The smell was familiar as I exited the elevator to the lobby, I had arrived at the Westin Philadelphia. The distinctive smell was courtesy of the candles surrounding the floral arrangement on the entry table. I was now instantly relaxed, the hell of the commute quickly recessing from my mind, as I knew my Heavenly Bed was only minutes away. With all the brands in the Starwood (SPG) portfolio of hotels, now owned by Marriott, the Westin seems to fit my lifestyle the best. Don’t be fooled, the travel industry has created and marketed lifestyle brands to align to your life (or the life you want to lead).
Location
The Westin Philadelphia location, just a few blocks from Rittenhouse Square, is fantastic on 17th street between the business buildings of Market Street and the shopping on Chestnut Street. 17th Street hosts the Westin, Kimpton Palomar, Sofitel Philadelphia, Club Quarters and the Radisson making it a great location from which to explore the city. City Hall’s Dilworth Park, with the famous “Love” statue is two blocks away as is the Comcast Center and Suburban Station. Reading Terminal Market (a must for any visit to Philly) is ten minutes’ walk to 12th & Filbert streets.
Shopping & Food
Pennsylvania is tax-free for clothes and shoes (sadly not handbags, Apple items or jewelry) so the Westin Philadelphia is in a perfect location to take advantage of the shopping nearby in Rittenhouse, along Walnut Street (Apple Store, Stuart Weitzman, Urban Outfitters, Zara, Lagos Jewelry, BlueMercury to name a few) and Chestnut Street (famous Philly boutiques such as Boyd’s, Joan Shepp and Knit Wit). The hotel entrance is next to the Shops at Liberty Place entrance, step inside to find Bloomingdale’s Outlet, a food court and the new Liberty Observation Tower in Two Liberty Place. Chestnut Street is anchored at 17th Street by Nordstrom Rack, Davio’s Steakhouse and a Rite Aid Pharmacy. Walk further down 17th street and turn onto Sansom Street for a plethora of food (Federal Donuts, Philly Soft Pretzels, Dizengoff Hummus, and Dandelion British Pub), spa (Adolph Biecker), craft beer (The Foodery) and wine (Tria Wine Bar) options.
Westin Philadelphia Parking
I drove to the hotel and chose to valet park ($54 – ridiculous I know but so convenient in this part of town). I was instantly greeted and welcomed to the hotel by staff. Normally, I’d park a few blocks away for less but with a tight time schedule and traffic upon arrival (note 17th is notorious for backups and it once took me more than an hour to go one block). There is self-parking in the building for about $41 but it’s my least favorite parking garages in the city so I go out of my way to avoid it. To retrieve your car from valet, you send a text with your ticket number and get a reply with the wait time. My reply was immediate and my car was waiting for me at check out.
Arrival
I’ve stayed at the Westin Philadelphia many times over the years so am familiar with the building (plus it was the Ritz Carlton eons ago when my firm used it for events). Upon arrival, you walk through the doors to the elevators to go up one floor to the hotel lobby. There are bellmen to greet you and assist with luggage.
Upon exiting the elevator, the smell as mentioned above greets you first as you walk to the desk. My check in was quick (photo ID check, credit card swipe), my SPG gold status recognized (I picked the points over drinks) and my room preference verified (quiet away from elevator, king bed). I was assigned a corner room on the 10th Floor (SPG Preferred Floor).
The Lobby – Lounge Area
The hotel hit “refresh” recently and the décor and color palette were updated along with the art to present a modern, affordable luxury hotel (I do miss the wood-paneled and fireplace of the best hidden bar in the city). If you didn’t know better you’d think the hotel stole a designer from the stylish boutique Kimpton Hotels (the Palomar is one block away). The artwork captures the history of the city through the founding fathers and a colorful, modern interpretation making this a departure from the other Westins I’ve stayed at. The lobby has three distinct areas – Winthrop & Valentine (a nod to the movie Trading Places but not my favorite name) restaurant and bar, a piano area and a separate seating area to meet, east and drink comfortably. The lobby provides free wi-fi, sadly, it costs $15.95 a night otherwise.
Westin Philadelphia – Standard King Room
The Preferred Floor has a set of standard rooms all about the same size based on the floor map. When I entered the room, a large closet is on the left with a bathroom on the right. The room has an entry table with a lamp and coffee machine (Starbucks coffee), television, minibar above and below, storage drawers and a desk on the left side of the room. On the right side of the room is the Westin Heavenly Bed (a bit lumpy upon arrival as you can see), side tables (each with outlets) as well as a reading chair and small table with overhead light. The views from the hotel aren’t great as its surrounded by buildings.
While I’m usually citing hotels for lack of style and personality as they are missing pictures and color, this room did not have those issues – it had personality and style and wasn’t a cookie cutter Westin. The rounded mirror, the wandering eyes of the bolster pillow, the script of the declaration of independence on the chair and the colors and print of the floor and accessories were quite pleasing for me.
The Heavenly Bed is really that heavenly. Westin is one of the pioneers of the hotel bed that folks want to buy and take home (Four Seasons I think was the first and now the Sofitel So Bed is also in the game), the Westin has created a crave-able home product. I can’t afford the whole bed (I’d never leave home) but have bought Heavenly Pillows and the Heavenly Sheet Set for just a bit of the luxury sleep experience at home. It’s really hard to leave the comfortable bed especially with the room darkening curtains and the quiet as I was at the end of the hall.
Heavenly Bathroom
The bathroom has been updated many times over the years, the layout hasn’t changed (I wish they would move the toilet quite frankly) but the décor is all Heavenly Bath – the robe, the towels and the waterfall shower (again, all available for purchase online). I was a bit taken aback at first that my favorite green leaf White Tea soap was gone, but relieved to see it only changed colors – from green to white and the packaging had a makeover too.
Welcome Surprise
Moments after swiping the keycard to enter the room, I had a knock on the door. When I opened the door, I was greeted by a hotel delivery of chocolate covered strawberries, a bottle of water and a personal welcome note that included my PhilaTravelGirl information and the hashtag #spglife. This was quite the surprise because I’d never received a welcome gift before. I was staying on points and had not contacted the hotel in advance. When I returned from dinner, a bottle of wine (white) was waiting for me on the front side table in a bucket of ice. Again a surprise. I appreciated this type of recognition but wasn’t sure if related to my profile or my interactions with the SPG twitter team on an issue for my upcoming London stay or part of the #spglife program. Either way, it’s always good to feel special (**note for the future – my perfect combo is Red Wine & Chocolate Chip Cookies).
Breakfast at Winthrop & Valentine
The on site hotel restaurant is fine to satisfy your food needs and late night cravings but it’s not a destination restaurant. Frankly, there are too many amazing Philly food finds right outside the hotel so go explore. For me, I enjoyed my American Breakfast ($14) which included: coffee (which I don’t drink), juice, two eggs any style, one meat (of course bacon!) with hash browns and toast. There isn’t much open in the area for breakfast at 6:30 a.m. when I was eating so this was fine choice.
Westin Philadelphia Rates
The Westin Philadelphia is a category 5 Marriott hotel now. Since this is a heavily booked business travel hotel in Philly for conferences, the prices do fluctuate during the week and surprisingly you might see them on Hotel Tonight (app only so use my referral code SWOLKO1 for $25 off your first booking of $135+) with an extra room or two on slower nights. The base rate is in the low $200 + tax per night but during events, I’ve seen it over $500 a night!
Overall Impression
The Westin Philadelphia continues to be one of my favorite hotels in the city. I always recommend it to visitors as the location is wonderful and the staff so very friendly. It’s consistent, quiet and relaxing in the center of all that I need in Philadelphia. Its modern luxury décor, Heavenly Bed/Bath and excellent staff are a winning combination for your travel needs.
]]>
For over thirty years, the hotel on the Parkway was the legendary Four Seasons Philadelphia. When word came last year that the Four Seasons was closing to move into the new Comcast Center in 2018, the travel/points message boards were guessing who would reflag the hotel. Most agreed that Philadelphia is lacking in luxury properties (the Four Seasons had seen better days in my opinion) and hoped that a luxury brand would move in. When it was announced the Logan Hotel would replace the Four Seasons, there was a collective – who? It was then that we realized that The Logan Hotel (cool website) is part of the Curio Collection of boutique hotels, a surprising affiliate of Hilton Hotels! Hilton has a swanky affordable luxury boutique collection? I was definitely surprised. Apparently, once I started researching the Curio Collection, I realized that I had recently stayed in a Curio hotel, well sort of, Hotel La Jolla, reflagged from Kimpton to Curio after my stay. Curio made my radar (as did the hashtag #citiesbycurio on social media) and definitely made me curious to see what the hotel brand is all about.
First Impressions
The first indication that this would be my kind of hotel was the announcement that Urban Farmer Steakhouse would be the hotel’s on-site restaurant. Having experienced this farm to table upscale steakhouse in Portland at The Nines Hotel, my taste buds were anticipating the new entry to the already exciting Philadelphia dining scene.
It was my dinner at Urban Farmer a few months ago that introduced me to The Logan Hotel. I valet parked and entered the hotel lobby, one that I had entered many times over the past twenty years for drinks, dinner, weddings and many client events. I literally stopped in my tracks with awe and wonder. The transformation of the former dead space lobby of the Four Seasons Philadelphia to the elevated lobby bar, fireplace and comfy couches was impressive. I could tell that the ghosts of the Four Seasons were gone even before I looked up at the unique lighting feature and then was met by the naked man (artwork) that welcomed me.
Walking further into the hotel lobby space, my memory flashed Four Seasons beige, marble and dark woods and hit “refresh” with the contemporary and inviting furniture and artwork. Local artwork, which I love, abounds in the common spaces. You might just pass it by but that’s a mistake – take time to read about the local artist and inspiration for the piece or ask a staff member to tell you more. I was very impressed with the new vision and execution. The building bones weren’t altered much that I could tell but kudos to the interior designers who have created a bespoke luxury boutique space that I want to hang out and meet friends.
As for my Urban Farmer dinner that nights? There’s a review from my first of many amazing meals (warning, don’t ready hungry). So what about the rooms? For the past few months, I’ve enjoyed meals at Urban Farmer and drinks in the lobby but it wasn’t until the hotel invited me to enjoy a staycation that I was able to experience the rooms and hotel amenities.
The Logan Hotel: Fabulous Location
On the Parkway, the hotel is in the middle of amazing art museums and attractions. In fact, I made it my goal to only go three blocks from the hotel on the weekend to see what we do (quite a lot). On Saturday, my friend and I would go to The Rodin Museum (a hidden gem in the city) and then the Franklin Institute Science Museum for the Pixar exhibit. For lunch and a snack, we settled on Le Pain Quotidien and Whole Foods behind the Barnes Foundation On Sunday, my friend enjoyed her free First Sunday visit at the Barnes (be prepared for lines for free tickets as capacity is controlled). With the Academy of Natural Science (can’t miss the big dinosaur outside) behind the hotel, the Free Library of Philadelphia (they have a secret rooftop view) across the street (sadly construction is ongoing on the Parkway until 2017) as well as the Cathedral, new Mormon Church and Three Sisters Park across the street you don’t need to go far to enjoy your visit. It can easily be an art weekend, arts & sciences visit but don’t forget we also have a bit of history and those steps to run up if you can tear yourself out of bed!
Arrival
The valet was quick to welcome me and offer assistance. With only an overnight bag, I was ok to get sorted on my own but there was ample staff if needed in the valet area. Walking into the hotel, I had the same gorgeous lobby bar view, this time packed with people on a wedding weekend and a group dinner meet-up. I made a right to find the front desk ahead (with a side table of water and newspapers available).
Check-in was a quick swipe of my credit card and I was off to the elevators. (note: I was responsible for food, drink, spa charges as the hotel provided room, tax and thankfully overnight parking which runs a steep $55 a night). The elevator bank has two elevators for hotel guests and a third elevator roped off for the rooftop bar, Assembly. The hotel has a separate entrance for Assembly where they check ID and have security to monitor and control capacity.
My Double Room with A View
Having stayed a few times at the Four Seasons, one vivid memory is the unusually long hallway corridor (made even longer after too many drinks when your room is the last one at the end). This visit, my room was closer to the elevators so made for a short walk. The color palette is dark contemporary with splashes of art here and there.
As I opened the door, I could see out the window to the fantastic view and a welcome from the hotel staff even before I looked at anything else in the room. Walking into the room, the bathroom is on the right, large closet on the left and the bedroom ahead. I know that the view was an upgraded room from the basic room booking.
The bedroom definitely felt “boutique hotel” in design with the warmth of the leather headboard, colors of the bedding and prints above each bed. The bed was comfy in the “do I really need to leave” kind of way and the room darkening curtains perfect to not let a peep of light in. Relaxing is how I felt.
There were a few heavy furniture pieces in the room – the mini refrigerator with Keurig on top, the drawers under the television and the desk. A plaid chair and small table sat by the window next to the connecting door. One odd note was the settee next to the television without a photo or print above – it was an empty space in need of balance.
The Bathroom
The bathroom was a large space decorated with local artist prints that continued the hotels nod to the history of Philadelphia. A penny for your thoughts of this art….
The toiletries were branded by the hotel so while they smelled familiar, I couldn’t place the brand even with the greenish hue. No need to be toiletry snob here or play toiletry chipmunk. The plush white towels were set for one person and a quick call to housekeeping had not one but two staff show up within ten minutes with towels (I felt bad sending the second guy away but didn’t want to waste towels). Water pressure was good and I had to laugh when my friend didn’t understand the full and half flush options on the toilet.
Surprises in the Room
Fun Surprise – The Logan Hotel has continued its nod to Philadelphia by replacing the White Hotel Robes with Rocky Robes. This famous Philadelphia movie made epic with a run up the Art Museum steps not far from the hotel was inspiration for the boxer inspired amenity. When I put it on with the hood, I started punching the air and pretended to be Rocky – silly fun for all.
Welcome Surprise – two small bottles of water complimentary. This is always a bonus in my book.
VIP Surprise – The bottle of wine, charcuterie, jars of nuts and caramel popcorn with welcome note were a nice touch and help me envision how a client/VIP can be received at the hotel. For those of us who plan meetings or have business clients to welcome, this was good to experience.
Bad Surprise – As the hotel was renovated, sadly they couldn’t make major changes so the room lacks enough plugs in my opinion. I like to charge my phone next to the bed but had to plug-in at the desk so when my alarm rang, I had to get out of bed to hit the snooze button. I’ve seen other older hotels address this differently so I was surprised. As for the Wi-Fi (free to HHilton members), the front desk had to help me connect to a different hotspot as my location in the hotel wasn’t connecting to the main Wi-Fi. It was a quick call to fix and after that the Wi-Fi was great in room throughout the stay.
Unique Room Service by Urban Farmer
So I’m still not sure how I feel about the room service. I’m the girl who has spent many meals in my travels utilizing room service in other full service hotels where the delivery is done via a tray or cart and set up on the desk or table to enjoy. My friend picked up takeaway at the local Whole Foods just two blocks away, so rather than eat alone in the restaurant, I ordered room service. At The Logan Hotel, Urban Farmer send staff (quite quickly) to your room with a takeaway bag. Your food is in a recyclable brown bag and containers with plastic utensils and condiments. I was surprised by this and yet it made sense – my delivery was just like at home or at limited service hotels when the delivery guy brings the food to your door. My food was hot and tasty but the room service experience wasn’t like any in my past. So I’m torn if I like the casual and practical approach of the room service, think a full service hotel should go traditional or if I hated it and would next time just go to Urban Farmer and eat at the bar. Your thoughts?
Breakfast at Urban Farmer
My friend and I enjoyed a wonderful breakfast at Urban Farmer before heading out to our day of museum exploration.
Assembly, The Logan Hotel Rooftop Bar
One of the best decisions that hotel made was to utilize its rooftop space to take advantage of iconic Philadelphia views on the Parkway. While not skyscraper high in the sky, it’s just enough to lift your spirits from the cityscape and enjoy drinks and snacks with friends in a unique setting. Assembly is the new entrant in the Philadelphia rooftop bar space which now numbers maybe five? Visiting on a Friday at Happy Hour, it was the right amount of crowded that still left space to walk around, find a table along the rail and enjoy fresh air and cocktails. While taking photos, I was chatting with a few locals who were meeting friends before dinner. It’s a mix of locals and hotel guests.
The Logan Hotel Spa, Pool and Gym
In Philadelphia, there are four hotels with pools, the Logan Hotel is one of them. The lower level also houses the hotel spa and the gym which has two rooms – one with equipment and the other treadmills.
Hidden Spots in the Hotel
While the pool and rooftop bar are nice treats, I discovered the one room I didn’t know existed. The Billiards room is off to the left as you enter the lobby. This was formerly a small gift shop when it was the Four Seasons but now it is a private space open to guest (and events). With a fireplace view, inviting couch and pool table you can enjoy a quiet read of your book or play a game of pool.
Another hidden spot is the garden terrace with waterfall view. The lobby bar has a door to the terrace to enjoy your drinks outside in the courtyard. As the hotel is part of an office complex, the view is of the hotel and office building but there is landscaping and a water feature that makes this a quiet escape.
Overall – The Logan Hotel
The Logan Hotel has definitely made it’s mark quickly in Philadelphia offering a product that is affordable luxury in a boutique setting while showcasing the history of the city throughout the hotel with local art. If you remember the Four Seasons, you will be amazed by the transformation, if you are new to the city, then this hotel is a wonderful boutique hotel option for you. If you are local, this is a great meeting spot for dinner and drinks or an overnight staycation getaway. If you are a HHonors member, then you finally have a boutique property to elevate your stay in the city. As someone who is not a Hilton fan, the Logan Hotel has me excited to look at the Curio Collection of unique boutique hotels for my next stay in Philly and throughout the U.S.
As mentioned above, I was a guest of The Logan Hotel, a Curio Collection Hotel by Hilton, for the weekend staycation in Philadelphia. I was responsible for my food & beverage costs. As always, my opinions are uniquely mine – I’d stay here again with my own money but would park elsewhere as I do with other Philly hotel stays (all U.S. hotels generally charge too much for overnight parking in my opinion).
]]>
What do you do when your hotel points are about to expire? For me, I booked a room at the Philadelphia Hyatt at the Bellevue for an overnight staycation (locals just say the Bellevue Hotel). As part of my year-end review of miles, points and credit cards, I realized that I had a free stay award as part of my Hyatt credit card annual fee. It was good for category 1-4 and I tried in vain to use it in New York when I attended the NY Times Travel Show and decided to cancel the credit card as the benefit did not outweigh the annual cost. There are no hotels in New York City in those categories. So with less than a week until the free night expired, I figured why not stay in Philadelphia, meet a friend for dinner and then avoid the drive home by staying at the Hyatt.
When I went to book the hotel, the photos did give me pause as the décor was so very outdated. I also read that the hotel was undergoing renovations every day of the week with times listed when work would begin and end. So I took my chance and booked my award night online.
Location
The location at Broad & Walnut is perfect to wander up Walnut to shop, or up Market to City Hall or down Walnut toward the Historic Area (Liberty Bell, Independence Park, Constitution Center, etc.). If you are attending a sporting event or concert in Philly at the many stadiums, the Broad Street subway entrance is right outside the hotel. Also outside the hotel is a Philly favorite, Wawa! Wawa is our go to convenience store for coffee, hoagies (you might call them subs but please don’t) and everything else you need to keep your stomach happy. If you ask a Philly person what they miss while traveling or if they’ve moved out of the area -the answer is usually Wawa!
Arrival
I parked in the adjacent parking garage that I know all too well having visited the Shops (and Spa) at the Bellevue for most of my adult life. The shops include Teuscher Chocolates (yum!), Ralph Lauren, Nicole Miller, a food court in the basement, a Williams Sonoma and The Palm Steakhouse. The overnight parking fee would be $32 so I parked on my own rather than pay more for valet. I just had an overnight bag so didn’t need any help.
Lobby
I’m familiar with the lobby of the historic building built in 1904 as the Bellevue Stratford. The look and feel is hard to escape given the buildings’ history – the large windows, grand ballroom and incredible architecture both inside and out. I was instantly welcomed and I asked for “a renovated room if possible”. A king room was found on the 17th floor (room 1734) and I was given a hotel sheet with all pertinent information (restaurant times, room service times, gym, etc.) as well as a coupon for the Spa at the Bellevue in the lower level.
My Renovated King Room
The lobby elevators serve all floors up to the restaurant XIX Nineteen. I exited on the 17th floor and did a bit of a wander as my room was hidden around the corner in what could be connecting rooms if the master doors are shut. The brown and crème décor with a pop of color from the prints on the wall was a big change from the old décor.
When I opened the door I was immediately in the room (no hallway) which is a bit disconcerting but the massively high ceilings and windows were quite welcoming. The room could use some art over the bed in my opinion.
The room had two chairs, a table, a flat screen on the wall and a two free bottle of water along with the in room coffee maker supplied with Starbucks coffee.
You could tell the closet was original and they had no idea how to use it but to keep it the same – I think in NYC this could qualify as a bedroom (ok, kidding). It was big with an ironing board, iron and lots of room.
The Renovated Bathroom
The bathroom is small but functional with the newly renovated walk in shower and the nicely appointed amenities in the ladder like furniture piece. The hairdryer was easy to find under the open sink. The toiletries were ok.
A View of Philly
The windows open (signs of an older hotel) and were covered not with a room darkening shade or curtains but by shutters. I had a good view of the sunset over the city and later the nighttime lights in the buildings. My shutters didn’t quite fully shut so I had light in the room during the night (I reported to the front desk to address).
The Restaurant – XIX Nineteen
I’ve dined in XIX Nineteen many times over the years, attended many events here and love the hidden bar with fireplace. The service has always been good as has the food. For breakfast, I asked my server if I should get the “healthy eggs” or the “sinful buttermilk pancakes” – she replied “go with the sin” and I was quite happy to indulge in the pancakes ($12).
The Sporting Club at the Bellevue
Free access to the Sporting Club at the Bellevue is a FANTASTIC benefit of your stay at the Philadelphia Hyatt at the Bellevue. Members are locals and include some famous Philly folks in the massive 93,000 sq ft space. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to use the facilities which include a gym, indoor running track, basketball court, pools and many other options. I’ve tours the facilities before and was very impressed – you could spend all day here and never leave the hotel building.
Renovations
The renovations are still ongoing so make sure to request a “renovated room”, it appears that the common spaces will be done last. I believe all work is scheduled to be completed in April 2016.
Overall Impression of the Philadelphia Hyatt at the Bellevue
For a quick one night staycation, the renovated Philadelphia Hyatt at the Bellevue was perfect. It’s a four star hotel with friendly five star service (Philly doesn’t really have any five star hotels yet in my opinion). The weekends are quite busy at the hotel with many weddings (the ballroom is gorgeous) and private parties. Despite being quite crowded, I heard no noise and slept great, that alone puts the hotel on my good list. It was my first stay at the hotel but won’t be my last as I enjoy a good staycation and playing tourist in my own town of Philadelphia.
