City Hall / Center City

Residence Inn Philadelphia Center City

★★★★★

The Residence Inn Philadelphia Center City solves the two biggest problems of a family trip to a big city: space and food. Every room is a suite with a fully equipped kitchen and a separate living area, so parents are not tiptoeing around sleeping children at nine at night, and a full hot breakfast is included every morning, which takes a real bite out of the daily budget. The hotel occupies a historic landmark building at One East Penn Square, facing City Hall across the plaza, and some suites look straight out at the City Hall tower and William Penn's statue. The location is as central as Philadelphia gets: City Hall and Dilworth Park, with its seasonal fountains and winter rink, are across the street; Reading Terminal Market is about two blocks east, meaning you can shop for groceries and local treats for your kitchen; the Pennsylvania Convention Center is two blocks away; and the subway, trolley and regional rail lines, including the airport train, converge under City Hall and at Jefferson Station nearby. A 24-hour fitness center, meeting spaces and a pet-friendly policy round out the amenities. Know the details: there is no pool; parking is by valet at a daily fee, with a low garage height limit; and the minimum check-in age is 21. The hotel's mix of extended-stay comfort and a landmark setting suits families, longer stays, medical travelers and anyone who likes to cook a few of their own meals.

Making it work for a family: shop at Reading Terminal Market on the first afternoon for breakfast extras, fruit, snacks and a deli dinner to eat in the suite. The free hot breakfast covers mornings, and the kitchen saves money and stress on nights when the kids are too tired for a restaurant. Walk across to Dilworth Park for the fountains in summer or the rink in winter, and from there everything is close: the Parkway museums and Franklin Institute about fifteen minutes northwest, the Independence Mall sites about fifteen to twenty minutes east, and Rittenhouse Square ten minutes southwest.

Room craft: ask for a suite with a City Hall view; the tower lit at night is one of the city's great sights. Larger families should book a suite configuration with a sofa bed and confirm occupancy when reserving. Pet owners pay a daily fee with a cap per stay. If you are driving, the valet charge adds up over a longer stay, so consider arriving by train; Amtrak's 30th Street Station is a short regional rail or subway ride away, and the airport line stops underneath the city center.

Who it suits: families who want space and kitchens, longer stays, travelers visiting the city's hospitals or universities, foodies who will be in Reading Terminal Market daily, and anyone who prefers a suite to a standard room. Families who need a pool should look at the Sonesta in summer or AKA University City year-round. For a central, practical, breakfast-included suite hotel, the Residence Inn is one of the best-value choices in Center City.