We were pretty disappointed when we first got to our room at the Rittenhouse. It just feels dated and sort of "old lady" styling. And there were some maintenance issues, like an electrical outlet wall plate that was hanging on its side, and a sink faucet in the bathroom that looked like the original had been removed and a very cheap RV-style plastic one had been put in its place. Little things that make you feel like the hotel may not be doing well and the owner is trying not to spend money maintaining it.
After a night at the hotel, it grows on you a bit. The view of Rittenhouse Square is great. And the decor, while not our style, was "nice."
If you prefer contemporary hotels, the Rittenhouse is not for you. But if you like doilies and mahogany poster beds and that sort of thing, then you should be ok.
The front desk staff was responsive when we spoke to them, but didn't do anything to really impress us. We had stayed at the Four Seasons in Baltimore the night before and their staff blew us away by remembering our names and anticipating our needs. Not so at the Rittenhouse -- this felt more like a stay at a Sheraton than a luxury hotel, which the Rittenhouse bills itself as.
We valet parked our car at the hotel and that turned out to be a problem. They said to call down about 10 minutes before you need your car, which we did. But it ended up taking 30 minutes before our car came. Nobody came and apologized or even acknolwedged the delay. After I mentioned something, one of the valets said "it was on the way" but again didn't offer any kind of apology or explanation. Another 10 minutes and another complaint by me yielded nothing. Finally it showed up and the guy driving our car didn't apologize or anything. I went into the hotel and complained to the front desk, and thankfully they removed the overnight parking charge, which made me feel better. But be warned about parking and possibly consider parking yourself at a nearby garage.
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