I believe hotel was recently renovated or updated. My room was lovely and a real treat to have an iPAD! I do not own one, so I spent a lot of time exploring its features. Right on U. of Penn campus, so convenient if you are visiting or have business there. Breakfast was an additional charge ($18 for full, $11 for continental), and was fine -- made to order omelets and waffles, good coffee cake and muffins.

We booked a one-bedroom suite and were upgraded to one of the premium suites, which was a large reception room with a large-screen tv and a little kitchen with a bedroom connected to it. There is another room that can also be connected, to make it a two bedroom suite. I was told this was used often for weddings and I think it would be splendid for that because there's plenty of space and the furnishings are very comfortable and great for a group. It also would make a nice suite for a group traveling together on business for entertaining or casual meetings. The one-bedroom unit was very nice, with quality furnishings and a very comfortable king bed. The bath was a very large walk-in shower. There is good lighting in the bathroom and a make-up mirror is provided. I asked to see the one-bedroom suite that I had booked and I would have been perfectly happy with that. There is a nice bedroom, with a door that separates it from the living room and the living room has a couch, chairs, and a small dining table with four chairs. The bathroom is off of the LR, not the BR and has a large walk-in shower. This would be very nice for any guest but I think it would have been just fine for us and it would be great for a college visit in that the couch is a sleeper sofa.

The hotel is on the corner of a somewhat busy street but we were not bothered by street noise. It is a non-smoking hotel and does not smell of smoke or mustiness. My request to have the down pillows and comforter removed and replaced was met cheerfully and the switch was completed promptly. The staff is very capable and pleasant and that is particularly important because there is not a lot of room to park and we really needed assistance from the valet and the bellman to deal with the luggage and the parking.

The location is excellent, particularly if you are visiting Penn or attending an event there. It's easy to walk around the neighborhood and there are stores and restaurants nearby.

I don't think this would be a particularly good hotel for a vacation with a bunch of children. That's not to say small children wouldn't be comfortable, but it does have a formal and business-like atmosphere and there isn't a lot of space for running around.

One thing of note is that the furniture is quite large. What I mean to say is that tall people will like the chairs. I rarely see furniture that can accommodate tall and large people in a hotel and I think some of the taller travelers will be thrilled to find that every room has at least one large armchair to stretch out in.

And, the coffee is good.

Beautiful room but not large. Comfortable beds. Well appointed bathrooms.
Breakfast was delicious.

Valet parking is very expensive. This is the big negative about this hotel.
Walking distance to U Penn. Must drive to downtown Philadelphia.

This hotel was a very pleasant surprise and really improved our first trip to the city. We were expecting standard comfort and were instead treated to spacious, modern (with iPads!) and quiet room. The room felt almost luxurious, and certainly better than many so-called five-star that we've been to. The staff was courteous and efficient. The hotel location was really convenient. We will come back!