Staying at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel, a 585-room hotel which was originally erected in 1932 as the PSFS (Philadelphia Savings Fund Society) Building, reminded me of an earlier time because the building does retain details of when the building was first built, from the sweeping stairway entrance to the lobby bank vault, inner hallways to the flooring. I really loved walking into the hotel because it does retain that the original detailing and makes it a truly unique architectural experience when you enter. And given this is a city with skyscrapers, don’t miss the view from the 33rd Terrace level, just breathtaking on a clear day.
Now the rooms on the other hand may not have all the original details but I felt the furniture did retain the essence of the period. Our room faced the Philadelphia skyline and was a beautiful sight to see every morning. Our king size bed was as plush and comfortable as you would expect a Loews hotel would have. I must admit, I loved lying on it every minute I could and what a restful sleep I got during my stay and the pillows just heavenly, not too soft and not to hard. Goldilocks would be happy. And the rooms come with the requisite robes but not the white terry cloth ones but these plush ones, super soft ones that I loved putting on after a long day of sight seeing.
The room comes equipped with Krug coffee maker which okay, I had trouble with reading directions was a nice touch to my morning routine. I always have to make a comment on this bugaboo I have with hotels not just Loews, but I find it annoying that they would try to sell me a bottle of water for $5.50.
For you people who actually workout on holidays, the fitness center looked amazing. It wasn’t one of those fitness centers that fits in your living room, there was actually space to move around, lots of treadmills and machines that were built for a real gym. There is also a pool which my daughter, of course, had to partake in every day. Now if you are a swimmer, be forewarned, the pool is long but has only two lanes so be prepared to have tons of kids during your workout. Also, the pool at it’s deepest is only four feet so no jumping for the kids.
Sadly I wasn’t able to take in a spa treatment at the full service health because I was with my daughter.
What I loved about The Loews Philadelphia is the location. It is is located in Center City near the Convention Center, just a 2 minute walk to the Reading Market, a 15 minute walk to the historical district and in the opposite direction about 15 minutes to the famous the LOVE Sign.
Finally, I can not say enough about how the courteous the staff was. The concierge (I wished I asked his name) was so nice and helpful during our stay, amazingly knowledgeable about every little question I had. He knew about every restaurant I asked about, the easiest way to get here and there. Just too nice. As was everyone else on the staff. Just a really pleasant experience with the staff at the Loews Philadelphia.
Location: Loews Philadelphia Hotel, 1200 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA
Contact: (215) 627-1200 or www.loewshotels.com
