19102 Travel Guide

/ / / / /

Le Meridien Philly's Resto Serves Steak Frites With a Side of Power

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1421 Arch Street [map], Philadelphia, PA, United States, 19102
May 10, 2010 at 9:55 AM | by | Comments (0)

Have you ever wished you could recharge your cell phone or laptop while you're refueling yourself with lunch or dinner? Now you can—thanks to Amuse, the restaurant inside the new Le Meridien Philadelphia. These outlets are located on the edges of the communal table at Amuse, as captured by the team at the Philadelphia City Paper.

The restaurant apparently prides itself on its signature steak frites, but we have to say that this power board is one of the most impressive things we've ever seen on a restaurant menu.

more ›

/ / / /

Le Meridien Philadelphia Opens Today But Rates Are Going Up

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1421 Arch Street [map], Philadelphia, PA, United States, 19102
May 6, 2010 at 1:22 PM | by | Comments (0)

Happy Opening Day, Le Meridien Philadelphia! Yep, today is the big day for the city's first Le Meridien property. And you can still snag a room for tonight from $189.

The hotel's French-bistro-style restaurant, Amuse also opens today, under chef Dan Black. The breakfast menu, however, has the stamp of none other than uber-busy Jean-Georges Vongerichten, who works as a consultant for Starwood.

more ›

/ / / /

Le Meridien Philly to Open Early for a Little Pomp and Circumstance

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1421 Arch Street [map], Philadelphia, PA, United States, 19102
April 19, 2010 at 9:13 AM | by | Comments (0)

After all the NYC hotel opening hoopla lately, it's time to head over to Philadelphia, which is gearing up for a long-awaited hotel opening of its own: that of Le Meridien Philadelphia on Arch Street.

The Starwood hotel was meant to open last September but after that delay, we had a June 30th target date—so let's look on the bright side and appreciate that the hotel is opening "early." And the reason for the rush to open before summer? Philly.com puts it down to Penn graduation, also in early May, "when every decent room in town is booked."

more ›

/ / / /

Le Meridien Philly Set to Open May 6

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1421 Arch Street [map], Philadelphia, PA, United States, 19102
March 24, 2010 at 3:29 PM | by | Comments (0)

Hotels just keep on opening! With the Hotel Palomar Chicago opening today, the W Vieques tomorrow and the Trump SoHo next week, we can now update the opening for The Le Meridien Philadelphia on our Master List of Worldwide Hotel Openings. Visit Philly tells us the hotel is expected to open on May 6 with crazy affordable rates of $189 a night.

The 201-room smoke-free hotel is located on Arch Street near the city's convention center in a former YMCA building, originally built in 1912. And it looks as if the guest rooms will look pretty similar to this rendering we posted nearly a year ago.

There were also be a French restaurant and bar scene, Amuse, and a 24-hour fitness center on-site. This hotel was supposed to open last September so we're even more anxious to check it out come May. Let's hope this date sticks!

/ / / / / /

The Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia's Chef Getting Fancy on 'Top Chef'

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 10 Avenue of the Arts [map], Philadelphia, PA, United States, 19102
September 1, 2009 at 3:56 PM | by | Comments (0)

Top Chef’s Season 6 in Las Vegas may have started out with two Jennifers, but the one left standing after two episodes is Jenny Carroll from the kitchen at the Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia. For those of you just catching up on the season, she’s the blond one, not the one with those scary earlobe-stretching rings.

This Philly native studied her craft at The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College in her hometown, and now works as the Chef de Cuisine at 10 Arts by Eric Ripert. That means she does the real work in the kitchen every night. Ripert handpicked her from his staff at New York’s famed Le Bernardin to lead his team at his new digs at the Philadelphia Ritz-Carlton right across from City Hall.

more ›

/ / /

Le Meridien Philadelphia Pushed Back Until November 1

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1421 Arch Street [map], Philadelphia, PA, United States, 19102
August 6, 2009 at 11:17 AM | by | Comments (0)

We were all excited the other month when we heard that the Le Meridien Philadelphia would be opening just before Labor Day Weekend on September 3rd but today when we went back in to check on the hotel's website, it gave us this message:

Accepting Reservations for Arrival on or After Nov 1, 2009

When we tried to make a reservation online for that date, the site said there were no rooms available for the date requested. Ditto for when we plugged in dates for the following week.

Looking around the rest of the site, we didn't find much news except that the restaurant will be called Amuse and the bar will be called Le Amuse. Also, no pets will be allowed. For shame! On the bright side, the hotel just nearly makes the cut-off for the new SPG Bonus Starpoints promotion which ends November 6.

[Photo via The Illadelph]

/ / / /

Sneak Peek at Le Meridien Philadelphia

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1421 Arch Street [map], Philadephia, PA, United States, 19102
June 2, 2009 at 11:00 AM | by | Comments (0)

A couple weeks ago, we took a hot tour of Le Meridien Dallas to check out the new look of the Le Meridien brand — modernized, reinvigorated, sleek and (in Dallas' case) pink.

And we got word from The Illadelph (ha, awesome name) that there's a new Le Meridien on its way to Philly, set to open September 3rd. The Illadelph also posted a couple of renderings of the room design and the lobby lounge space; can't say we're too nuts about the room color scheme with the red, white and gray. Kinda reminds us of an airline or something.

more ›

/ / / /

Halloween Hotels :: Party with Elvira at Philly's Park Hyatt

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 200 South Broad Street [map], Philadelphia, PA, United States, 19102
October 7, 2008 at 2:56 PM | by | Comments (0)

If you fancy spending your halloween in luxurious digs surrounded by vampy women with ample cleavage, then boy oh boy do we have the deal for you. Philadelphia's Park Hyatt at The Bellevue not only has special halloween rates of $285 a night, but will also be the setting for a Haunted Halloween Bash hosted by Elvira.

We know what you're thinking: "whoa, Elvira must be pretty old and saggy." They've accounted for this by hosting an Elvira look-a-like contest, guaranteeing that her age will be not be the greatest distraction of the evening.

For those feeling extra-ghoulish, the Park Hyatt is also offering a $425 VIP package, including hors d'oeuvres, balcony seating and an open bar.  It doesn't mean you'll get any nearer to the Mistress of Darkness, but you will get a good view down, if you know what we mean.

Call the hotel directly to book: (215) 982-6510

[Photo: gophila.com, exposay.com]

/ / / / / /

Hillary Clinton Celebrates Primary Win at the Park Hyatt in Philadelphia

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1415 Chancellor St [map], Philadelphia, PA, United States, 19102
April 23, 2008 at 9:00 AM | by | Comment (1)

The LA Time political blog, Top of the Ticket was kinda horrified to see that Hillary Clinton celebrated her Pennsylvania primary win at the Park Hyatt Philadelphia.

Why's that? Because the hotel used to be the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel:

[T]he hostelry was the notorious scene of a mysterious illness in 1976 during an American Legion convention, later dubbed Legionnaires' disease. Thirty-four deaths were eventually traced to the Legionella pneumophila bacteria.

Yikes, couldn't Hillary have picked a happier place than that? One suggestion: The Loews Philadelphia which just completed a $9 million renovation.

Fortunately, in the future Philly is going to be getting all sorts of cool hotels so the next presidential candidate will have plenty of options.

[Photo: NY Daily News]

/ / / /

Oscar De La Hoya's Kinky Photoshoot at the Ritz-Carlton Philly

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 10 Avenue of the Arts [map], Philadelphia, PA, United States, 19102
September 20, 2007 at 11:59 AM | by | Comments (0)

We're not really that into Oscar De La Hoya and we're not really that interested in which hotels he stays at. But when you dress up in what looks like a fishnet bodysuit and heels with a wig, and a fedora, posing like an extra in a Britney Spears video, well yeah, we wanna know what the frick you were doing.

It turns out Oscar posed for these wacky photos at the Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia and an erotic dancer snapped them, according to Ny Daily News.

The photos are being peddled by a Scores West dancer, according to R. Couri Hay, the Gotham magazine columnist who scored the first interview with the twentysomething woman.

"She says she took the photos at the Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia on May 17," Hay tells us. "I fully believe she is telling the truth. She had been reluctant to talk. But now that she's being called a liar, she's ready to sell her story. And, believe me, she has a lot of details."

Meanwhile, Oscar's reps are claiming the shots are totally photoshopped. Suuurree. One thing is for certain, these definitely took place in the Ritz. There's a shot in the bathtub and all the Ritz towels are lined up nicely along the side. Who needs sex toys in the minibar when you got Oscar?

[Photo: Towleroad]

Related Stories:
· In case you missed this knockout! [X17 Online]

/ / /

HotelChatter Flickr Pool :: Early Bird Gets the Ritz Breakfast

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 10 Avenue of the Arts [map], Philadelphia, PA, United States, 19102
August 24, 2006 at 1:26 PM | by | Comments (0)

Sometimes, it's worth it to get up at 7am while on vacation as Ckseid discovered while staying at the Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia recently.

Having breakfast alone at the Ritz! I was the first one there at 7am! Tea, juice, newspaper...ah! Perfect!

Related Stories:
· Breakfast at the Ritz [HotelChatter Flickr Pool]
· Ritz-Carlton  Philadelphia reviews [TripAdvisor]

Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy (Revised 08/01/2011). © Condé Nast Digital. All rights reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast Digital.
Ad Choices