I had an overnight stay at 4P PHL airport during a layover.  I booked this hotel because I just needed a bed and at 4k Starpoints this was a good points redemption while other hotels at the airport required considerably more. Since August this property has increased to 17.5k Marriott points which is now the same as several other Marriott/Starwood hotels at PHL airport such as Aloft, Sheraton Suites, Courtyard, Fairfield Inn, and Residence Inn.  At check-in I was offered the choice of 250 Marriott points or breakfast.  Even though I only had a one-night stay and I did not expect breakfast to be fantastic (and it was not, see below), to be honest 250 Marriott points is so ridiculously low that I took breakfast.  

Location

The hotel has 24/7 shuttle from the airport.  The shuttle is used for the 4P, Aloft, and Sheraton Suites, because all three hotels are actually at the same location. This would be a good hotel for a mattress run between three Starwood properties but going forward that is less useful given that stay counts have less importance now since the Marriott merger.  I guess it can still be useful for some Starwood folks for the next 2.5 months before the end of the year.  In the morning the shuttle to the airport runs three times per hour.

Room

The hotel is ok for an overnight stay, nothing more nothing less.  The bed was comfortable and the room was clean, which is all I was asking.  The layout is a bit strange with the sink being right in the corridor as you enter the room, instead of being in the bathroom. The bathroom is ok but I would prefer to have a stand-alone shower rather than shower in the tub.  Note that there is only one room type at this property so there cannot be any kind of Platinum upgrades, which is no different than at Aloft or Sheraton Suites.

Dining

The breakfast is …. unusual.  They have scrambled eggs, sausage, roasted potatoes, and muffins.  That’s it. Nothing else, not even fruits.  I rarely travel to the USA, but come on, I cannot imagine that it is now the unhealthy norm in the land of Uncle Sam for a hotel brand such as 4P?  It was early morning so I asked the lady in the restaurant if they had fruits, thinking that perhaps they had not gotten around to bringing them yet, but no. They just don’t offer fruits for breakfast.  When she saw my disappointment she brought me a bowl of berries from the kitchen which was appreciated, so kudos to them for providing an alternative to please a guest. In addition, there is no self-serve juice, only coffee.  However I saw a couple ask for juice and the lady brought them a glass from the kitchen, just like she did for my berries.  

Overall

Now that points redemptions have increased at this property, I no longer see any reason to book this hotel for points in the future. I would rather try the Aloft or even better the Sheraton Suites if it will cost the same number of points.  If booking with cash, I would consider the 4P again but only if there was a meaningful discount relative to others otherwise I would try somewhere else, for example Sheraton Suites has a Club Lounge so it would provide more value for Plats than 4P.