19103_aa

Sigh, La Colombe...now I'm getting misty.
BINGO. That's why a suite at the Sofitel is interesting. Optimal location, good physical plant. ? service?

markabcan

I very much enjoyed my recent stay at the FS Philadelphia. Both the room and staff were fantastic, just be weary of their transfer service. I also thought the location was excellent, at least for exploring by foot!

jchiguy1

Having stayed at all the hotels mentioned, I have to agree with several others here that the Sofitel is the best choice. Great beds, a location as good as any, personal service and a nice gym. I found the Ritz cold, impersonal and bland, the FS pleasant but ordinary (and a little off the beaten path) and the Rittenhouse in need of a renovation. It is also a short walk from the Sofitel to my favorite Philadelphia restaurant Parc (227 S.18th St. 215 545 2262).

DrivingRain

I guess im going to have to try the Sofitel on my next trip.

Though I have a hard time imagining that it could be better than a high-floor, city-hall facing, club access room at the Ritz (I have some recommended room numbers from previous stays in this forum somewhere btw...one is regular room, i.e. not a suite that is nearly 100% laid out on the exterior walls such that the views are panoramic; though the sites are great too, esp. the penthouse with it own little elevator to the Club Level).

But all the love for the Sofitel in here has been enough to convince me to give it a try next time.

ps9a

+1 For Sofitel. FS is last choice of the mentioned hotels as you're adding an extra 10-15 minute walk to almost anywhere you're planning on going out. If you're not planning on leaving the hotel, or you're happy cabbing your way around the city, it's a different equation, but the Sofitel (stayed there a month ago, and booked it again for next week) is a good hotel in a great location. I've stayed twice at the FS, once at the Ritz, and about 15 times at the Bellevue (closest to the Broad/Walnut subway, if you're headed to the sports complex). On the plus side, if you're planning on running up the Art Museum steps, your run is shorter from the FS.

m.photog

We have been talking about a trip to Philadelphia and were considering the RC primarily for location. After reading all the positive comments I will give the Sofitel a second look. How does it compare to the Sofitel in NYC? There are plenty of better choices there but we like it for the location.

Sunny 1

The Rittenhouse is the ONLY place we will stay in Philadelphia. Having stayed at the old Ritz and the new Ritz we love the Rittenhouse square location and the amnience of the hotel itself. We also got an upgrade to a one bedroom suite. VERY nice.

MSPeconomist

Personally, I love the location of the Rittenhouse. (There also used to be the Barclay in an old residential building on the other--east--side of Rittenhouse Square, but I suspect it is in need of renovation if it hasn't all been converted to condos by now.) The Hyatt at the Bellvue is an interesting mix of a historic building with a trendy scene, but the attached athletic club is crowded and has a bad pool. The newer RC is also built into a historic building close to the Bellevue, both in a very central location. I would never stay in the FS in Philadelphia as it's dated and has nothing nearby unless one wants to walk to the art museum and the Rodin museum; nearby side streets can seem seedy compared to the other locations discussed here.

If the trip is leisure, you might want to investigate boutique properties in the Society Hill area. The Sheraton in this neighborhood is not bad for a Sheraton, but emphatically not luxury. At one point there was talk of a hotel in a condo project built on a pier over the Delaware River, but the hotel apparently never happened AFAIK.

There's also a new boutique hotel right on the Penn campus, IIRC called something like the Inn at Penn (not to be confused with the Penn-themed hotel next to the university hospital, perhaps called Penn Towers), and frequently filled with Wharton exec ed participants.

CSingh

A suite at the Sofitel seems like the best option. FS —.bad location, RC —.not as good as a suite at the Sofitel, the Rittenhouse —.old/needs renovation.
The only other option I'm still considering is the Rittenhouse 1715, which seems like a lovely boutique with great reviews on tripadvisor, but we want some input on that from FT. Any Philly locals willing to provide inputs on that?

takeAflyer

I agree the Sofitel is great and can sometimes be gotten for a good price.

Another hotel that hasn't been mentioned is the Le Meridien just north of City Hall which has very nice rooms and good service at a (sometimes) reasonable price. Heads and shoulders above the Westin IMO.

Not quite as good of a location but pretty much all these hotels are within a few blocks of each other and anyway the best way to get around Philly is by taxi.

19103_aa

Inn at Penn at 34th and Walnut is essentially a DoubleTree managed by Hilton. (so plus = points accrual). It's fair. I don't think it belongs in this forum. It's your best choice if you plan to spend all your time at Penn.

re: Rittenhouse 1715. It's an outstanding location. I have no personal experience, although I do know that Oprah stayed there when she was filming Beloved. If it's good enough for the Queen of Daytime, is it good enough for you?

joejones

Since we're deviating from "luxury" somewhat, the Radisson Plaza-Warwick is another good choice if you want to be by Rittenhouse Square. I stayed there about a year and a half ago and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the place given the location and price (well under $200/night).

jspira

The Inn at Penn isn't new (and it's not really in the luxury category). I would guess it's been there for close to a decade, if not more. I've stayed there when I wanted to be directly on campus and it's better than the other on-campus hotels but I'd rather drive over from the FS.

CSingh

It's now between:

a) Deluxe Queen Room at the Rittenhouse 1715 — $218/night incl. taxes
b) Junior Suite at the Rittenhouse 1715 — $280/night incl. taxes
c) Junior Suite at the Sofitel — $205/night, incl. taxes
d) Prestige Suite at the Sofitel — $213/night, incl. taxes
The rooms at the Rittenhouse 1715 look gorgeous, but then a suite at the Sofitel for $213? How often does that happen?

takeAflyer

I agree - you can't go wrong there. Sounds like a great opportunity.