I recently spent a long weekend at Ritz Carlton Philadelphia with the kids. We jumped in the car, drove the few short hours to the City of Brotherly Love and landed at this historical yet extremely cozy hotel. Located right by City Hall, Love Park and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, it’s a reminder of a nation’s birth with its grand use of architecture. The building was originally Girard Trust Company, which became Girard Corn Exchange in 1951; Girard Bank in 1970; Mellon Bank in 1984, and finally The Ritz-Carlton in 2000. We felt the enormous amount of history every which we looked, as well as its elegance with the hotel’s choice of decor of marble floors, rotundas, high ceilings and classic portraits.
When it comes to family travel, you really can’t beat staying at the Ritz Carlton. Kids are indulged as soon as they enter the establishment with a glass of sparkling cider. I was also indulged, by the way, with a glass of champagne, and my eyes were instantly swept by the opulence of the lobby, where a duo was playing and singing jazzy love songs.
The Ritz clearly trains their staff to make guests feel right at home. From Philadelphia-favorite Peanut Chew candies on the counter at reception to an all day shoe shiner, the hotel goes out of the way to make their clientele happy. The rooms were made with comfort in mind and are extremely spacious for families traveling with children. Their onsite dining is plentiful, and many partake in the club suite on the 30th floor.
After we were given the full low-down on the hotel, we headed to our room. We chose to locate it on our own, but we were certainly given the option of being escorted. The decor was classic, with comfortable linens and soothing colors adorning the walls and floors.
We first noticed the most beautiful view of the city. It is very easy to understand the significance of this American city just by looking out the window. Our room offered a King sized bed, marble bathrooms with a rainforest shower head, plush terry cloth robes, a 40″ inch flat-panel HD TV, Wifi and as mentioned, access to the Club Lounge where we had constant culinary offerings throughout the day and access to a computer station − it was the perfect place to come back to after an excursion for a snack, cup of tea and a splash of breakfast. The Lounge provided a dose of ease for the weekend – I didn’t have to worry about much of anything.
We spent our first night hanging out in Love Park, watching break dancers, posing under the sign and strolling to nearby Rittenhouse Square for a bit of shopping. The next day we ventured to Federal Donuts, a short walk away, and then to Spruce Street Harbor Park for a day on the water and loungy time in hammocks. And when our days were done, the hotel was the perfect destination to come back to at the end of the day.
The Ritz offers vacation packages to make a trip more affordable. The Stay and Play package is geared towards family travel, which includes tickets to the Please Touch Museum, a great museum for kids. The Two Nights in the City package offers a couple or pair art, history, food, and culture with a two-night stay.
I highly recommend a weekend visit to Ritz Carlton Philadelphia with – or without – the kids. From outstanding customer service, to being right next to an abundance of culture and history, you can’t do better than this for a Philadelphia family getaway. It’s a city that begs to be explored and a hotel that demands to be booked at least once.
Disclosure: My stay at the Ritz Carlton was complimentary to facilitate this review but all opinions are my own.
Follow
What a beautiful hotel. I’ll have to remember them the next time I go to Philly!
Thanks for giving a new perspective on Philly!