Sofitel Philadelphia

Nice place but not perfect

I chose this hotel for it’s location, which was great. The service was wonderful, the room and especially bathroom beautiful. However, the bed was so soft I woke up several times (I tend to have back issues anyway) and the airconditioning was never cool enough. I reported the a/c problem my first day, and someone came up and looked at it, told me to keep it on the lowest setting (60) until I could get it comfortable. It never got there. Always humid, too. I’ll probably try another downtown hotel next time. I love the area near Rittenhouse, so that was the best part.

Can’t wait till I return

The Sofitel Philadelphia was a top notch experience. The hotel has a spacious and bustling lobby with comfortable chairs, a hip bar and computer access for guests. The room was luxurious with the bathroom especially spacious. The concierge was particularily attentive and helpful with a number of questions we had over the weekend. Great experience.

We loved the many unique and charming shops in the neighborhood. One personal favorite was Premium Steap - a locally owned store where you could buy over a h undred varieties of tea. The owner was phenomenal and spent much time with us to explain the different teas and brew samples. My personal favorite was a black tea with coconut. Wow. Steap is located at 111 S. 18th in downtown Philadelphia.

Absolute Bliss!

Sofitel Philadelphia is a wonderful indulgence. My only concern was that the elevator was a bit slow, even on Sunday morning when traffic was a non-issue. The staff members I interacted with were unfailingly polite, from the desk clerks with phenomenal memory for names and knowledgeable concierge to the room service servers and the turn-down service housekeepers. The continental breakfast consists of strong delicious coffee and a delightful assortment of sweet rolls with baguette slices for contrast. The bathroom was large and clean. Then there is the famous bed - freshly fluffed, impossibly thick feather bed and duvet. Sofitel is a bit pricier than other hotels in the area, but worth it.

Very Impressive!

I reserved two rooms and they selected two room next to one another on the 5th floor. They asked the nature of our visit and remembered to asked how the evening was. They knew us by name. The French restaurant was fantastic. Very friendly staff and waitpersons.

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

Shopping, dining and tours buses were within walking distance and my husband and I are in our 70’s and my sister-in-law is 85.

Great Hotel

Best hotel I have ever stayed in...will be back soon

problems with hot water

There were twelve of us in our party. Three of us had little or no hot water when we went to bathe or shower. This happened in three different rooms, on two different floors, and on two different days. The front desk’s response was "OK, we’ll send an engineer up," which really wasn’t very helpful.

Very Nice!

Great Location, very comfy bed with huge feather comforter if you’re into that kind of thing. No coffee in the room, which could have been nice. No free anything, like most nice hotels. Helpful concierge and nice fitness center.

Best in Philly

The staff is always bright and helpful. The restaraunt is great place to get a bite.

Comfy Beds, French Service, Great Coffee

Lovely large room, wonderful bedding, nice front desk, good coffee, decent gym, efficient service.

Traveler's tip on shopping

Close to boutique shopping and centrally located for walking to all major city neighborhoods.

Great Stay

Visiting our son in Philly stayed at the Sofitel Everything was wonderful. Beautiful room, great service, fun and lively bar and restaurant. Location was best of all - one block walk from Ritenhaus Square and tons of shopping, eating, etc.

Great place to stay

We enjoy the room, the bed and the bar. The location is great. The concierge is helpful and the area has a multitude of great restaurants.

Impressed With Sofitel

Our first time with Sofitel, very good experience. In fact, as soon as I was back in the office I wrote to their general manager to tell him how good it was.

would definitely go back.

great hotel, fine service, good food. I would definitely return.

Traveler's tip on dining

very good restaurants in Philadelphia.

Philly’s Best Hotel

The service from the staff was wonderful. Dining in the hotel was superb! And the room was extremly neat and clean. One of my favorite places to staff when visiting downtown Philadelphia.

Great time in Philadelphia

We absolutely loved the Sofitel Hotel from the moment we drove in and the attendants immediately helped with the luggage, to the check in, to the wonderful bar, the location, the ambience. The hotel was so close to everything and every person that works for the hotel was so helpful. The only down part was the steak and eggs room service breakfast - there was way too much grease. Otherwise we had a super wonderful stay.

Phily Gem

I read prev reviews, agree, the bed was DIVINE! Spacious, clean, location is perfect, easy to walk anywhere! Bar scene was happening! So many choices for restaurants close-by! L’Occitane products, our stay was great! They speak French if you prefer!

Traveler's tip on dining

Asia de Alma-excellent fusion Asian-Cuban, right around the corner, saw a basketball star there!

Comfortable and Pleasant

We attended the Kenny Chesney concert during the day and stayed overnight at the Sofitel. We were pleased with the excellent service from the staff (valet, bellman, front desk); the clean/new appearance of the room, bedding, bathroom; and the quality of the breakfast buffet. There was one funky thing-- the beds come with a comforter, but no sheets. It didn’t bother us. We found the bed soft and comfy. We were on the 5th floor and heard very little street noise, despite the fact that there were plenty of people on the streets who were bar hopping. This hotel is located in a nice part of the city. We felt safe walking near the hotel late at night. Also felt safe making the 2 block walk to Starbucks in the early morning. This is not a cheap place to stay. The overnight valet parking is a little more than $30 and the breakfast buffet was probably around $15 per person. The made-to-order omelates are delicious! Regardless of the price, I was happy and comfortable and would stay there again. I’m tired of being disappointed on travel and am quite willing to pay extra (especially when traveling for fun) to receive superior service and meals.

A charming hotel in the heart of the city

We have enjoyed all our stays at the Sofitel in Philadelphia. The rooms are large and nicely furnished (although there are no drawers just shelves in the closet), the bathrooms are well appointed with a separate shower, tub, makeup mirror, toiletries,etc. There is a cocktail lounge in the lobby and a very nice cafe/restaurant. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable.

Traveler's tip on dining

Parc Restaurant on Rittenhouse Square is delightful for lunch.

Perfect!

Everything was perfect. The hotel is beautiful. The room was great. The bed was like sleeping on a cloud. Room service was prompt and courteous. Internet access always worked. All the house staff, front and back were friendly and excellent at their jobs. It made my stay absolutely wonderful.

Beautiful hotel, good location

We fully enjoyed our stay at the Hotel Sofitel. The location is excellent - very close to several bus routes, within walking distance (3-4 blocks) of the subway and within walking distance of lots of restaurants. Independence Hall etc. is a 20-30 minute walk or an easy 10 min. bus ride. I do not think this would be a great hotel with kids as there is no pool. This hotel seems to provide itself on customer service. This is mostly good, but you have to ask them EVERYTHING - they do not leave any hotel information in the room. So, if you want to know where the fitness center is or find the phone number for a local establishment, you have to ask. Everyone was helpful, but I would have preferred to have some basic hotel info and maybe a phone book on hand.

Traveler's tip

Don’t be intimidated by the city buses - they are very easy to figure out and run very frequently.

Nice hotel

Great location, nice bar and restaurant, friendly staff

Very good hotel with a european feel to it

I

Great Concierge, close to everything

It was a wonderful hotel with an excellent concierge - very professional and helpful. Great location - close to shopping, restaurants, park and an easy walk to the conference center and historical sites. Extra cozy bed and fabulous bathroom, too.

Traveler's tip on dining

Devon’s Seafood was great!!! And try the Nodding Head brew pub if you like beer.

Very nice

Everything was extremely nice! Room was comfortable and bathroom was excellent (beautiful tiles, very clean and had a real orchid). Will stay again if we are in the area.

Traveler's tip on nightlife

excellent part of the city to be in, many clubs and lounges right around the corner (and across the street!)

Acceptable hotel; Disappointing staff

I was actually very disappointed in the Sofitel in Philly. I’ve stayed at others and they were truly luxury hotels with gracious and friendly staff. The Sofitel in Philly was acceptable, clean, and well-located--but not luxurious (other than the soap and shampoos which were lovely). What was most striking to me was the surly, snooty staff. From the front desk, to the bellstaff, to the bartender--unpleasant, unfriendly, and acting like they were doing me a favor to do their jobs. Sofitel needs to get a customer service task force to this particular hotel pronto.

Traveler's tip on dining

Fogo de Chao (an Argentinian steak house) and Macy’s are both within easy walking distance from the hotel and both worth the walk. I wish the staff at the Sofitel had been more like the gracious, professional staff at Fogo de Chao.