The Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia is the perfect location and setting for a fabulous stay in Philadelphia. It’s located in the heart of Center City and in the historic Girard Trust Company. It was my perfectly needed mix of accessible and luxurious.
I came to Philly to host a VIP Intensive with one of my clients. Being a quick 75 minute ride on the AmTrak, it’s an easy way to extend my potential to meet with my clients in person. There’s truly something irreplaceably powerful about in-person work.
As with all my VIP Intensives, these are hosted in the suites of luxury hotels. This allows us to be totally focused without disruption, and enjoy doing so in an elevated space!
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Location
The hotel itself is relatively new as it started in 2010. But the iconic pillars above are the hotel’s entrance, which was formerly The Girad Trust Company. The lobby and building still have the neo-classic charm (see in the photo below). But the actual hotel rooms are in an adjacent tower, which I believe is much newer. The rooms are definitely updated and new, while still having that classic feel. The entire hotel was actually recently renovated in 2016, so everything is extra new!
Beyond the hotel itself, I was honestly surprised at how perfect the location was, and I had been well-aware of the location! First of all, the hotel was about a 9 minute cab ride from the train station. This made my door-to-door commute under two hours from my apartment in NYC. Can’t beat that!
From there, as you can see, the hotel is literally across the street from Philadelphia’s historic City Call. If you’re visiting for tourism, you’re within walking distance of many of the city’s historic attractions. This area of Philadelphia is VERY walkable.
I loved exploring the surrounding streets more casually during my time there. I was able to walk to Rittenhouse Square and the surrounding charming shops. It was no more than 15 minutes away. I also enjoyed some of the more mainstream shopping just off the road behind the hotel on Chestnut Street.Â
Finally, crossing Broad street (the main street across from the hotel), there were lots of lively restaurants and bars. I was lucky enough to be there during one of the first warm weekends of the year (early April) so lots of open windows and outdoor seating. It had great, lively vibes with prices SO much gentler than NYC.Â
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Food and Bars
I had breakfast and lunch here, but not dinner. Both breakfast and lunch were good. Above average hotel food, but still not gourmet. (Though I did not try dinner, and it did look gourmet!) A bit expensive for Philadelphia but not expensive for the Ritz-Carlton!
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Staff
This was the absolute best part of our stay. It also reiterates why having these VIP Intensives at luxury hotels is so helpful- the amazing staff that’s there to make everything go smoothly. And this staff did not disappoint. In particular, the Manager, Carolyn, went above and beyond to make sure my client meeting went smoothly. I had some issues with some office details before my VIP Intensive, and she MADE SURE that it was not going to be an issue. Seriously, best customer service I’ve experienced at any hotel in a while!
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Rooms and Space
For VIP Intensives, it’s important to have a suite. This way, we have adequate room to work, relax, unwind, ramp it up, etc. and it never feels uncomfortable.
As I browsed for a suite on the Ritz-Carlton website, I had to blindly trust the suites (which wasn’t too scary as the Ritz typically upholds its reputation.) There were only two stock photos for the suites and there was no reassurances that they actually were photos OF the suites.
You can imagine how relieved I was when I walked into this view! The suites were even more beautiful than I thought they would be. You’re literally towering over City Hall! My suite was on the 15th floor, should you want this exact view.
The suite was spacious and immaculately clean. I LOVE suites and this was no exception. The only complaint I have is that the bathroom was in the bedroom. Having a guest in the suite, they have to walk through the bedroom to go to the bathroom.
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Cost
The price is fair for the Ritz. It’s less expensive than many of the Ritz locations, but Philadelphia isn’t a very expensive city itself. Given the brand and the average price of the hotel, the cost is exactly fair to me.
The suite also was worth every penny. I would definitely recommend it if you’re coming with more than one person!
Entrepreneur Rating
The best hotel I’ve stayed at yet for the life of an entrepreneur! The office set up in the suite, the stunning view from the conference area on the 30th floor, the great wifi throughout the entire hotel… you can’t beat it! Plus, check out the view I got to work with in the morning below!
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