Philadelphia Travel Forum

I know that there is an endless debate over where to stay in Philadelphia- The Four Seasons or The Rittenhouse. Like with anything else both seem to have pros and con. Up until a day ago, I had settled on The Rittenhouse for room size and location. That is until The Four Seasons extended their 3 nights for the price of 2 promotion.

I'll be in Philadelphia for three nights in April. Easy access to the Kimmel Center is a must. I'm sure the Four Seasons is gorgeous, and I can live with the smaller rooms, but I'm really worried about the location. It sounds a bit remote. According to the concierge, it is at least a three block walk to anything. Public transport isn't really an option. I'd be dependent on foot, cab and hotel limo (provided it is available).

Any feedback on the location of The Four Seasons would be appreciated. Am I making this sound worse than it is? Or, is it doable? Many thanks!

You are putting Four Seasons and Public Transportation in the same sentence. Is that allowed?

Yes that is an unusual juxtapositioning but anything is imaginable.
The Rittenhouse is much closer to the Kimmel Center. The Four Seasons is on the Ben Franklin Parkway near some of the big museums. The area is alright but at night less interesting than the area of The Rittenhouse. However if the price is that much better I would go with the Four Seasons. Its walkable if you don't mind walking for 15-20 minutes.

The Four Seasons is half-way between City Hall and the Art Museum. If the latter was going to be a stop on your visit (and I highly recommend doing so), then the FS is probably a pretty good location. If you're more interested in Old City, then you'll have to spend less than $6 a day for unlimited rides on all public transit, a little more to ride something like the Philly Phlash, or a LOT more to ride cabs.

Is there a reason "public transit isn't really an option"? It's the fastest, cheapest, and most convenient way to get from point A to point B in Center City; and I've been using it at all hours of the day with no problems for over nine years.

If you're worried about safety, I can assure you I'd MUCH rather ride the subway than a taxi-cab in Center City traffic -- the latter is a LOT scarier.

Please don't misunderstand. I'd be happy to use public transportation! I do so all the time in NYC. It was the concierge at The Four Seasons who told me that public transport in the area near the hotel isn't a convenient option.

The FS is at 18th and Cherry. The Kimmel is at Broad and Spruce. About a dozen blocks between the two, whereas Rittenhouse is only three (or so). According to this PDF file

www.septa.org/maps/center_city_map.pdf

the #32 bus (sorry if I've given wrong info in the recent past) goes almost directly between the two.

Walking and a cab would work fine if you only want to get between the FS and the Kimmel. If you wanted to see other sites, a Septa Day Pass might be a better option.

Thank you so much!