SooprnoVa

This is concerning, considering I have a stay this weekend using a diamond suite upgrade. Not going to be the happiest camper if we don't actually get a suite. Any idea how they might remedy that? Or, are you positive that ALL suites are unavailable?

Also interesting that suites are available to be booked online...

dw

Any updates on the suites renovation from people who have stayed recently, as the target completion date was early February?

River in Sight

I'm at this property right now - I've stayed here probably a dozen times over the past two years, but this is my first stay since last September.

One interesting update is that there is now a small "Diamond Lounge" on the 17th floor - it is not a proper lounge as there is no food other than light snacks (chips/granola bars), but the lounge does have coffee and tea, light snacks, cold drinks (seltzer, water, soda, etc.), and seating. It's in one of the small conference rooms overlooking the conservatory area. The lounge is unstaffed - you access the lounge by using a keypad for which you get the code at checkin. There is some comfortable seating in the lounge and it's nice to have a place to pop in and get some drinks.

I'm usually upgraded to a suite here, but this time was only upgraded to a King Deluxe (corner) room. I'm not sure what the status of the suite renovations is. Diamond Breakfast is in XIX as per usual.

I continue to like this hotel and look forward to seeing one of the renovated suites on a future stay.

maelwys

I'm brand new to FT, but have been a Bellevue regular for business travel for a while now. The renovations to the King and Double rooms are not complete even though the deadline is early February; however all the suites and connecting rooms are finished. I toured the Avenue Suites with the business manager this past stay and upgraded to one for the week. Here are my impressions.

First, the renovated rooms are quite nice - very modern styling, brighter feeling, and comfortable. I am a bit disappointed that they went with an ultra-modern aesthetic for the rooms when the building itself has such an historic, traditionalist feel, but that's just me. The king beds are essentially unchanged (a good thing in my opinion), although they now have padded headboards. Bathrooms have been updated with modern hardware but aren't drastically different. They have also added more wall plugs where possible.

For those unfamiliar with the property, there are suites on the inside of the building (overlooking the central courtyard Conservatory) and suites on the outside. The inside suites are long, come with or without a full wet bar, and have a king bedroom separated from the living area by french doors. Flat screen TVs are in both rooms. The one outside suite (my preference) is wide, does not have a wet bar, but has the same living / bedroom french door configuration. My only real complaint with the room was that it was lacking a small fridge, but that may be because it is not 100% complete yet. Also, there was a huge pink and black Declaration of Independence print on the wall which was hard to ignore, and not really in a good way.

Internet was zippy, a huge improvement over last year, and as always breakfast on XIX is well worth getting, especially for Diamond members.

dw

Thanks for the update! I stay at this property several times a year and have a stay in a Bellevue Suite coming up, so I'm excited to see the changes. I love XIX (especially for breakfast), but all rooms are in dire need of a renovation. So far I've only seen references to the suite and connecting rooms renovation from the property, so I'm wondering when they will start (or if they will start?) doing the regular guest rooms.

777 global mile hound

Hi All
I've been meaning to share this with our community earlier.
The recent posts helped to remind me

I can verify the suite bathrooms have an exciting new look in keeping with
the upscale up to date look I am seeing at other new or renovated 4 star hotels.
They are using large oversized light up mirrors above the sink & vanity area.
This is really helpful when grooming. I am considering purchasing one myself for my residence.
The shower is of open aire design with very little glass protecting the wet area which makes me wonder if water will end up everywhere but in the shower area
(Hello W Hotels)
I have not seen the new guest rooms and how they compare so I can not comment.

I received this information from my contact with management at the hotel

"We renovated 43 rooms which includes 27 suites and their connectors. The suites are finished as of last week and the second phase of rooms and corridors is set for early 2013. We gutted bathrooms and placed rain showers in most of the suites. They are beautiful.

The property has requested I wait to share photos until they are professionally shot so I am going to respect the property request

Off topic on my last stay it was amongst the most challenging in the history of my staying in the property. I have forgiven and moved on (won't be a first)
The breakfast had improved from a year earlier but was still not as special as in years past when the hotel had amongst the best breakfasts in the nation including fresh squeezed orange juice.
It's closer to Tang now.

It’s certainly a highly adequate breakfast with a few nice twists here or there
The renovation comes just at the nick of time.Even with my passionate dedication to Hyatt hotels I was losing patience and ready to change brands to avoid this property.I am relieved by the changes and can't wait for them to finish

peteropny

Here right now. Used a Diamond Suite upgrade - got a renovated Bellevue suite. Best feature is the new bathroom although the 1/2 open shower makes it feel cold. The decor is a bit startling - think Phillip Starck on a budget. It is quite dark in the room and the rolling shades aren't totally blackout - hint hint forgone of our forum regulars.

777 global mile hound

Thanks for the heads up
My favorite hotels in Philly are
Sofitel (Platinums are treated well)
Hilton at Penn (Diamonds upgraded to excellent suites)
Westin (suites are nice enough)
Would you say the suites are worth avoiding my favorite hotels?
I will not stay in the rooms anymore as they are despressing the next phase cannot come soon enough..........
Oh and how was breakfast?
I thouugh it has declined over recent years with cost cutting..........gone is the fresh squeezed and other similar quality details
The breakfast was more common/average on my last visit late 2011

peteropny

I've not stayed at any of those other properties so can't comment.

I've always stayed here when in PHL. I'd say the Reno is pretty nice but the hallways are still pretty bad. Can't really comment on breakfast since haven't been here in about 2 yrs - seems fine to me.

19103_aa

Context: Work meeting, one-night stay. I've had multiple stays in this property over the years.

Check In: Check in was fast and efficient. Diamond status recognized. Upgraded to Bellevue (outside wall) suite on 14th floor. Associated stated they were having problems with internet, but call the operator when connecting and they will sort things out. Welcome and breakfast amenities explained. Turn down service offered (declined).

Room: The Bellevue Suite on the 14th floor is quite nice. Parquet flooring in the living room and carpeting in the bedroom, each room has LCD TV with HD channels. The living room has an av system that accepts I-products or auxiliary audio. Mini-fridge in this room stocked with two bottles of water. As others noted, decor is a step-down from Starck, but much improved. Window treatments are better and block the glare or any light at all (room darkening at night). I had no problems with the lighting.

The bathroom is improved, but in the same footprint as before. They have removed the tub and placed a double-sized shower, which as Peteropny explains, can be drafty. Water pressure and temperature is "average." The bathroom lighting and overall appearance is much improved. The towel racks in this room were not placed appropriately; bath towels were too far from the shower and there was no rack near the sink for a hand towel. It's a challenging building so it appears they've done the best they can.

The bedroom was nicely furnished with a comfortable king bed, chaise lounge, low TV table and adequate drawer space. Outlets flank the bed ^^. Again, adequate lighting and a comfortable space for sleep.

Suggestion: there were no slippers in the room. Given the parquet floor in the rooms and marble in the bath, the floor is cold and slippers would be a nice addition.

Note: The halls are still in the horrid green/floral landscape. It's such a huge contrast from the renovated room decor. It doesn't bother me terribly, but just know the place is nicer than the hall areas would indicate.

Fitness: Deferred on this trip but this property has one of the better fully-equipped fitness centers, including lap pool and spa-like amenities.

Breakfast: I perceived it as slightly better than last visit. They have brought the salmon back. I was encouraged to choose either buffet or an entree and all would be taken care of. I was charged at check out for the gratuity. The room has a commanding view of the city.

Misc: Had a drink in the bar the one evening and it appears to be a "best-kept secret" for local young urban professionals. Friendly, attentive service and a very nice atmosphere.

Conclusion: The renovations to the property have placed this back on the top of my list when visiting the area. The location is hard to beat, the rooms have improved, and the service is still above average. Room rates can be quite competitive, so it's an overall "go" in my book.

Let's see if I can get some pics to post...

peteropny

1402? That was our room back in May - oh my - we've slept in the same bed - he he

I think that only suites have been renovated at this point - so people who do not upgrade (either by confirmed suite upgrade or complimentary) will be in the "tired" old rooms (renovations on the "regular" rooms are supposed to start late this year I believe). I can confirm that as of May the rooms on 14 have not been renovated, I made a point to take a glance when doors were open by housekeeping in the mornings.

spgplat21

I don't know how far they made it on the renovations, but we had a renovated regular king room(I think on 15 1517/1513 maybe?). It was down the hall from the Bellevue just past the spiral staircase. The bedroom looked very similar to the bedroom in the picture above, but the bathroom wasn't nearly as nice as the renovated suite bathrooms and had only minor updates (lighting, sink, etc.). A week later though, I was back in a old style room.

seawolf

Used suite upgrade into the Avenue Suite. Overall not too impress.

The room is renovated but the decor is ok. The bathroom in this suite is small. Bathtub is stained. When I unfolded the anti-slip map at 9PM it was still damp. Disgusting. I found Penn's Landing a better bet especially if you have a car and location is not as important.

Hotel offers two levels of wifi standard and premium.

Diamond/Plat internet get standard which is limited 768 kbits/sec and up to 200mb per 24 hour period. I hope this is not a preview of things to come at other full service properties.

Hotel garage is $28 a day. Lowest in the area for 24 hours is $15. Check out BestParking.com for details.

etsmyers

Why must they be ridiculous like that

dw

I was in a similar room a few weeks ago... I believe it was one of the "connecting" rooms to the suites that were included with the renovation. Unfortunately, I don't believe the renovations on the regular guest rooms will start until next year.

The renovated room did make a huge difference, though. It was as if I was in a completely different hotel.