Sheraton Society Hill, Philadelphia [Master Thread]
Mar 24, 2012, 10:35 am
#31
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 200
Recent, Post-Renovation Stays???
Has anyone stayed at this hotel since the completion of the renovation? These reviews are not comforting and I'm wondering if I should book the Hyatt Regency (at a much higher rate) rather than this hotel even though I'm attending a wedding. Thanks!
Mar 25, 2012, 6:02 am
#33
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Delta - Gold; Starwood - Platinum; HHonors - Diamond & Avis Preferred
Posts: 10,869
I've wanted to check this property out, but it's just so far east of everything I do in Phillly.
An updated review, with pictures, (hint..hint) would be nice.
thankyouverymuch!
An updated review, with pictures, (hint..hint) would be nice.
thankyouverymuch!
Apr 22, 2012, 11:12 pm
#34
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: SJC, SFO
Programs: UA, AA, SPG
Posts: 439
Just completed a 2 night stay here. Sorry, no camera to take pictures though.
I found the renovated room to be quite nice and spacious. New furniture and fixtures are attractive, and I especially appreciated how brightly lighted the room was. Large LCD TV with plenty of HD channels. Swipeless key card entry was unexpected for a Sheraton property as well. I would warn against staying on the side with the pool, however. Every time I ventured near that side to use the elevators, there was a heavy smell of chlorine throughout the halls (and I was on the top (4th) floor!).
Also, one HUGE positive about the location of this hotel is its vicinity to Zahav. Do yourself a favor if you're staying at this hotel and make a reservation. Order the Lamb Mesibah in advance and bring a huge appetite (or at least a plan for what to do with leftovers).
I found the renovated room to be quite nice and spacious. New furniture and fixtures are attractive, and I especially appreciated how brightly lighted the room was. Large LCD TV with plenty of HD channels. Swipeless key card entry was unexpected for a Sheraton property as well. I would warn against staying on the side with the pool, however. Every time I ventured near that side to use the elevators, there was a heavy smell of chlorine throughout the halls (and I was on the top (4th) floor!).
Also, one HUGE positive about the location of this hotel is its vicinity to Zahav. Do yourself a favor if you're staying at this hotel and make a reservation. Order the Lamb Mesibah in advance and bring a huge appetite (or at least a plan for what to do with leftovers).
Apr 23, 2012, 1:51 pm
#35
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: DC and Texas
Programs: Delta,SPG, Hyatt
Posts: 543
Was here during the past weekend. No upgrade...was packed with what looked like three weddings! Great staff, zero complications. Internet (FAST) was taken off the bill. I didnt choose breakfast as the lounge was open all weekend. Breakfast was oatmeal, bagels, fruit, coffee, mini muffins, and various drinks. Afternoon was two hot dishes, fruit, and various drinks. Free beer and wine Monday through Thursday only. Water, sodas, and fruit available all day.
Parking garage one block away saves over $12 a night in parking fees. Was quoted $32 a night for valet. ZERO free parking on the street...must pay every day, free parking on street after 10 pm through 8 AM.
Great interaction with staff - always friendly.
Great location - in a nice histroric part of town. Near 2nd street bars and restaurants. walking distance to everything (i.e. love sign, bell, independence hall and south street).
Pet friendly with zero pet charges and plenty of green space to run around with a dog park 2 to 3 blocks away.
Will return
Parking garage one block away saves over $12 a night in parking fees. Was quoted $32 a night for valet. ZERO free parking on the street...must pay every day, free parking on street after 10 pm through 8 AM.
Great interaction with staff - always friendly.
Great location - in a nice histroric part of town. Near 2nd street bars and restaurants. walking distance to everything (i.e. love sign, bell, independence hall and south street).
Pet friendly with zero pet charges and plenty of green space to run around with a dog park 2 to 3 blocks away.
Will return
Last edited by singtx; Apr 2, 2013 at 11:41 am
Apr 23, 2012, 5:28 pm
#36
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Washington DC
Programs: BA GLD, AA GLD 1MM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott LT Titanium
Posts: 1,702
Mar 5, 2014, 4:55 pm
#38
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: On the road, 24/7/365
Posts: 3,467
Mar 5, 2014, 6:51 pm
#39
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Chicago
Programs: Starwood Platinum, AA Exec Plat, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Diamond, Kimpton Inner Circle, Hertz PC
Posts: 99
One tip to save you a bunch of money, park at one of the nearby garages. Valet is the only option at the hotel, it is more than twice the rate of nearby garages, and I have had really bad experiences with their service.
Mar 6, 2014, 9:31 am
#40
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Delta - Gold; Starwood - Platinum; HHonors - Diamond & Avis Preferred
Posts: 10,869
The Le Meridien is definitely the nicer property here. If the Sheraton is significantly cheaper it isn't a bad spot to stay. It is about 100 times better than the Sheraton downtown Philadelphia - don't ever stay there.
One tip to save you a bunch of money, park at one of the nearby garages. Valet is the only option at the hotel, it is more than twice the rate of nearby garages, and I have had really bad experiences with their service.
One tip to save you a bunch of money, park at one of the nearby garages. Valet is the only option at the hotel, it is more than twice the rate of nearby garages, and I have had really bad experiences with their service.
Mar 6, 2014, 9:43 am
#41
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: TUL
Programs: AA EXP 2MM; Marriott Titanium; Hilton Diamond; Hyatt Explorist; Vistana 5* Elite; Nat'l Exec Elite
Posts: 6,177
Mar 6, 2014, 10:56 am
#42
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Chicago
Programs: Starwood Platinum, AA Exec Plat, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Diamond, Kimpton Inner Circle, Hertz PC
Posts: 99
My first stay there was in 2013 so I can't speak to how it is different from what it was like in the past. Their website does say "Multi-million dollar renovations completed in 2013" So it sounds like my experience is likely quite different from the experience had by people who stayed in 2012 or earlier.
Mar 26, 2014, 7:41 pm
#43
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 2
My assessment of Sheraton Society Hill
always lurking but figure its time to start contributing
I stay at this property several days a week for work.
Do not stay at a room next to the pool. They put me there for one of the weeks, and I had to request to switch rooms about 2 hours into my stay. I tried to tough it out [and I am a trooper especially in situations like this because I'm too lazy to switch rooms], but it was just too much and I was getting nauseous. Also, try to avoid the room directly across the vending machine and ice maker. Pisses me off when someone is getting ice or dispensing of a soft drink at 1 in the morning and you wake up because of it
Bed isn't that comfortable (Am I spoiled by the Heavenly bed?). The first two stays this year I started itching pretty bad over my entire body and had to take a shower in the middle of the night. Praying it wasn't bed bugs...could be that I'm allergic to something I ate that day? On a positive note, I did not encounter this again since those two occasions...knock on wood
Concierge Lounge is a bummer. No alcohol, or maybe I'm not looking hard enough...or you have to pay to get it? The hot dishes at night are pretty boring. Fried chicken courdon bleu balls on two separate occasions which I quickly grew sick of...one time a mini bleu cheese pizza? Almost made me gag but I forced it down in an effort to skip dinner and to save on some *drum roll* traveling per diem money]
Gym is decent. Pretty clean. Full rack of dumbbells, a couple of treadmills, stationary bikes and ellipticals. Not too many people in the gym ever, [but I use the gym at night time so who knows what it's like in the morning. My guess? You'll always find a machine]. wish the TV on the treadmills actually worked though.
Starwood's Make a Green Choice program is in full effect here, and points have always been credited to my account without fail so far.
Basic internet is atrocious. [When google.com barely loads, you start thinking its a ploy for frustrated customers to pay extra and upgrade to premium internet which is $19.99 a day]
The actually room layout itself seems a bit outdated. A couple of boring paintings hung up on the walls, pretty crappy colored carpet. Lighting seems a bit dim overall. Bathroom lighting starts dim and lights up brighter after a minute or two. The room could be cleaner...but then I get confused...is it the dim lighting, or is it the overall antiquated look & feel? Or is the room dirty? Sigh...I give up...FML
My first couple of stays at this property made me swear to myself to stay somewhere else, but after a few stays I quickly adjusted...or became indifferent...same sh*t I suppose. The alternative is Marriott Philadelphia Downtown, and quite frankly I'd rather save up points to stay at a Starwood property when I go on vacation.
There's a wawa convenience store nearby, which is about a 10 minute walk. Places to eat / drink that I've been to are Eulogy, and Han Dynasty. Both which are good options. There is a cosi nearby as well. Other decent options include fat salmon for sushi, and el fuego for tex mex. bagel factory is about a 7-8 minute walk if you want an okay breakfast I suppose. If anyone knows of any other good options around the area I beg you for suggestions.
what else...I hear the pool is nice, but once again I choose to spend my time holed up in a 331 sq ft room watching Netflix or browsing the web. There are only four floors, so the elevator ride is always fast. Walking to your room can feel a bit like a maze as the layout is not that intuitive. If you stay here, you will know what I mean.
Calling to request a wake up call in the morning is hit or miss. I usually call around 11-12 at night and sometimes the phone keeps ringing. Typically I hang up and on my second try, somebody finally picks up.
If I could offer feedback to this hotel to improve a guest's stay - it would be the following:
- Offer cleaner rooms, or at least have decoration / furniture that might make it seem cleaner. [e.g., one of the bed sheets was a yellow/brownish color...is it because its old? or is this the typical color??]
- Get new beds. Sleep is super important, especially for someone that stays at your property frequently. I'm not sure if these are Sheraton Sleeper Beds, but I'll go out on a hunch and say they aren't.
- Offer more point bonuses for frequent travelers. I'll tough it up and accept complimentary points any time any day, to soften the blow and not stay at a competitor.
- Increase your bandwidth speed for Basic Internet.
I stay at this property several days a week for work.
Do not stay at a room next to the pool. They put me there for one of the weeks, and I had to request to switch rooms about 2 hours into my stay. I tried to tough it out [and I am a trooper especially in situations like this because I'm too lazy to switch rooms], but it was just too much and I was getting nauseous. Also, try to avoid the room directly across the vending machine and ice maker. Pisses me off when someone is getting ice or dispensing of a soft drink at 1 in the morning and you wake up because of it
Bed isn't that comfortable (Am I spoiled by the Heavenly bed?). The first two stays this year I started itching pretty bad over my entire body and had to take a shower in the middle of the night. Praying it wasn't bed bugs...could be that I'm allergic to something I ate that day? On a positive note, I did not encounter this again since those two occasions...knock on wood
Concierge Lounge is a bummer. No alcohol, or maybe I'm not looking hard enough...or you have to pay to get it? The hot dishes at night are pretty boring. Fried chicken courdon bleu balls on two separate occasions which I quickly grew sick of...one time a mini bleu cheese pizza? Almost made me gag but I forced it down in an effort to skip dinner and to save on some *drum roll* traveling per diem money]
Gym is decent. Pretty clean. Full rack of dumbbells, a couple of treadmills, stationary bikes and ellipticals. Not too many people in the gym ever, [but I use the gym at night time so who knows what it's like in the morning. My guess? You'll always find a machine]. wish the TV on the treadmills actually worked though.
Starwood's Make a Green Choice program is in full effect here, and points have always been credited to my account without fail so far.
Basic internet is atrocious. [When google.com barely loads, you start thinking its a ploy for frustrated customers to pay extra and upgrade to premium internet which is $19.99 a day]
The actually room layout itself seems a bit outdated. A couple of boring paintings hung up on the walls, pretty crappy colored carpet. Lighting seems a bit dim overall. Bathroom lighting starts dim and lights up brighter after a minute or two. The room could be cleaner...but then I get confused...is it the dim lighting, or is it the overall antiquated look & feel? Or is the room dirty? Sigh...I give up...FML
My first couple of stays at this property made me swear to myself to stay somewhere else, but after a few stays I quickly adjusted...or became indifferent...same sh*t I suppose. The alternative is Marriott Philadelphia Downtown, and quite frankly I'd rather save up points to stay at a Starwood property when I go on vacation.
There's a wawa convenience store nearby, which is about a 10 minute walk. Places to eat / drink that I've been to are Eulogy, and Han Dynasty. Both which are good options. There is a cosi nearby as well. Other decent options include fat salmon for sushi, and el fuego for tex mex. bagel factory is about a 7-8 minute walk if you want an okay breakfast I suppose. If anyone knows of any other good options around the area I beg you for suggestions.
what else...I hear the pool is nice, but once again I choose to spend my time holed up in a 331 sq ft room watching Netflix or browsing the web. There are only four floors, so the elevator ride is always fast. Walking to your room can feel a bit like a maze as the layout is not that intuitive. If you stay here, you will know what I mean.
Calling to request a wake up call in the morning is hit or miss. I usually call around 11-12 at night and sometimes the phone keeps ringing. Typically I hang up and on my second try, somebody finally picks up.
If I could offer feedback to this hotel to improve a guest's stay - it would be the following:
- Offer cleaner rooms, or at least have decoration / furniture that might make it seem cleaner. [e.g., one of the bed sheets was a yellow/brownish color...is it because its old? or is this the typical color??]
- Get new beds. Sleep is super important, especially for someone that stays at your property frequently. I'm not sure if these are Sheraton Sleeper Beds, but I'll go out on a hunch and say they aren't.
- Offer more point bonuses for frequent travelers. I'll tough it up and accept complimentary points any time any day, to soften the blow and not stay at a competitor.
- Increase your bandwidth speed for Basic Internet.
Mar 27, 2014, 2:04 am
#44
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Oslo
Posts: 448
always lurking but figure its time to start contributing
I stay at this property several days a week for work.
Do not stay at a room next to the pool. They put me there for one of the weeks, and I had to request to switch rooms about 2 hours into my stay. I tried to tough it out [and I am a trooper especially in situations like this because I'm too lazy to switch rooms], but it was just too much and I was getting nauseous. Also, try to avoid the room directly across the vending machine and ice maker. Pisses me off when someone is getting ice or dispensing of a soft drink at 1 in the morning and you wake up because of it
Bed isn't that comfortable (Am I spoiled by the Heavenly bed?). The first two stays this year I started itching pretty bad over my entire body and had to take a shower in the middle of the night. Praying it wasn't bed bugs...could be that I'm allergic to something I ate that day? On a positive note, I did not encounter this again since those two occasions...knock on wood
Concierge Lounge is a bummer. No alcohol, or maybe I'm not looking hard enough...or you have to pay to get it? The hot dishes at night are pretty boring. Fried chicken courdon bleu balls on two separate occasions which I quickly grew sick of...one time a mini bleu cheese pizza? Almost made me gag but I forced it down in an effort to skip dinner and to save on some *drum roll* traveling per diem money]
Gym is decent. Pretty clean. Full rack of dumbbells, a couple of treadmills, stationary bikes and ellipticals. Not too many people in the gym ever, [but I use the gym at night time so who knows what it's like in the morning. My guess? You'll always find a machine]. wish the TV on the treadmills actually worked though.
Starwood's Make a Green Choice program is in full effect here, and points have always been credited to my account without fail so far.
Basic internet is atrocious. [When google.com barely loads, you start thinking its a ploy for frustrated customers to pay extra and upgrade to premium internet which is $19.99 a day]
The actually room layout itself seems a bit outdated. A couple of boring paintings hung up on the walls, pretty crappy colored carpet. Lighting seems a bit dim overall. Bathroom lighting starts dim and lights up brighter after a minute or two. The room could be cleaner...but then I get confused...is it the dim lighting, or is it the overall antiquated look & feel? Or is the room dirty? Sigh...I give up...FML
My first couple of stays at this property made me swear to myself to stay somewhere else, but after a few stays I quickly adjusted...or became indifferent...same sh*t I suppose. The alternative is Marriott Philadelphia Downtown, and quite frankly I'd rather save up points to stay at a Starwood property when I go on vacation.
There's a wawa convenience store nearby, which is about a 10 minute walk. Places to eat / drink that I've been to are Eulogy, and Han Dynasty. Both which are good options. There is a cosi nearby as well. Other decent options include fat salmon for sushi, and el fuego for tex mex. bagel factory is about a 7-8 minute walk if you want an okay breakfast I suppose. If anyone knows of any other good options around the area I beg you for suggestions.
what else...I hear the pool is nice, but once again I choose to spend my time holed up in a 331 sq ft room watching Netflix or browsing the web. There are only four floors, so the elevator ride is always fast. Walking to your room can feel a bit like a maze as the layout is not that intuitive. If you stay here, you will know what I mean.
Calling to request a wake up call in the morning is hit or miss. I usually call around 11-12 at night and sometimes the phone keeps ringing. Typically I hang up and on my second try, somebody finally picks up.
If I could offer feedback to this hotel to improve a guest's stay - it would be the following:
- Offer cleaner rooms, or at least have decoration / furniture that might make it seem cleaner. [e.g., one of the bed sheets was a yellow/brownish color...is it because its old? or is this the typical color??]
- Get new beds. Sleep is super important, especially for someone that stays at your property frequently. I'm not sure if these are Sheraton Sleeper Beds, but I'll go out on a hunch and say they aren't.
- Offer more point bonuses for frequent travelers. I'll tough it up and accept complimentary points any time any day, to soften the blow and not stay at a competitor.
- Increase your bandwidth speed for Basic Internet.
I stay at this property several days a week for work.
Do not stay at a room next to the pool. They put me there for one of the weeks, and I had to request to switch rooms about 2 hours into my stay. I tried to tough it out [and I am a trooper especially in situations like this because I'm too lazy to switch rooms], but it was just too much and I was getting nauseous. Also, try to avoid the room directly across the vending machine and ice maker. Pisses me off when someone is getting ice or dispensing of a soft drink at 1 in the morning and you wake up because of it
Bed isn't that comfortable (Am I spoiled by the Heavenly bed?). The first two stays this year I started itching pretty bad over my entire body and had to take a shower in the middle of the night. Praying it wasn't bed bugs...could be that I'm allergic to something I ate that day? On a positive note, I did not encounter this again since those two occasions...knock on wood
Concierge Lounge is a bummer. No alcohol, or maybe I'm not looking hard enough...or you have to pay to get it? The hot dishes at night are pretty boring. Fried chicken courdon bleu balls on two separate occasions which I quickly grew sick of...one time a mini bleu cheese pizza? Almost made me gag but I forced it down in an effort to skip dinner and to save on some *drum roll* traveling per diem money]
Gym is decent. Pretty clean. Full rack of dumbbells, a couple of treadmills, stationary bikes and ellipticals. Not too many people in the gym ever, [but I use the gym at night time so who knows what it's like in the morning. My guess? You'll always find a machine]. wish the TV on the treadmills actually worked though.
Starwood's Make a Green Choice program is in full effect here, and points have always been credited to my account without fail so far.
Basic internet is atrocious. [When google.com barely loads, you start thinking its a ploy for frustrated customers to pay extra and upgrade to premium internet which is $19.99 a day]
The actually room layout itself seems a bit outdated. A couple of boring paintings hung up on the walls, pretty crappy colored carpet. Lighting seems a bit dim overall. Bathroom lighting starts dim and lights up brighter after a minute or two. The room could be cleaner...but then I get confused...is it the dim lighting, or is it the overall antiquated look & feel? Or is the room dirty? Sigh...I give up...FML
My first couple of stays at this property made me swear to myself to stay somewhere else, but after a few stays I quickly adjusted...or became indifferent...same sh*t I suppose. The alternative is Marriott Philadelphia Downtown, and quite frankly I'd rather save up points to stay at a Starwood property when I go on vacation.
There's a wawa convenience store nearby, which is about a 10 minute walk. Places to eat / drink that I've been to are Eulogy, and Han Dynasty. Both which are good options. There is a cosi nearby as well. Other decent options include fat salmon for sushi, and el fuego for tex mex. bagel factory is about a 7-8 minute walk if you want an okay breakfast I suppose. If anyone knows of any other good options around the area I beg you for suggestions.
what else...I hear the pool is nice, but once again I choose to spend my time holed up in a 331 sq ft room watching Netflix or browsing the web. There are only four floors, so the elevator ride is always fast. Walking to your room can feel a bit like a maze as the layout is not that intuitive. If you stay here, you will know what I mean.
Calling to request a wake up call in the morning is hit or miss. I usually call around 11-12 at night and sometimes the phone keeps ringing. Typically I hang up and on my second try, somebody finally picks up.
If I could offer feedback to this hotel to improve a guest's stay - it would be the following:
- Offer cleaner rooms, or at least have decoration / furniture that might make it seem cleaner. [e.g., one of the bed sheets was a yellow/brownish color...is it because its old? or is this the typical color??]
- Get new beds. Sleep is super important, especially for someone that stays at your property frequently. I'm not sure if these are Sheraton Sleeper Beds, but I'll go out on a hunch and say they aren't.
- Offer more point bonuses for frequent travelers. I'll tough it up and accept complimentary points any time any day, to soften the blow and not stay at a competitor.
- Increase your bandwidth speed for Basic Internet.
Mar 27, 2014, 5:40 pm
#45
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 2
I do not have SPG status right now. I recently started traveling a lot again for work, aside from that I was lucky enough to be local for several years. I think the only upgrade they have is to the queen suite which is 500 sq ft give or take? Never gave it a shot myself. Glad you enjoyed the review and thank you for the welcome 