HotelChatter

Upstairs in the rooms, the look is minimal and functional, with splashy accents like the sliding red doors on the bathrooms. Every room promises views of City Hall and Love Park.

While the intro rates are in the $180–$240 range on weeknights and $140—$180 on weekends, Philly.com notes that the rates are well above what is typical in Philly.

The average daily rate for Center City hotels was $107 last month, down from $112 in April 2009 and $125 in April 2008, according to Smith Travel Research, which tracks the U.S. hotel industry.

We found $129-a-night rates at Le Meridien when we checked a couple of weeks back, but now the cheapest we've found for dates in the next week are $149 a night. By mid to late next week, those rates jump above $200 a night.

Thanks a lot, Penn grads...

[Photo: Philly Chit Chat ]