ROAD WARRIOR SUPPORT

The generously-sized writing desk was part of the chest of drawers than ran alongside one wall.  The ergonomic desk chair was quite comfortable.

Reasonably speedy Internet access was $9.95 per day, but free for Hilton HHonors members, a nice touch.  Wi-Fi was accessible throughout the hotel.

The executive lounge was attended to by a friendly staff member, and breakfast was served on weekdays as were drinks and snacks in the evening.  The lounge itself was open all day.

Given its proximity to Kimmel Center and the Academy of Music, most of the meeting rooms follow a musical theme, including the Ormandy Balllroom, the Symphony Ballroom, and rooms named Minuet, Rhapsody, Overture, Concerto, and Aria.  The Assembly on Five is a high-tech space that can host meetings ranging from five to 90 people, with six breakout rooms and common areas.

During my stay, I went to the small but well-equipped gym several times.  The early wintry weather (snow flurries in October anyone?) didn’t make me think of lounging around the glass-enclosed pool, but swimmers will be able to enjoy excellent views of the city while doing laps.

The hotel’s proprietors also own the Wilma Theater, immediately adjacent to the hotel.  I often try to attend concerts or plays when visiting a city, and, a few days prior to my arrival, the play Our Class, by Tadeusz Slobodzianek, had its United States premiere.  The superbly staged play takes ten fictional classmates – five Jewish Poles and five Catholic Poles – from their youngest days as kids, to the time of the Soviet invasion, followed by the German invasion.

DINING

The Doubletree offers several excellent dining choices.  The Balcony, which offers a stellar of the Academy of Music and Broad Street, is open for breakfast and dinner.  Make sure you look carefully at the mural on the wall – it’s the Philadelphia Mummers parade, which goes past the hotel. The Standing O bistro and bar is an enjoyable place for a light meal before the theater, or for a drink.

Breakfast offers a rather complete buffet, as well as a menu of reasonably-priced options.  It was fun making my own waffles, and this was probably the most popular option on the menu.  The buffet itself included scrambled eggs, pancakes, French toast, bacon, sausage, breads, fruit, pastries, yogurt, and cereal.  Despite the fact that we were in the middle of Philadelphia, scrapple wasn’t on the menu (I asked, and the waiter reported back to me the next morning that the kitchen staff would try to bring it back).

For dinner, the Balcony assumes a much more formal air and the views are equally enjoyable as darkness descends upon the city.  The dinner menu is the epitome of hearty comfort food, with tasty appetizers such as macaroni and cheese, or sliders, and entrées that include lasagna and lump crab cakes.  My crab cakes arrived lukewarm, but the waiter quickly and very apologetically whisked them away, and they were replaced with hot ones a few minutes later.

BOTTOM LINE

The Doubletree combines excellent service with pleasant rooms and a location that can’t be beat.  The hotel is within walking distance of Philly’s best restaurants and shops, the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Independence Hall and the city’s historic district (make sure to visit the Liberty Bell and Betsy Ross House). Philly’s City Hall, once the world’s tallest habitable building, which straddles Broad and Market Streets and is topped by Alexander Milne Calder’s statue of William Penn, is down the block.

If you stay here, you’ll probably see the hotel’s general manager, Bill Fitzgerald.  During my stay he was everywhere, interacting with guests, answering questions, solving problems, greeting arriving sport teams.  His ethos and philosophy, which focus on putting the guest first, have clearly filtered down to every single employee at the hotel and it has obviously made a difference, one that will keep guests returning year after year, business trip after business trip.

Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Philadelphia
237 South Broad Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107
+1 215 893-1600
www.hilton.com

VIRTUAL TOURS

DOUBLETREE BY HILTON PHILADELPHIA – THE ROOM

DOUBLETREE BY HILTON PHILADELPHIA – DINING

DOUBLETREE BY HILTON PHILADELPHIA – MEETING SPACE

DOUBLETREE BY HILTON PHILADELPHIA – GRAND TOUR

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