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Marriott Philadelphia Downtown
Rating Details »
Categories: Venues & Event Spaces, Hotels [Edit]
Neighborhood: Market East1201 Market St
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 928-2159
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34 reviews for Marriott Philadelphia Downtown
Stefanie W. and I stayed here for the Roller Derby nationals this past October and I was very please with my experience. First off the location was great. It was very centrally located and convenient to get to anything. It is attached to the convention center so we didn't have to leave the building to get to the event. It's also right across from Reading Terminal Market (yay!) so I could very easily get my daily cheese steak breakfast. It was also attached to the train from the airport. We almost didn't have to leave the building the entire trip! The place is huge.
The room was clean and spacious and the cleaning service was helpful when we needed them. There was a decent lobby bar, a Starbucks, a hair salon, and another restaurant in the lobby.
We got a great priceline rate for a few days ($54+tax) and then the derby rate ($99+tax) for the other days so it was very worth the price we paid. The only negatives I can say is that one front desk guy had a bit of an attitude with us and I had to pay $13 a day for internet. Otherwise loved it.
We used Priceline to get our hotel (ummm hello...its a recession!) so we were able to get the room at a good rate, which was a definite bonus. I do have one major complaint was the "customer service" at the front desk upon her noticing that we used Priceline to book the room. Excuse me Ms., but I bet if you could either book a room for $150 or $60 you would choose the latter. In addition to this I am a Marriott Rewards Platinum member so I made sure to contact the company and let them know just how welcoming they weren't.
The rooms were decent and the bed, super comfortable! Bathroom was large and I always love the Bath & Body works shampoo, conditioner and lotion.
The pool is ok, but a hot tub would be a well advised investment. The fitness center is actually pretty decent with a good amount of cardio machines, free weights, weight machines, etc...
I'd stay here again but it won't be my first choice. The lady at the front desk really rubbed me the wrong way and I don't think I would every actually pay full rate for this hotel as it is not anything special.
3.5
Glad I was here for business and therefore didn't pay out of pocket. When the Ritz told me they were full but referred me to this Marriott, I figured it'd be on the same level as the Ritz. Nope, not so. Yeah the lobby is big, bright, and kind of fancy, but the room was another story. The good: The bed was comfortable.
The eh: The bathroom (no vent? it got kind of steamy in there)
TV too low
The "bad": I was about to jump in the shower and I heard a knock on my door (it was about 4:30ish). A maintenance woman said she needed to check to make sure my A/C wasn't leaking. Um, check-in is 4....you mean to tell me they didn't have a chance to do this before I got to my room??? I just didn't get it. And as a single woman traveler, I thought it was a bit shady (thank goodness the maintenance person was a woman, too or I'd knock it down a star).
This was our second stay at the Marriott Philly Downtown. I will preface the following with everything was eventually resolved in our favor, BUT...
When we first got there, we were given a third floor drafty room near a conference room. When we got inside, we could instantly tell it was a former smoking room. It smelled like it had never been aired out before. We called to complain, and were given the options of a double bed room and a Murphy King, or to stay in our smelly room and have it sprayed down. We decided to discuss and call them back. These were not our options. As Marriott Rewards members, we wanted a high floor and a queen/king bed.
We called back and (thankfully) another person answered the phone. She (I wish we could remember her name--she was awesome) instantly put us in an upgraded room after inspecting the room herself and realizing our situation. We had trouble with the room-ready internet. The tech man was there within 5 minutes to help. After these initial speedbumps, our stay was wonderful.
The reason for a three and not a four is that while our situation was taken care of, it would have not been if we had dealed with the same person who gave us poor options. The customer service is inconsistent and depends on the person who is serving you. With that being said, we will stay there again, but will definitely make sure to kick and scream if we don't get we want.
Meh, stay here if you need easy access to the convention center, conveniently connected by a sky bridge.
Otherwise, the walls are way too thin and the rooms are not memorable.
Two stars because the location is great, but a little research will probably lead you to a better hotel choice.
The Marriott is in a GREAT LOCATION but the room was just ok. The room was clean and the bed was comfy but internet service was an additional $12.95/day and parking was an addnl $43/day. I've been to better Marriotts. Oh yah, no fridge in the room either.
As conference venues go, I have to say the Marriott Philadelphia Downtown is pretty crappy. All the meeting rooms are too small; if you combine them together, you get a very long and narrow room that makes the people in the back feel like they're not even participating. The ballroom is a pretty decent size, as is the exhibit hall, but the congregation areas on the 4th and 5th floors (outside those rooms) are ridiculously long and the escalators are inconvenient. The main lobby has lots of great chairs - I even took a nap on one, since I'm staying with friends while attending this conference - but needs more outlets. The restaurant (13) and bar (Circ) are jaw-droppingly overpriced. $9.50 for a vodka diet? $6 for a tiny bit of hummus? Seriously? And the wifi...I didn't even bother. $13 PER DAY for non-hotel guests. I've heard rumors that the parking is $45/day but I've been using public lots and garages instead, there are a million around. The Starbucks in the lobby is priced normally and has lots of seating. The official conference center is convenient to get to from inside. Reading Terminal Market is right across the street for lunch, but you'll have to go elsewhere for dinner because it closes at 6pm.
I'll be back next year for another conference and I'll be staying in a room that time, so I'll definitely update my review then.
I stayed at the Downtown Marriot for a conference last week. First let me say that the beds are ridiculously comfortable! You never want to get out of them! I never actually ordered room service because all meals were covered. However, the food itself was relatively tasty. I only say this because I am a vegetarian, and conference-food doesn't necessarily cater to vegetarians. But, I never had any trouble finding food in the Reading Market which is literally a less than a 2 minute walk from the Hotel.
Their pool is small. I love their gym. It has good machines and you can get a pretty decent if not equivalent workout there. Guys - please note - obviously if you are the iron-pumping type, this gym will not work for you.
I also like the fact that you get the newspaper right at your door every morning. It's usually USA Today but I saw the Wall Street Journal in front of few doors (confession - I swapped my USA Today with their WSJ! ) But, I think you can probably request a change in what newspaper you get.
The downtown Marriot is a big hotel that caters mostly to conferences and such. I'm sure there are people there not attending any conferences, but be prepared to see A LOT of people wearing nametags, etc. If you are looking for a romantic experience, this hotel might not be for you. Moreover, it is quite expensive. Especially considering that the bathrooms are nothing to write home about.
Review is based on the Bar/Restaurant.
While I'm grateful that this place was open so that my colleague and I could have a late night pow-wow before teaching on Weds., I don't really have a whole lot more to compliment. My colleague ordered the Philly cheesesteak and he let me try some - it was decent. I ordered the cheesecake with cherries - TINY ASS PIECE OF CHEESE cake with a few cherries on it. I guess that's good given that I didn't like the cheesecake. But the cherries were good. : )
I guess I'll have better luck next time!
Not a bad hotel to stay at in Philadelphia, it has a great central location in the heart of downtown. I can't really say much about the price becaue I got a wonderful price on priceline. Issues...the rooms are a litte outdated, so the bed sits higher than the television this is a major issue if you need the tv on to fall asleep. Next issue, the price to park is 35 dollars per night. So I would suggest just parking in the parking deck accross the street for twenty dollars. You don't have to wait 20 minutes for the vallet and you save 15 bucks.
This is probably the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in, but considering how much I had to pay per night it had better well be! (ok... I actually got a group rate which wasn't too bad, but still...).
We checked in early and got really lucky, as we were given an "executive suite" for the price of a regular room: little suite with living room separate from the bedroom... pretty nice. It's nice indeed, the staff is very friendly and responsive.
A few (very minor) complaints about the room:
- a fridge would have been nice.
- how about flat screen TVs?
- no wireless?!?!? and I had to pay $10 a day for a very spotty internet connection.
Besides that, no serious complaints. Very comfy bed, fast room service (but mediocre food). I'd probably stay there again (if I can afford it, that is).
1 star: Exemplary service.
2 stars: Central location and near Reading Terminal for breakfast.
3 stars: Dangerously comfortable bed.
4 stars: 24hr gym with free earphones to plug in to personal audio and "help yourself to all you want" bottles of water you can put in your bag and forget about them then have them confiscated at the airport then chug them all down in front of the security guard as a passive aggressive form of protest to a ridiculous policy that just makes me spend more money on water inside the terminal.
Lobby: 5 stars
Lavish in appearance & festive in spirit. I loved the tall decorated Christmas tree in the center of the entrance lobby.
Restaurant/Bar/Lounge: 4.5 stars
The ambience is modern classy & the decor is contemporary art inspired as evidenced by the application of subtle and vibrant colors. It is a nice wide open space with high ceilings and centrally located on the ground floor close to the lobby. The best seating area for drinks is by the marble edged water fountain with a large bronze sculpture.
They do have a good wine selection, but the beer menu could have been more creative. We ordered the 3 tiered sampler of 5 sliders, 4 super meaty crab cakes, 15 chicken wings, and small salad of radish & zucchini. Loved the crab cakes! I could have eaten all 4 of them, but I had to share. It was decently priced at $35 and more than enough for 2 people to handle. We needed a third person to help us clean up the plates.
Room: 5 stars
We had a corner room the 21st floor with a great view of City Hall. The beds were so comfy that we ended up sleeping in late 2 mornings in a row. I'm glad they didn't have the ugly paisley bedspreads I'm so used to seeing in most hotels. Sleeping under the ultra thick feather stuffed comforter felt like being wrapped in a cocoon.
Toiletries: 1 star
I wasn't too pleased with the orange ginger flavored shampoo & conditioner from Bath & Body Works. Although the label read "Aromatherapy" in bold typeface, it smelled a lot like hand sanitizer.
Service: 5 stars
The attendants were very prompt and professionally mannered. Once we called the front desk informing the hair dryer in our room broke, it took no more than 3 minutes for the repair guy to deliver a new one to us. When we asked for more bath towels & shampoo, they arrived within 2 minutes to deliver our stuff.
Gym: Rating not applicable
Although I didn't get a chance to use any of the equipment, the facility is open 24 hours.
Pool: 2.5 stars
The water was lukewarm in temperature, but the chlorine was so strong it stuck to my skin. I had to take 2 showers to rinse the odor off.
Jacuzzi: 3 stars
The water was well heated and the jets produced enough pressure. However, the jets would automatically shut down after 15 minutes. We had to get up every time and turn the switch back on. The interruptions didn't make our spa experience so relaxing.
Sauna: 1 star
We didn't know where the switch was to turn the steam on. The gym attendant was MIA the whole time we were there from 5:30-6:30pm.
Guests: 1 star
We met a nice couple from Bucks County having vodka gimlets by the water fountain at the bar/lounge the first night we arrived. One of them seemed very chatty. We also came across a lot of old fashioned fuddy-duddies on our way to and from the indoor pool located on the 7th floor. They were formally dressed for dinner and condescendingly stared at us with discomfort. Guess it's a rare occassion to ride an elevator with 2 girls like us wearing swimsuits wrapped in bath towels. Anyway, this is a hotel...not a church!
Who needs a Fitness Center when you can walk down the long, long, LONG cooridors of this huge hotel?! When you need 2 seperate sets of elevators for 2 different "wings" of the hotel, you know you're in trouble.
Honestly I can't say too much about the hotel. I was there for one night and not for a conference at the convention center. The rooms were standard Marriott rooms and basically comfortable.
The hotel was absolutely convenient to lots of restaurants and some of the historical sites in town. Fairly easy to find off the highway for someone out-of-town. The bar downstairs is a bit of a "see and be seen" area on a raised circular platform of the lobby. Drinks are rather pricey and service not particularly speedy.
Was not thoroughly impressed with the staff's service. We called ahead to ask the concierge to assist us with a restaurant reservation. He made one for us and as I checked in, I asked them to print me up directions on how to get there. After changing and coming down I picked up the piece of paper waiting for me which only had a confirmatino of our reservation and an address - no directions. So it was back to wait in line again to get a map and directions.
But all in all, it was good. Typical big Marriott experience. I know what I'm getting and can rely on the level of product, cleanliness, etc.
A great location for conferences and conventions. It is CONNECTED to the Convention Center and right next to Reading Termincal Market.
Rooms and Restaurants are average Marriott Corporate fodder.
This Marriott is in a great location if you are attending a convention across the street, but other than that I didn't experience too much that caught my fancy.
True, there are plenty of food options within walking distance, but I had a much better experience when I stayed at the Courtyard around the corner last spring. I don't know, when I stay at these huge Marriotts I kind of feel like I'm just a number - and in many ways I suppose I am. I bet if you canvassed all the folks staying in a Marriott on a given weekday, at least 75% of them are there just for the points. I'm kind of over that...
The hotel was in a middle of a major renovation. That said, my room was nice. The bed was super comfortable and the shower was fantastic. I hate the internet- you have to pay, there's no wireless, AND the cord is only 2 ft long so you can't watch tv while your on your laptop.
The rest of the hotel was ok. The gym was pretty good.
Room service was pretty poor. Soggy toast for breakie and the worst crab cake's I've had in my life.
Great Priceline price of $55/night! Location is centrally located near train stations, Chinatown, The Trocadero, across street from Reading Market. Bed was comfy, bathroom spacious compared to comparable hotels. For your convenience, there's an airport shuttle departing every half hour for only $12, great if you have luggage.
Two floors of huge ballroom expanse that can be subdivided into smaller meeting rooms. Very much like most of the other convention centers I've been at... All the facilities are top-notch and in the same building as the Philadelphia Marriott Hotel. It is also attached to the Courtyard by Marriott, the train station and the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
The staff has a nice little xylophone that they bash to get people back into the meeting rooms after the breaks.
Hmm. Well it's a pain in the ass to get to because Philly drivers are kind of crazy and there are way too many one-way streets. Took me a few loops around (translation: got lost a few times) to finally find the place.
The hotel itself is pretty nice although a bit confusing to navigate, but not nearly as confusing as the San Diego Marriott. Major kudos to the front desk staff who helped me out with some stuff at the end of my trip- totally above and beyond the call of duty!
Another nice thing is that you're within walking distance from a lot of sites- liberty bell, liberty hall, etc, etc.
Now that the rennovation appears to have been complete, I suggest that those who downgraded this place revisit and revise.
I was here Sunday-Tuesday this week at a convention and must say that I was impressed with the location, atmosphere, and service of this place. I'm gonna dock 1 star because the room service food wasn't that special given the cost of the food. Yes, yes, I know that hotel food is supposed to be overpriced. That's cool.
But come on, at least be good. And it wasn't that great at all. For those of you considering a convention, this is a great location for one. There was also a convention of anesthesiologists: quite the creepy looking one's the anesthesiologists: people who have the power to steal your life and consciousness with the power to revive your life and consciousness. I was incurably curious to see what a group of anesthesiologists talk about.
The Downtown Marriot is a great place to be at in Philly. The Old Town where the constitution was written, where Ben Franklin is Buried, and where the Liberty bell is are a short 15 minute walk.
There's chinatown three blocks away; and there's the lovely city hall. I enjoyed my stay in Philadelphia and look forward to the next convention that I'll go to that is here.
The hotel rooms are clean. There's a gym and pool which I didn't have time to check out but all in all, a warm and comfortable place.
The beds: verrrrry comfy.
It's a Marriott. The chain is decent. I wouldn't call it spectacular, but at least you know there's going to be a modicum of service.
The front desk tried to give me some hints on restaurants in the area, but they were basically a bust. You could tell that some of them were getting some kind of favor from recommendations.
As a platinum elite member, I admit I'm somewhat of a hotel snob... But when you live half your life in a hotel, they better do everything they can to make you comfortable!
I checked in fairly early in the morning after a bad experience at the Courtyard Marriott down the road. Rates and room size/comfort were similar. The Marriott has a few extra perks like room service and a concierge lounge. Upon entering my room, I realized it was *already occupied*. The other person was not there, but just think how awkward and embarrassing of a situation that could have been.
I went downstairs and was given another room. The bedside lamp in this room wouldn't turn on and I expressed my extreme displeasure with the front desk on my way out. It was fixed when I returned in the evening. The rest of the stay was uneventful, but I did not receive an apology for either event.
Lucky for me, this lovely hotel had availability last night or I would've gotten a taste of life on the streets of Philly. Due to a citywide convention, most rooms are all full up, and not only did they have a room for me, it was a giant room, and even DOWN FREE!!! For someone with such ridiculous allergies, this was awesome, although they still gave me grief. Thought that counts!
It's about as bad as an Orlando resort though when it comes to how far you have to trek to get from one side to the other, or to the Convention Center, depending on where you're staying. That said, it's still very convenient for convention goers (especially in the winter, when you won't even have to go outside to get there!).
Staff was friendly, and room service not bad, although I'm quite sure my half bottle of cheap red wine was well past its prime.
They have a salon, a couple of shops/concessions, a Starbucks, a restaurant, and two fitness centers and a pool. Great deal if you can get a good rate.
I'm only thirty minutes in and I'm not impressed. The wall paper and wall posts in the hallways are ripped and missing, and my room, #1113 for my cult following, has a strong disinfectant smell which is making me nauseous.
Update: 11/13/07
My last night here. This Marriott needs a lot of work. The lobby reeks of cheap perfume and their is dirt all around. Wallpaper is loose, streak marks are present on the elevator up and down arrows, and anything with glass in general is dirty. My room still smells of disinfectant. Almost like a cab with a scent tree.
My room has no incoming fresh air and I'm getting claustrophobic. The fumes are making me feel so sick that I'm not getting any sleep and I'm missing a big part of my sight seeing day. Bedding is just weird. The mattress feels like soft clay. It makes it very hard, especially a big boned person like myself, to pull yourself out of bed. Not because it's blissful, but literally because your ass and back keep sinking towards the floor.
I didn't even bother using the swimming pool. When I opened the door a hot blast of heavily chlorinated air hit my face. I shit you not when I say my eyes were burning. Plus, the pool is very narrow. Probably less than five feet wide.
There is marble all around the hallways and ground floor lobby but it is canceled by that God awful cheap perfume smell. The staff is very courteous and professional. Absolutely no complaints. This low rating is for management. And, even though the service is five stars I cannot recommend this hotel.
Not the best Marriott I have been to but decent. Stayed there on a Free Night coupon so I have nothing to complain about. Nice Beds and semi spotless rooms. Overall not a bad stay buit they are doing renovations to the main lobby.
One plus is the Starbucks in the lobby, although the serivce there is horrible.
Would probaly try and stay somewhere else until the lobby is done with construction
The Marriott was my professional organization's conference hotel. If a hotel meets the required needs, it gets 3 stars. Rooms here are nice, the Presidential suite is beautiful but definitely not spectacular. (A group of us from the BOD reminisced about best presidential suites and still give the Opryland in Nashville the 5 star medal!) Anyway, who earned the Marriott a 4th star was Erika at the front desk. When I checked in carrying an evening dress, she said, ":Since you are obviously the princess, I am upgrading you to the concierge floor with privileges." Enough said, Ericka this star is for you.
Couldn't be any more centrally located - one block from City Hall, fifteen minutes walk from 30th Street Station for the Amtrak. Rooms are clean and well-kept, lobby is impressive and staff helpful.
I was really impressed with the hospitality at this place. The porters were really accommodating and friendly, the concierge was helpful, and the waiters at the bar were friendly too. Room was clean and comfortable. Location = good.
I have to say, other than the hotel lobby, the overall hotel didn't live up to the Marriot name. Bear in mind this was an actual Marriot and not a sister/chain of Marriot like the Courtyard or Residence Inn. The lobby was absolutely lavish. When I waked in, it was like a 4-star hotel. Unfortunately the guest room was small and out-dated.
The manager was very professional when I had issues with my room key, it didn't open the door. So, he said he gave me a new set of keys and asked that I call from the house phone if it didn't work again. I tried several times, fast, slow, paused for the card to read but it didn't unlock. So, he sent security up to let me in. The security guy had to play around with the key also but he finally got it opened. He then called the manager back and said it was working just fine. If he had to play around with the key, how is that working "just fine".
When I got into the room, I was disappointed. Everything felt icky and looked like it need a thorough cleaning. The chairs were all stained and the bathroom floor was sticky, not gooey sticky but felt like it needed a good mopping.
I can't complain b/c I got the room on Priceline for $80. That's probably why I got stuck with an outdated room but if you have to pay the average price of $199 a night, I rather stay somewhere else.
Parking is $41 (including tax). If you park at the lot on 10th b/t Market and Filbert (across from the Bus station in the convention center), it's only $10. I was lucky and found street parking. If you are there for the weekend, it's not bad considering street parking is free on Sundays.
I'm on a two week business trip and this is my second week in a Marriot, new city, but same Marriott. This one is a step up, but one would have to question their choice in new interior design themes. This Hotel is in the middle of everything and they have a very nice pool and work out room on the second floor.
It's fine.
I recently attended a conference here for 3500 people. The facilities were ready and able to handle the crowd efficiently. Water in all the meeting rooms, they even served us all lunch twice. Quickly and politely. Food was ok. Facility was kept clean. Only gripes - need for more bathrooms. And we got a bit clogged up when riding the escalators, but it's to be expected with 3500 people.
I stayed here while attending a conference at the convention center, and other than the internet situation, I have no complaints. It's amazingly convenient, being attached to the convention center and the Market East train station. I was able to get a fairly reasonable conference rate, though I shudder to think what the regular traveler's rate might be. You can't ask for much more than being located across the street from the Reading Terminal Market (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) - it's like being in Seattle and having a hotel across the street from the Pike Place Market. I ate at two of the restaurants in the hotel, which OK but I'd advise stepping out and eating elsewhere if you get the chance. The beds were amaaaazingly comfortable, and the room was totally decent, although I was disappointed there was no refrigerator. I had excellent service from the concierge and reception employees, and they had plenty of friendly, patient staff on hand on the 3rd and 4th floors to provide directional assistance to conference attendees. They even set up a nice reception area on the 4th floor for conference attendees, complete with a bar and big screen TVs and couches for lounging. My only complaint is the lack of wireless internet. I could understand having wireless and charging for it (though naturally I'd rather it be free), but to have no wireless at all in a business hotel is pretty unacceptable in this day and age, I think. Does anyone really carry a cable around anymore? I know I probably could have borrowed one, but why bother, it was easier to walk over to the convention center and use the free wireless there than to go all the way downstairs and ask for a cable. I know cabling a hotel this size in the first place must have been a nightmare, since I once had to be in charge of a recabling project in my office building years ago, but it's time to let that go and go wireless, seriously. Anyway, back to the positives, there was an airport shuttle for $10 if you don't want to take the train or taxi, and there is a free printer in the lobby for printing boarding passes. As I mentioned in my review of the convention center, the location is perfect for sightseeing, and I found the city very easy to get around. Other than the wireless, a great hotel for a business traveler.
