The Omni Hotel is upscale, offering 150 lovely rooms and a few suites. It offers all of the amenities that you would expect from a pricey place. My room, #210, included two double beds, two large chairs with a table, a desk, TV in a nice cabinet, large dresser, mini bar, entry table, two terry bathrobes, an umbrella, average-sized shower/tub, coffee maker, hair dryer, and lighted magnifying mirror. The toiletries were fantastic and included Institute Swiss-brand shampoo, conditioner, lotion, mouthwash, shower cap, sewing kit, and a glass jar with packets of cotton swabs and cotton balls. They also include a lint-lifter sheet from Neutrogena--something I had never seen before! The soaps are a Ginseng Clarifying Bar for the bath and Comfrey Clarifying Bar for the face. The coffee also included an assortment of teas and three small half-and-half cups. They offer free wireless Internet, but it ran a bit slowly and had low signal strength.
When I arrived in my first room, #203, I discovered the window was close to falling out and my heat didn’t work. After about 15 minutes with maintenance, I decided it would be easier to just change rooms. These problems reminded me that this hotel isn’t exactly new. I guess I had expected everything to be just perfect, but that really wasn’t the case.
The concierge was very helpful, marking up my map and giving me clear walking directions to the sights. The bellman, valet, and the front desk were polite, but not particularly warm. Valet is available for $25 a day, or you can park in the adjacent lot for $21.50 per day. The hotel has a restaurant, a gift shop, a fitness center with indoor lap pool, sauna, and whirlpool, and 24-hour room service, where I enjoyed a pretty good low-carb chicken dish.
This hotel is conveniently located within the historic area of Philadelphia. I couldn't imagine a better spot for sightseeing. It is across the street from Independence National Historical Park, which means it has a nice view of green grass and trees. This is a nice contrast to the building filled streets everywhere else around. The street in front of the hotel is very busy, so you can hear some street noise in the room. The rooms also have connecting doors to the next room, and you can hear a muffled conversation from next door.
Within one or two blocks, you can walk to all the major historic sights. The 2nd Bank of the U.S. is across the street, and Independence Hall is next to that. Surrounding the hotel, you will find Old City Hall, Carpenters’ Hall, and the National Liberty Museum. You can easily walk to all of these places.
The Omni is easy to miss, as it hides amongst many buildings. It is on the corner of Chestnut and 4th, but with one-ways, you need to access it from 5th Street, turning right onto Chestnut Street.