We booked this room for 3 nights using Hotwire. $139 per night. Smoke Free Rooms Fitness Center Pool Restaurant Business Center High-speed Internet Access Kitchenette Upon check in we were told there would be a $34 a night charge for parking - we were able to park on the street, just across the street for FREE. There is much parking available and it is much cheaper. Before staying here we read many mixed reviews. This lead us to believe that there was possibly a recent renovation. We called ahead, gave the details of our reservation and were correct and were told that we would be given a "new" room for an additional $40 a night - we agreed. The people at the front desk are very helpful and friendly. Our room was actually a 1 bedroom apartment. There are 3 ENORMOUS closets, a newly remodeled bathroom a living room and kitchen. The space can't be beat! The room is listed as a 3* however I would probably rate it as a 2*. The furniture in our room is very old, and has its fair share of dust on it. The sofa is so worn it actually bows down and touches the floor in the middle! I am appreciative of personality, but I think this is a little more "neglect". The carpet is filthy. While I understand that one more than likely shouldn't expect to eat off a hotel room floor - my children's feet are black. They are literally black. There are 2 double beds in the bedroom. The comforters are old worn and have obviously not been cleaned, but the linens are very clean and sparkling white. The pillows are an odd mix. There are 4 pillows to a bed and 3 of the 4 are very nice, plump and firm, the 4th seems to be a very old feather pillow. There is a flat screen television in both the bedroom and the living room and there are 4 telephones in the space. The kitchen is older, but it is very clean. There is a stove, a sink, garbage disposal, mini-dishwasher and refrigerator. The fridge is brand new. The stove is a gas stove, however there is no gas hookup, which renders the unit unusable. The bathroom was recently remodeled, so the fixtures are new and the tub is maintained, recently caulked, no cracks, mold, etc. The fixtures are really a really unique ceramic design - very nice - probably the nicest thing in the hotel room! The towels are fresh and new - stiff - but still new. There is a musty, wet, particle board smell to the room. Does that description make sense? The pool. Its so cool because the pool is on the 23rd floor of this building - outside, on the roof! - and it is surrounded by buildings that are 50-60 stories high. The view "up" is BREATHTAKING! That being said, the pool hours, 10am - 7:30pm don't give a typical visitor much time to use it and certainly not a business visitor. You have to call the front desk and request "pool towels" to be sent to your room before going up as they do not keep them poolside. There is a small walk out balcony and the view of the art museum/ city hall / Ben Franklin Parkway IS GORGEOUS! Very pretty! I am not a hyper-critical person. While I appreciate high end comforts, I am willing to accept a lower class of hotel when it meets basic requirements for cleanliness and maintenance. This hotel was nice in that it was an affordable way for a family of 5 to stay in Center City Philadelphia and be within walking distance of the Art Museum, Logan's Square, The Museum of Natural History, City Hall, Rittenhouse Square and the Franklin Science Center, however there is an Embassy Suites just next door to this hotel that I have stayed in that is much cleaner. I would probably trade the space for something smaller and cleaner.
