PA Philadelphia Wyndham

[Phaelon56]

Paid $42 on PL and it was okay but nothing special. This is an older property at the far end of downtown and a good 20 minute walk from the Market Street / Penn's Landing area. 24 hour parking with in/out privileges is $19.95 for hotel guests - about $5 cheaper than the more centrally located hotels charge.

Desk staff was friendly and the room was clean but obviously older and not recently updated. The ironing board was bent and barely usable. I made do but did find one weird thing that has happened to me at another Wyndham (also on a PL stay): the queen sized bed had a bottom sheet that was a double sheet laid across the bed in the wrong direction. The result is about two feet of space at the foot of the bed wher your feet are resting on mattress pad cover or bare mattress (I'm tall and take the full lenght of any bed). Had the same problem in another location on a king bed. It would appear that when they run out of sheets large enough for the kings and queens, they just improvise and use whatever is available. I'm curious to know if this is a chance coincidence or if they reserve this practice for rooms that are set aside for PL or for late reservations (on both occasions I reserved the day before arrival). if I'd arrive at a reasonble hour I would have requested a correction btu it was too late to deal with.

Last year I got the Philly Crowne Plaza for $60 - comparable room and parking was $5 higher but much more convenient location.

All told, worth the $42 and then some but I wouldn't choose this property if I had the option of knowing exact downtown location in advance. By the way.... worth noting that Hotwire had absolutely no availability of any rooms for this date (as of about 36 hours before my arrival).

[Margie]

Paid $38 on PL for a Sunday night stay. I joined the "By Request" program even though I didn't expect any perks because of our room being a PL bid. I also phoned the hotel to confirm our reservation and to request a high room with a view. Check in was quick, and we must have been very lucky for the friendly desk clerk upgraded (at no additional cost) our PL standard room to a Junior Suite, without us even asking! Too good to be true as we usually end up in standard rooms looking at alleys and air shafts. Suite was room #1402 with a sitting room (TV, mini bar, couch and huge window with view) and bedroom with king bed, large window, climate control, TV, desk, internet connection (for additional charge,) closet, coffee maker, bath with large vanity and Golden Door bath amenities. Room was very clean, lots of towels, and decor was fine. Elevators were fast, hallway carpet is a little worn, but we weren't sleeping in the hall so who cares? Found location to be fine, we walked all over as well as taking the hop on/hop off bus tour. All in all a very good stay.

[droopy]

Stayed 11-12 thru 11-14. Paid $51/night thru priceline.

I have stayed at this hotel four times now with mostly positive experiences, the exception being a specific weekend when a huge, noisy high school "ambassadors" conference was in the facility. If you are considering I would call ahead to ensure this event is not returning!

The location is not ideal but the parking situation is very favorable. I do not recommend using the pricey hotel parking lot. Directly across the street from the Wyndham on 16th and Race St's is a convenient, patrolled lot which only costs $5 for the entire weekend (including Friday nights). You can also park on the street for free around the hotel on Saturdays after 6pm and all day Sunday, but I wouldn't do so again because Philly parking enforcement once ticketed us for an expired meter when we know for a fact our car was not even there at the time they listed. If you write parking tickets and need to fill your quota I guess it makes sense, as it is unlikely an out-of-state driver will fight a $20 ticket.

I definitely received a better room (King vs Queen bed, larger TV, living room area with couch) when I booked previously on Wyndham's website, but it was substantially more expensive. We spend little time in the room so it was of no concern. I agree with previous reviews that the rooms need a renovation, but they are more than adequate for a couple nights. The ByRequest benefits are also not offered when you book on priceline, so it is a tradeoff. Our room did have a mini-fridge (in addition to the mini-bar fridge) on this occasion which was a nice perk. They also gave us a 2pm checkout and in general I

[dahammer]

Parking tickets in Philly can be disputed, only by a hearing and that must be done in person. Here is a link to the Philly Parking authority. http://www.philapark.org/faq.aspx?faqtopicid=4#faq2

Unfortunately, there is no "ombudsman" at this agency to address situations like yours. A few years ago, I parked in a spot not too far from the Wyndham and received a ticket, and although the "no parking" sign was removed by either vandals or by getting knocked down, I still had to pay my fine after attending a hearing. This is a giant rip-off all around. I am still getting dunned by a collection agency for a parking ticket that I paid on time, they are trying to collect a $15 late fee!!

I think in NYC, tickets cost about $70 or so. If you should return to the "City of Brotherly Love" stay in the old city area, the Hyatt has been identified on this board and some recent wins have been in the sub $50 category. Also, the Sheraton mentioned by Margie is a great spot for not only business but better for leisure travellers since it is close to many restaurants and bars that are in and around the 2nd and Chestnut street area. The Holiday Inn is at 4th and Chestnut, but I do not know if they participate with PL or HW. Don't confuse this with the Holiday Inn Express on 13th and Walnut, which is even more desolate in the evening, but it is just around the corner from McGillans Ale Houlse, one of the oldest, continuously operated taverns in Philly......

The other thing that I did not like at the Wyndham is that they charge $1.00 for local and "800" toll free calls, which is one of my biggest pet peeves about the hotel industry.