- ademir
- First Reviewer
- Avg. Member Rating
- 20
- Reviews
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6
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Editor Pick
Omni William Penn Hotel
- October 15, 2008
- Rated 4 of 5 by
zabelle from Portland, Connecticut
When it comes to old world elegance you will be hard pressed to find any hotel lobby in Pittsburgh or almost anywhere else for that matter, that can surpass the Omni William Penn. You will be wowed from the moment you enter this Georgian gem with its classical design and ambiance. Wonderful chandeliers and comfortable groupings of chairs and sofas contrast with the modern amenities. Everywhere you look there are groups of people sitting using their laptops. Yesterday meets today in a very attractive way.
There are many unusual artifacts around the hotel one that we heard about but never found was Lawrence Welk’s bubble machine, it was designed by the engineers here at the William Penn. Another peice of trivia, It was at the William Penn that Bob Hope proposed to his beloved Delores.
There are a wide variety of room offerings.From the original 1000 rooms that the hotel had in 1916 today there are 596 much more spacious rooms. I had a double bedded room. It was a corner room so the views were interesting on all sides. I had three large windows. These three windows looking out over a fountain on one side, it was pink at night in honor of Breast Awareness Month.
There was a desk with a straight chair and comfortable boudoir chair in a brocade fabric. Because I am a select guest members I also had my preferred type of pillows, free internet access ($9.95 per day if you aren’t a member) and I also get a newspaper of my choice plus free early morning drink service (juice, coffee, tea or hot chocolate). It arrived at the perfect time every morning.
The bed was done with nice white bedding and there were plenty of pillows. The mattress was comfortable and I certainly slept well.
If you want to lounge around in your room there are two bathrobes in the very large closet as well as an ironing board and iron. Beware of drinking the water provided however, it is $5.00. There is a coffee maker with Wolfgang puck coffee and nice amenities in the bathroom. The shower had excellent pressure and plenty of hot water and the towels were plush.
The hotel offers turndown service, when I got back to my room there were chocolates on the night stand, my curtains had been drawn and there was music playing on the television, a very nice touch. Housekeeping was very good.
At the front desk there is fresh cold ice tea available all day as well as a large bowl of several varieties of apples. I was able to get into my room by 12:15 . If your room isn't ready they do offer to hold your luggage.
The hotel has three restaurants. The Terrace, The Palm Court and The Tap Room. The Palm Court serves afternoon tea from 2:30-4:30 Monday thru Saturday. There is also a Starbucks right off the lobby.
This is a beautiful historic hotel in a fantastic location and we all know it is all about location, location, location.
From journal Culture and Lights in Pittsburgh
Average hotel
- June 20, 2008
- Rated 3 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
We arrived at the William Penn expecting great things from the recent reviews on this site. However, when we pulled up to the hotel late in the evening, there was a large group of drunk people smoking at the entrance, and we had to wait 10 minutes for the valet to respond to our request.
The hotel lobby is absolutely gorgeous, a great location to relax and have a conversation. While our room was spacious, it was rather dimly lit and dull compared to the rest of the hotel. The bathroom looked like a remodel was in order as well.
We ordered room service twice during our visit, and the food was pretty tasty with speedy service (35 minutes or less!) Although we didn't have time to stop for the Sunday brunch, it looked really good as well.
Overall, we had expected a little more in terms of the room quality at this hotel, but the stay was still fairly enjoyable.
Top Notch hotel
- April 28, 2008
- Rated 5 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
My friend and I were down in Pittsburgh for a Steelers- 49ers game and had a blast the entire weekend. The staff was friendly and considerate. One of the best moments was when my friend realized we were staying in the same hotel as the 49ers (since I didn't tell him that was why I wanted to stay there). Even though I'm a Steeler fan, that was well worth the trip.
Great hotel, central location
- January 26, 2008
- Rated 5 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
Lovely room, though the view was of the adjacent building. Wireless internet in the rooms was a big help for activity planning. The hotel is near bus stops to go to the airport and other parts of the city (Oakland, Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, etc.)
Stuffy room
- September 29, 2007
- Rated 3 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
The room was extremely stuffy but the staff did attempt to purify the air in the room. Thank goodness they were able to open the window. The bed sheets were really rough and no dusting was done during our 3 day visit. Ordinarily that would be ok but when the window is open in a city dust builds up very quickly. Also the concierge did not provide information on getting around the city besides recommending an expensive taxi service.