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Phone: 215-625-6026

Street Address: 1201 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

* Large, Substantial, "A city within a city" *

Location Rating: Excellent. It's next to the Convention Center.

Lobby Appearance: It tells you right away this is a large, elegant, substantial hotel.

Room Appearance: New with hints of old. (Yet nothing looks old or beat.) It seems like a decor that would appeal to over 50 year olds. However, they are updating rooms now.

Useful Nearby Businesses: There is quite a lot here. Without leaving the building you can go to Kinkos, Starbucks, a salon, a florist, a fairly large gift shop with supplies - they say: "If you forgot it, we got it." And there is much more.

Hotel Restaurants: Numerous eateries. On the lobby level they have a sushi bar, a martini lounge with 48 different martinis, and the exciting Champions Sports Bar with its 23 televisions and even some of the original seats from the old Veterans Stadium, which was recently demolished. They say Champions has the city's best chicken wings. Also on the first floor is Allies American Grille. On the second floor is their fancy JW Steakhouse. They say their steak and seafood rivals Morton's and the Capital Grille. Two patios provide views of busy Market Street. A bar and comfortable hang-out areas overlooking the lobby are also there.

Without stepping outside, you can cross the street by using an aerial walkway to enter another section of the hotel where the Convention Center also is, and here you can go to the Hard Rock Cafe, or Dunkin Donuts, or the Independence Brew Pub. You can also walk to the Reading Terminal Market where there are many, many eateries. And you can even walk to the adjoining Galley Mall where they have a food court. And at the mall there are all kinds of shops. So you can do all this without ever stepping outside. It's impressive.

Other Amenities: If you want breakfast served in your room, all you have to do is fill out a form. You check off what you want and the time you want your breakfast. Hang that on your door before you go to sleep and they will take care of it. They have beautiful conference suites specifically for boardroom meetings. I really liked the rich-colored wood trim and furniture. These rooms are manly! It's a great environment for a boardroom meeting.

Internet access is available in the rooms for $9.99 and this also includes unlimited local and nationwide calls. Wireless hotspots are in public areas.

During the summer they have ice water and lemonade available for guests in the lobby.

Platinum guests have a special express counter where they can immediately pick up their room key without standing in line. These guests, guests on the 22nd and 23rd floors and other high value guests can also have access to the Concierge Lounge on the 23rd floor. This is a large hang-out spot with food/drinks. It's nice.

Valet parking is available. They have a bell captain and concierge desk in the lobby.

The 8th floor is the only floor for smokers.

Disabled rooms are available. They also have special things to make the deaf or blind more comfortable.

Rooms have a coffee maker, hair dryer, iron and ironing board.

They have a shoe shine guy in the lobby.

Washers and dryers can be used to do wash for $1 per load.

Twenty-four hour fitness center on 7th floor has good equipment with individual televisions on running and biking machines. There is a good quantity of workout equipment here with weights. They also have a slim, indoor lap pool, a whirlpool and even a free sauna and steam room, plus lockers.

This Marriott has huge ballrooms. They have fed as many as 2200 in one of these rooms.

Would I Stay Here? Yes.

Comments: The hotel is easy to find. Just look for the skyscraper with "PSFS" on top of it. That is the Loews Hotel. And The Marriott is directly across the street. My facility tour here just went on and on. There is a lot here at the Philadelphia Marriott. This hotel is so big that it has 2 banks of elevators. It was built in 1995 and has 1408 guest rooms. Guest rooms begin on the 6th floor. Of the 1408 rooms, 210 are in the Headhouse (where the Hard Rock Cafe is). I especially liked the corner rooms in the main building with views of Market Street and City Hall.

In the center of the lobby, they have a nice hang-out area near an unusual sculpture and fountain. It is arranged so that it feels more private and apart from the lobby. On some of the lobby walls is a large original mural that they say is their gift to the city. Each Christmas season they have a special chocolate display. It is a winter village with houses and things and remarkably it is made all out of chocolate - about 1000 pounds worth of chocolate.

I really liked how there were so many different places to go and still be inside.

Muhammad Ali stayed in their Vice Presidential Suite and this suite was chosen for it's close proximity to a service elevator. They have better, more elaborate suites besides that one. While large, the fancy big money suites did not blow my socks off. The old style furniture does not fit with me. My parents would probably like it though (late 60's/early 70's).

They do have luxury suites with hideaway beds. So you could have a party and your guests not even know that there is a bed in the room.

I think they are very big on service here. I actually like the rooms at the nearby Hampton Inn better, but the Marriott offers much more in amenities and the Marriott's location is superior to the Hampton.