Central location near tourist attractions
Large apartment-style suites with full kitchens
Rooftop pool with city views
Irish pub and a Chinese restaurant
24-hour fitness center
24-hour business center and meeting rooms
Free Wi-Fi
On busy intersection with few dining options nearby
Fee for valet parking
Breakfast not included
For a mid-range hotel, The Windsor Suites' modern rooms -- all with apartment-style floor plans and full kitchens -- are a cut above the norm. Some have balconies and views down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Guests don't choose this location on a busy intersection for the peace and quiet, but the hotel is close to most of Philadelphia's tourist attractions and business destinations. It also has a small rooftop pool, along with an Irish pub and a Chinese restaurant off the lobby. For those who can do without the pool, it's worth comparing rates at the Embassy Suites Philadelphia - Center City down the street.
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Scene
Contemporary apartment hotel with residences
The Windsor Suites is in an old rounded corner building studded with balconies that look like they're due for a a renovation. But inside, contemporary updates are prevalent. Through the entrance, small lounges with stylish furniture are accompanied by Benjamin Franklin quotations printed in bold lettering across the walls. Floating glass walls and wood paneling add interest to the ambience, and there's a lot of accent lighting, illuminating what would otherwise be dim interiors with dark carpets. Behind the front desk, a glittering sculpture rises up to the ceiling beside an open staircase with polished metal railings that swoops up to a mezzanine floor. Note that permanent residents mix with couples and families staying in the apartment-style units here.
Location
Central downtown location near major tourist attractions
The The Windsor Suites sit on the corner of a busy intersection along Benjamin Franklin Parkway, equidistant from JFK Plaza and Logan Square. The hotel is flanked by a parking garage and a Hertz car rental office, with chain and fast food restaurants littering the immediate area (including Subway, TGI Friday's, and Starbucks). Popular sights like City Hall and the Shops at Liberty Place are under a 10-minute walk, and picturesque Rittenhouse Square Park, surrounded by some of the city's best restaurants and bars, is a 12-minute walk. The Philadelphia Museum of Art is a six-minute drive up the parkway, while the Reading Terminal Market is about a seven-minute drive in the opposite direction. Independence Hall is about a 12-minute drive across downtown towards the Delaware River (or a 25-minute walk).
Rooms
Apartment-style suites with full kitchens
This hotel's 197 suites have apartment-style layouts, with full kitchens. Starting at 450 square feet, the studio and one-bedroom units are large enough for comfortable long stays (the building also has permanent residents). Each has a neutral decor with contemporary furnishings, combining standard hotel trends like big padded headboards and in-closet laptop safes with the hallways and ambiance of an apartment. Work desks with ergonomic roller chairs and bedside sitting areas with armchairs come standard, along with flat-screen TVs and iPod docks. Some units have small private balconies, and all of the 875-900 square-foot One Bedroom Suites add living rooms with couches and full dining tables. Kitchens have refrigerators, ovens, microwaves, and Keurig coffeemakers. The tiled bathrooms have average shower/tub combos.
Features
Rooftop pool, Chinese restaurant, Irish pub, and 24-hour fitness and business centers
The Windsor Suites has a small pool on its rooftop with loungers and views of downtown Philadelphia. Its fitness center is open 24/7 and has several treadmills and cardio bikes, along with weight training machines and free weights. The 24-hour business center on the mezzanine above the lobby has a few Macs and a printer, and there also three meeting rooms (the largest can accommodate 80 people). There are two on-site dining options -- Con Murphy's Irish pub serves breakfast (not included) and late-night pub food, with regular weekly entertainment, while Asia on the Parkway has an outdoor patio for its Chinese-centric pan-Asian menu.
