Hotel Monaco

Looking for an inexpensive and clean hotel in Philadelphia’s historic district, my friends and I found Hotel Monaco, conveniently located in Old City steps from the Liberty Bell and the neighborhood’s best restaurants. Though we arrived on a busy Friday afternoon, my group was immediately escorted to the uniquely decorated lobby, decked out in fun yellow and red-striped wallpaper, and checked in by a polite employee standing in front of a hot pink wall adorned with hanging brushes of different sizes and styles.

Along with 268 guestrooms, including 17 suites, Hotel Monaco offers a 24-hour fitness center, valet parking for $40 a night, in-room spa services, beautiful event space, a free yoga mat in each room, complimentary WiFi to members of Kimpton’s Karma Rewards loyalty program and a complimentary evening wine hour from 5–6 p.m. each day, which my friends and I enjoyed in the modern living room lobby before our dinner reservations at nearby FARMiCiA.

Located on the ninth floor and decorated with fun wallpaper featuring images of clocks, peacocks and geometric patterns, our room boasted two comfortable queen-sized beds and an excellent view of Independence Historic National Park. In-room amenities included a large workspace, an iHome docking station we used to play music and a flat-panel LCD television with cable and on-demand access. The bathroom was clean and spacious, providing Kimpton’s house brand of Etro toiletries.

After a delicious dinner, we returned to the hotel to check out its popular rooftop lounge located on the 11^th floor. One of the only rooftop social spots in the city, Stratus Rooftop Lounge offers a variety of handcrafted cocktails and seasonal bites. We capped off our night with local beers and dancing before making our way back to our room two floors down.

We enjoyed breakfast at the hotel’s Red Owl Tavern in the morning before checking out and exploring Old City. All of us were pleased with the hotel, with only one complaint about our neighbor’s dog barking for a short period of time in the middle of the night (the hotel is pet-friendly).

Hotel Monaco

433 Chestnut St.

Philadelphia, PA 19106

tel 215 925 2111