Street Address: 2015 Penrose Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19145

Location Rating: Fair. The name of this hotel implies that it is close to the stadiums, but the distance is actually 1.6 miles away. At the rooms I visited, the views were of an oil refinery (about a half mile away?), bridges and industrial sights. Views on the city skyline side might be more interesting. The neighborhood is not interesting.

Lobby Appearance: World clocks behind desk are out of sync. For my first visit, I had the impression this was not a good hotel. I was not able to see the rooms during that visit. It was just my hunch. And carpet on the stairs badly needed vacuuming. For my second visit, it was cleaner. The men's bathroom in the lobby is really attractive. The hotel has certain flourishes while at the same time has a dated aura.

Room Appearance: The rooms I saw were spacious, seemed comfortable and were not bad, except in one of the rooms there seemed to be a little bit of crud in the corners of where the bathroom tiles met the tub. Whatever it was, it was brown. The tub area is dated with ugly yellow tile. But then there is a beautiful granite counter at the sink.

The rooms had a 25 inch TV, clock radio, desk and the standard accessories.

Useful Nearby Businesses: Penrose Diner is across the street. The immediate area does not look attractive to me. A large new housing development is going up across the street.

Hotel Restaurants: They have a bar and a tiny restaurant; neither were open during my visit.

Other Amenities: Outdoor pool. No internet access. No pets. Parking is free.

Comments: If you are superstitious, there is no 13th floor here. The elevator goes from the 12th floor to the 14th. This hotel has 227 rooms. Fifty percent are smoking rooms and they say they need more rooms for smokers. Three rooms are set up for the disabled. It appears they were required to put in a new fire suppression system (sprinklers) and unfortunately pipes protrude from the ceilings all over the place on the guest floors. The pipes are new, but it's a bit ugly. At night a security guard patrols the parking lot. It appears they have a lot of surveillance cameras. They say the hotel was last updated 3 years ago. I was also told that they intend to dump the "Days Inn" name and become affiliated with "America's Best Inn." As of January 2005 I see they are not listed on the Days Inn reservation system.

Their brochure says the Days Inn Stadium has a "Central location within walking distance of the 'Sports Complex,' 2 miles from Phila. Int'l. Airport:"

The nearest stadium is 1.6 miles away, so that is a good 30 minute walk. And it is more than 2 miles from the airport.

It also says "Our central location provides you with the BEST opportunity to view the sights and many historic attractions in and around Philadelphia." I disagree.

Even though the hotel has some design flourishes with fancy tile and granite counters, the hotel still strikes me as basic. While the rooms seemed comfortable, overall I did not feel comfortable in this building, and I don't think a stay here would make me feel refreshed.

The hotel's location is unusual. It is between the airport and Center City. As an airport hotel, there are more comfortable places to stay which are closer to the airport. As a Center City hotel, it really is quite far from the action and not at all in an attractive Philadelphia neighborhood. Close by there is a good neighborhood, but I do not find the immediate area attractive.

It is not at all close to the stadiums. In comparison, the "Holiday Inn - Stadium" has views of the Phillies new ball park.

I don't know how to explain it, but things feel strange here at the Days Inn. It seems to be a step beneath other local hotels in comfort. I'd be much happier at the Embassy Suites, the Sheraton Suites, Microtel, Marriott Courtyard, Marriott Fairfield, Marriott Residence, Hilton, Renaissance, Quality Inn, Holiday Inn Stadium, Hampton. I would even feel more comfortable at the Ramada Inn. But it is certainly not a bad hotel from what I can see. I just don't feel relaxed at this Days Inn.

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