originally Posted by dave1013
That said, this was a great place to stay - within walking distance of museums, the Reading Terminal Market, and many good restaurants. The manager's reception was OK. I remember they served Yuengling Lager beer - a premium brand.
#14
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: ICN / 평택
Programs: AA, DL Gold, UA Gold, HHonors Gold
Posts: 8,714
Embassy Suites Hotel Philadelphia-Center City Trip Reports and Reviews
Had a one night stay at the ES Center City this weekend. Since I did not rent a car this weekend, everything had to be train / walk friendly.
The ES is very easy to get to from PHL via train. The R1 line goes right through Suburban station, and is a five minute walk from there up Ben Franklin Blvd. It is on the left side of the road as you are heading towards the Museum of Art. The building itself is a tall, round tower.
Check-in was a fairly small area, but as it was not busy when I checked in, no problems. I did notice that to park would have been $24 per day, valet only. I had a room on the sixth floor since I checked in early.
The suite was very odd shaped, due to the cylindrical shape of the building. There was a small patio off of the living room with a sliding glass door. The kitch area was large and very functional. The bathroom was a little cramped, but everything worked fine. The fixtures did appear to be quite a bit older than I've seen in some ES hotels. The bed was wonderful and sleeping was and absolute joy, with the nice pillowtop mattress.
Happy hour is downstairs in the lobby. This was not a very big area, but it wasn't too busy. The beers on tap were Bud Lite (yuk) and Yuengling lager. They shut down at exactly 7:30.
Breakfast buffet is in the TGI Fridays right next door. A voucher you get with check in gets you into the breakfast buffet. It was very good.
There are several good bars and restaurants in the area, and it is within walking distance to the Art Museum, Franklin Institute, and SEPTA subway and rail stations. My advice is to try Karma, an excellent Indian restaurant at 2nd & Chestnut.
The ES is very easy to get to from PHL via train. The R1 line goes right through Suburban station, and is a five minute walk from there up Ben Franklin Blvd. It is on the left side of the road as you are heading towards the Museum of Art. The building itself is a tall, round tower.
Check-in was a fairly small area, but as it was not busy when I checked in, no problems. I did notice that to park would have been $24 per day, valet only. I had a room on the sixth floor since I checked in early.
The suite was very odd shaped, due to the cylindrical shape of the building. There was a small patio off of the living room with a sliding glass door. The kitch area was large and very functional. The bathroom was a little cramped, but everything worked fine. The fixtures did appear to be quite a bit older than I've seen in some ES hotels. The bed was wonderful and sleeping was and absolute joy, with the nice pillowtop mattress.
Happy hour is downstairs in the lobby. This was not a very big area, but it wasn't too busy. The beers on tap were Bud Lite (yuk) and Yuengling lager. They shut down at exactly 7:30.
Breakfast buffet is in the TGI Fridays right next door. A voucher you get with check in gets you into the breakfast buffet. It was very good.
There are several good bars and restaurants in the area, and it is within walking distance to the Art Museum, Franklin Institute, and SEPTA subway and rail stations. My advice is to try Karma, an excellent Indian restaurant at 2nd & Chestnut.
#15
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP MM, HHonors Lifetime Diamond, Marriott Lifetime Ti, UA Silver
Posts: 5,036
This property was formerly a different hotel brand, so as an ES it's a bit of an oddball. The facilities weren't constructed with ES usage (mgrs reception, b-fast buffet, etc) in mind. Nice location though if you need to be on that end of town. The Four Seasons hotel nearby has some very good restaurants. $24 for valet parking is about right believe it or not...