PENNSYLVANIA Travel Guide
Hotel Packages / Philadelphia Hotels / Four Seasons Hotels / Kimpton Hotels / → All Tags
Controversial Barnes Foundation Passes Included in Philly's New Hotel Promo
If Philadelphia is indeed a blue-collared industrial city, someone better let the artists and curators in town know about it. So far, all they've done is improve the scenery with a top-tier arsenal of murals and museums. From the brains in jars at the Mutter Museum to the infamous Rocky-run steps of the Art Museum, Philly is stacked with artistic and historical culture.
The latest promotion out of the City of Brotherly Love is centered around this strength. Ten hotels are participating, including the Four Seasons on the Ben Franklin Parkway and the new Hotel Monaco at Independence Hall, with a two-day With Art Philadelphia pass and two trolley tour passes included in the rate. The With Art Philadelphia package gives you access to the Barnes Foundation, Museum of Art, Rodin Museum, Perelman Museum, Academy of Fine Arts, and the Penn Museum. You can see all the hotels along with the fine print here.
Hotel News / Philadelphia Hotels / Starwood Hotels / W Hotels / → All Tags
Ho Hum, Holiday Inn's Gonna Come. But Ooh, Then a Philly W?
We were on Columbus Boulevard in Philly last weekend when we came across the scene in the photo above. Formerly a Comfort Inn, we saw boards on the doors and a small note that said “closed for renovations.” As you can see, they put up a fat teaser for all to see, but no other details about what the property would become were available on-site.
Well, we did some digging, and guess what? It’s going to be a Holiday Inn and will open in March. Cue the sound effects and let the wind out of our sails, because we’re officially disappointed. A hip, vacation-oriented property in that location would have gone a long way to help an area that is currently undergoing a face-lift.
A public space was recently added under the Ben Franklin Bridge, as well as a new bar added to the nearby marina. With Festival Pier and Penn’s Landing within walking distance, the next logical step would have been the addition of a hotel that would attract leisure travelers.
Oh well.
Reality TV Hotels / The Layover / Celebrity Chefs / Anthony Bourdain / Four Seasons Hotels / Philadelphia Hotels / → All Tags
Anthony Bourdain Chooses Luxe vs. Cheaper Hotels For "The Layover" Philly
Anthony Bourdain is back for another season of “The Layover”, and we like it because he names the hotels in the cities where he'll be spending his precious time. We figure, he won't be laying his salt-and-pepper head just anywhere, after all, he's big time now.
So, for entertainment and a dose of travel value, we’ll give you some details on the properties he picks, just in case you find yourself looking for a place to stay in a city that’s sanctioned by this travel personality/chef.
Layover Hotel Episode 3: Four Seasons Philadelphia
Once again Bourdain hits the same brand that he stayed in Chicago, this time saying "I'm staying at the Four Seasons on Logan Square, because that's the way I roll, and the service is impeccable." And at $449 a night, it should be. Indeed, we've mentioned this hotel's lovely courtyard (a city rarity) in the past, and attention to detail from tiny tots to pet perks, so we can't blame him for bedding downn there. It's a no-brainer, really. Perhaps he wasn't in town when the new Kimpton opened--a shame since this episode was all about discovering the "new" Philadelphia. After all, Bourdain immediately announced in the beginning of the episode "there will be no cheesesteak in this show."
Hotel News / Hotel Hype / Philadelphia Hotels / Casino Hotels / Wynn Hotels / Steve Wynn / → All Tags
Wynn Throws Hat in Ring for Philly Casino
Steve Wynn officially threw his hat in the ring last week to bring one of his casinos to the City of Brotherly Love, meeting the November 15th submission deadline along with five others who hope to obtain the city’s currently unclaimed casino license.
This isn’t the first time Wynn has had his eye on Philly (and it’s no surprise considering he’s a graduate of UPenn). Back in April of 2010, he agreed to salvage the Foxwoods casino on Columbus Boulevard, but pulled out of the deal a week later because the deal was, in his words, “so screwed up.” Due to a lack of other interested investors, Foxwoods eventually lost its gaming license, which instantly made Philly a top bachelor in the casino world. And, given that his dream of building a casino in Massachusetts' Foxborough have been blown to bits, it's back to the Pennsylvania drawing board.
What’s at stake? The $50 million license permits a casino to operate with up to 5,000 slot machines and 250 table games. To put that in perspective, the new Revel in nearby Atlantic City, New Jersey, opened with 2,439 slot machines and 97 table games. These high limits set by the city would give a new Wynn – or whatever – the opportunity to compete in both size and grandeur with Atlantic City if it so chooses (something we’re sure is no coincidence).
Hotel Woes / Philadelphia Hotels / Starwood Hotels / Sheraton Hotels / → All Tags
"Massive Fistfight Resulting in Hotel Damage" Reason to Buy Wedding Insurance?
It looks like lawyers are still hashing out the legal details on the brawl that took place at Philly's Sheraton Society Hill back in the beginning of October.
But that hasn't stopped a few third-party legal opportunists from trying to "help" by promoting and profiting from its aftermath.
Apparently, an overlooked aspect of this whole debacle is the monetary damage done to the hotel, and insurance companies don't want to miss the chance to scare couples into taking wildly paranoid preventative measures. One insurance report specifically referenced the Sheraton Society Hill fight as part of an "it could happen to you so buy this now" scare tactic:
Harry Potter Hotels / Historic Hotels / Pennsylvania Hotels / → All Tags
Chestnut Hill Hotel Gets Ready For A Harry Potter Weekend
Oh, you thought the Harry Potter phenom was finished because J.K. Rowling has moved on to some other Local restaurants, shops, and businesses along Germantown Avenue morph into something straight off the pages of J.K. Rowling’s Diagon Alley. There will be delicious Butter Beer (if you've tasted Universal Studios Orlando's delicious version, then curiosity will draw you to this batch) a “The Hunt for the Horcrux” scavenger game, a Knight Bus trolley, and, yes, a motherfriggin Quidditch Match.
We are losing our mind over that because there isn't a Harry Potter fan around who hasn't dreamt of what it would be like to play that game.
You'll need a place to stay during the festivities and even though the pickings are slim--it looks like the best base is the Chestnut Hill Hotel which is hosting a Sorting Hat Demonstration and a Spell Match.
Photo Gallery / Hotel Openings / Philadelphia Hotels / Kimpton Hotels / Hotel News / → All Tags
Hotel Monaco First Look
We covered the opening of Philadelphia’s first hotel to overlook the Liberty Bell – the Hotel Monaco – and last week we invaded the city of Brotherly Love to get a look at the finished product. It's location is outstanding, right on Independence Mall and within walking distance to the waterfront, South Street and the restaurants/bars of Old City.
First impressions were great - the hotel was sold out and it put forth a colorful personality, both figuratively and literally. Most of it shone through small details (like closet quotes, see photo) and young, outgoing staff members that made themselves appear more like friends than bellhops, front desk clerks, or lounge managers. Multiple interactions went beyond the pleasantries - they really went out of their way to make a connection. You were more likely to get a conversation starter, like “Hey, you coming to wine hour tonight?" than a quick in-passing "Hello, Sir."
Here are a few photos of the lobby and a one-bedroom suite.
Hotel Crime / Hotel Woes / Hotel News / Philadelphia Hotels / Starwood Hotels / Sheraton Hotels / → All Tags
Philly Wedding Fight Attorney Questioning Mishandling by Sheraton Society Hill
A little over a week ago we showed you the brawl that went down between two wedding parties in the lobby of Philly's Sheraton Society Hill. It was a tragic event that resulted in the death of a 57-year-old man reported to be one of the bride's uncles, and it sure as hell ruined what was supposed to be a beautiful day for four families. While it pales in comparison to the passing of a man who is believed to have been an innocent bystander, we are curious as to what, if anything, the hotel has done for those guests who may have been disturbed or disrupted by the 100-person brouhaha. As you can see from the photo below, the lobby eerily looks like an arena, the corridors in front of the rooms all looking down over it.
Our e-mails to the hotel requesting comment on this matter haven't been returned, so we went on foot yesterday to see if we could get some answers. We were directed by the front desk staff to Susan Carney, the Director of Human Resources, who entertained our questions but declined to make a statement. Due to an on-going investigation, she said the hotel didn't plan on making one anytime soon.Yes, things are getting complicated.
Hotel Crime / Hotel News / Philadelphia Hotels / Starwood Hotels / Sheraton Hotels / → All Tags
Fight Breaks Out Between Wedding Parties at Philly's Sheraton Society Hill
A 15-year-old in Philadelphia to celebrate his birthday recorded part of a fight that broke out between dozens of guests from two wedding parties at the Sheraton Society Hill Hotel early Sunday morning. The altercation, authorities say, was fueled by booze and began in the lobby bar before spilling out into the lobby. The video, shot from the balcony above the lobby, shows police officers with batons attempting to control the crowd. At one point, it appears one of the brides becomes detained by officers, and you can hear screams of panic throughout the entire clip.
Had that been it – drunk wedding guests hell bent on ruining a beautiful occasion – this story would be just another Hotel Guests Behaving Badly moment. However, while it's currently unknown if he was directly involved with the fight, a 57-year-old man suffered a heart attack during the incident, collapsing outside the hotel and passing away at Jefferson Hospital shortly after. NBC Philadelphia reports that the man was one of the bride’s uncles. You can see the video of the fight here, as well as some raw news footage from outside the hotel.
Hotel Openings / Philadelphia Hotels / Kimpton Hotels / Hotel News / → All Tags
Philly's New Hotel Monaco First to Overlook Liberty Bell
One thing is certain about today’s grand opening of the Hotel Monaco Philadelphia: Ben Franklin’s going to be proud, and that’s not only because they have put old-fashioned kites in every room for guests to fly across the street in Independence Park (seriously, they did that).
We reported in August, after receiving an update, that the hotel would be open for business on October 15th, but Kimpton bumped up the schedule and the first guests actually arrived yesterday.
As the first hotel to overlook the Liberty Bell, it’s a dream location for history buffs, rising up in one of the country’s most historic square miles and putting guests in spitting distance of Independence Mall, the Betsy Ross house and the National Constitution Center. That said, we don’t expect the newest Kimpton property to be a one-trick pony.
