I was looking for a great location in Philadelphia and also a great price. The beautifully restored Courtyard by Marriott filled the bill in every way. It is a gorgeous 1926 building that is listed on the National Register of Historic places, with all the charm that anyone could ask for. The lobby is luxurious and if you are thirsty there are two glass containers of iced drinks available all day.
This is a large hotel all of 18 stories with 498 room and suites. There are two sets of beautiful brass elevators one at each end of the building.
This was a first time stay for us at this location. When I began looking for a place to stay it seemed s if all the hotels were just too expensive. I was amazed to get this one for $119. It was a rate that I had to prepay bit it was more then $50 cheaper than any other hotel I looked at. What almost discouraged me was the $42 parking charge. That seems outrageous. It is outrageous but even though most hotels charged much less for parking their rooms were more expensive. This rate really was the best there was for this 3rd weekend of July 2008.
We had a room on the 12th floor and I had asked for a corner room. We were not one of the main corners but we had windows on two sides so we were indeed a corner. When we looked out one set of our windows we could see the statue of William Penn atop City Hall up close and quite personal.
Our room was spacious and well appointed. We had two queen sized beds with all white luxury bedding. There was a chenille throw across the foot in case you wanted to cover up when you were laying on the bed.
In addition there was a comfortable chair, an armoire with TV and a desk and chair. There is high speed Ethernet available but not Wifi. There is a business center off of the front lobby if you didn’t bring your own computer.
The sink has a granite counter and is outside the bathroom. It holds the Coffee maker which is a one cup pod type. There were all the usual amenities, shampoos, lotions etc.
There is a restaurant call The Annex and they also offer room service.
The hotel has a pool, hot tube and a workout room.
Parking is valet and they were very quick to welcome us when we arrived and were more than punctual in getting us our car when we were ready to leave.
I liked this hotel very much, it is very convenient for walking almost anywhere. The Reading Terminal Market is only a block away as is the Hard Rock Café and St. John Church. What more could we ask for?