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Phone: 215-569-8300

Street Address: 120 South 17th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103

Location Rating: Excellent. Near Rittenhouse Square, Liberty Place Mall, upscale shops and restaurants. This location is desirable. But the Convention Center is about a half-mile walk.

Lobby Appearance: Very modern. New. Nice. Sleek. Creates a high expectation.

Room Appearance: New. Modern. Rooms have a unique, different, interior style for this city. The rooms look expensive. Original art is on the walls. And everything is perfect. Everything is in its place. The standards are very high here. These are not typical hotel rooms. A first-time stay here will be an adventure, because the rooms are so unordinary

Useful Nearby Businesses: There is quite a lot here.

Hotel Restaurants: Contemporary brasserie "Chez Colette." Their dining room looks very attractive and pleasant. They also have a "chic lobby bar" called "La Bourse." This lobby bar is very attractive and has a large space to sit and relax and enjoy plenty of street views. Everything about this hotel is classy.

Other Amenities: This is a full service hotel. If there is something you need that they don't have, they will get it for you. All rooms have a shower plus a tub. Rooms have Web TV and high speed internet access. Also included, room safes which can hold a laptop. They have a good gym, not huge, but good enough to get a good pump or cardio workout. There is no pool. They have the coziest business center I've ever seen. If you like the fancy bath accessories - soaps and things, you don't have to steal them. You can buy all you want in their gift shop.

Would I Stay Here? Yes. I think it would be a treat to stay here, and sort of fun - since it is so different.

Comments: This is a French-owned hotel run by the very large Accor Hotels organization. In the United States, there are just 11 of these hotels right now. I found these words from Sofitel promotional literature to be quite accurate and appropriately written:

"Every Sofitel is carefully designed to reflect the character of its city or its neighborhood, so each is distinctively different. Yet all share a feeling of elegance and relaxation..."

"From the housekeeper to the concierge, the staff of Sofitel personifies professionalism. Their skill lies in anticipating and attending to your needs with warmth and efficiency while protecting your privacy..."

Sofitel Philadelphia opened in the year 2000. It features 306 rooms on 14 floors. It previously was the location of the Philadelphia Stock Exchange. The decor is described as "Shaker Chic." I like how the details are important here. There are things about this hotel which can pique your curiosity. I did not find their main ballroom to be attractive. But the guest rooms were pleasing to me. One thing that is unusual here: you won't see housekeeper's carts in the corridors. They don't want to inconvenience their guests with obstructions in the corridors, so they use "runners" to ferry cleaning supplies and things to the people who are cleaning the rooms.

Since these rooms are a unique style, some may not like them. This is a modern, classy hotel where you can walk in with high expectations.