Just returned from another enjoyable stay at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown. I was on the 17th floor this time; the even-numbered rooms on the upper floors seem to be the ones with the best views of City Hall, the William Penn statue, etc. My room was newly renovated - I rode the elevator with a hotel staff member who was giving a VIP a tour of the hotel and heard him say that the entire hotel has now been renovated. My room was beautiful, modern and very comfortable. Unlike my last stay, my room this time did have a safe - still no minibar or refrigerator though. The only suggestion I would have would be to ditch the pre-assembled packets with minimal sugar and powdered creamer (gross), and just provide loose packets of sweeteners and liquid creamer. What's there isn't enough, and the packets create waste since anything you don't use in the packet must be thrown away. Granted, there is a Starbucks in the lobby. :) Once again, I appreciated the prime location - across the street from the Reading Terminal (and a 7-Eleven, very convenient for snacks and drinks or if you forgot toiletries) and easy walking distance to a multitude of restaurants, shopping, etc. (you can also walk to the historic Independence Hall area about 10 blocks away, a really nice walk in good weather). My meeting was at the conference center, an easy 3-minute walk from the hotel since they're connected by an enclosed bridge. The concierge was excellent - we asked for a dinner recommendation and told him that we wanted to avoid chain restaurants. He sent us to Chifa (707 Chestnut St), which was fabulous - Peruvian Cantonese fusion, adventurous food, and a cozy, stylish atmosphere (casual dress OK).
In general, it's hard to find anything to complain about at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown; I look forward to staying here again.
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