The Bellevue Hotel - The Unbound Collection by Hyatt — Hotel in Philadelphia

Well, I hate doing this but I am bummed out. I usually don’t care too much about a hotel because one doesn’t spend much time in one on vacation.

However, I am retired on a fixed income, the wife is a teacher. We worked hard to accumulate points to stay in this hotel. We are in town to see Dave Matthews band. I thought treating my wife to a nice hotel was going to be awesome.

The location is excellent. Many things are within walking distance. I give it 5 stars for that.

The hotel itself is very clean/sterile. In fact, upon arrival it was a bit much with the cleaning agent, but that isn’t the issue.

We got here and were assigned room 1731. On my reservation, it said city view or courtyard. We got a courtyard view. I was hoping for a city view so I went down and spoke with a very nice girl named Trinity. She assigned a new room just across the hall, room 1736. I was pretty excited until we went into that room, it was on the west side with the sun barreling down and the view was not really great.

With Trinity’s prompting, she said she could talk to a supervisor, as she was new and wasn’t familiar with the layout. Fair enough. She even came up to the room to show us and in fairness the new room was acceptable. We told her it was ok. The view was only slightly better on the east side. My guess is the north side is where the best city views are, and her supervisor knows that I am sure. I was reluctant to accept, but my wife was tired and hungry AND we didn’t want to be difficult. To make things easy for both of us, and the hotel, we said it was fine.

After sleeping overnight, I noticed the sounds of the city were very prevalent. Still, not a big deal. However, when we were getting ready in the morning, the tiny bathroom felt very crowded and it was just me and the wife.

So this is our 2nd day and against my wife’s better wishes, I decided to ask to see if we could get a room like our original one. I spoke with Genesis and she was somewhat accommodating but because she doesn’t know me, I am sure it appeared I was problematic. I get it… three rooms already. Trust me, read my other reviews. I am rarely, if ever problematic. But I do keep a mental record of things as they happen. And I do have a lot of followers for reviews.

I want to be fair on all fronts. Granted it looks like we moved a lot, but it was 3 rooms upon check in. The last room we are now in, the 3rd one, is small.

Genesis sternly told me “we are sold out for the weekend so I will see what I can do. Your original room is taken, so this will be the last time.”

Trust me, I felt bad asking the first time which resulted in three rooms. I went from a large room (1731 courtyard view), to a medium room (1736 west side room with sun and two windows), to small room 1616 with one window but a semi better view of the city. Genesis went up with us to show us the ‘last room available’. It was right next door to the current too small room. We stayed in 1616. So exactly the same room with the same dimensions with the same semi ok view. It was room 1615.

I told her I would have been fine with the original if that was all they had. But again, apparently room 1731 was the only one of its kind.

I know we are using points, and maybe that is why it ended there. I accepted the small room because there was nothing better, according to Genesis. I do wonder if I had paid with good old dollar bills, would I have been accommodated more appropriately.

I promise I was nice the whole time, and the first day, Trinity was so much more understanding. I think I may have interrupted Genesis conversation with two other employees. They were all having a great chat when I walked up.

I can tell when someone is sincerely listening to my plight. She heard me, but it was distant and nothing was done. I also don’t blame only her, I think management would have done right by me the first night when Trinity asked. I don’t have a ton of money, but I do have a ton of followers and likes. Hopefully if you get any of the rooms listed…. 1731, 1736, or 1616, tell them you want a...

Trip: I stayed over the weekend to visit some museums and other local venues.

The Hotel: It's located practically dead center of main Philadelphia, so travel distance to all of the things we wanted to see was fairly short. The building itself "feels" very old, with elaborate architecture on the outside, and on the inside: large wood doors with thick metal handles, slightly rickety vintage wooden elevators, winding marble(?) stairs, etc... It was like stepping into the mid 20th century. None of that is bad, mind you...but one shouldn't come here expecting something sleek and flashy.

Check in and out seemed to go smoothly (I may update this in the future once I've confirmed a few things deposit-wise). The staff were friendly and helpful, I don't have any complaints.

The Room: I had reserved a room with a king bed and city view. The "view" made the price marginally higher...but not so much that I thought of it as a deterrent. However, one always runs the risk when trying to reserve a nice view. Mine was mainly just the building across the street, and I could only see a sliver of the rest of the city off to the side. As a consequence of this, the colorful lighting from the street blasted into the room at night if I didn't keep the shutters closed. Was it nice to be able to see outside at all? Sure...but it wasn't quite the view I was hoping for.

The room itself was neat and simple. Everything was clean and functional, with a large tv, a couple of chairs, a table, and a basic mini fridge...though I felt the overall size was a bit on the smaller side. The bathroom is almost comically large; it ran the whole length of the room. I felt that it could easily be half the size, which would allow more of the main area to be exposed and feel a little less narrow. Given the short duration of my stay, none of this concerned me...but had I been there longer, I would've wanted a more spacious room.

The bed I personally thought was comfortable, but my friend complained that the mattress was too hard. I've seen that comment on other reviews, but to each their own. It was at the very least, spacious.

Amenities: I wouldn't be able to offer much here...I didn't attempt to look into the pool situation across the street, or use the fitness center. The conservatory on my floor was very pretty, if a little desolate at the moment. Had I been here longer, I probably would've spent some time relaxing in there. The restaurant XIX on the top floor was still closed from the pandemic, but they opened up the lounge, which I visited on my first night. The bar staff was fantastic...easily the most attentive service I've had in a long time. And the drinks were great as well; my friend was notably surprised and pleased by how unusually good her cocktail was.

Parking: This is my main area of frustration. Perhaps this is an unreasonable expectation, but given the expense of reserving the rooms, I would've liked the parking to have been included...or at least severely discounted. $40 a night was a bit steep for my tastes. Hotel guests DO get in and out privilages, which is good...but still...could've been less.

Do I think I got the most for my money? I'm not sure; it's pricey, but well placed...old, but elegant. I have mixed opinions, but overall I had...

Last weekend, I stayed at The Bellevue Hotel. I had been inside the Bellevue years prior but not since the hotel entered its’ short “era of being reimagined”. The lobby is dressed in gourmand tones, grande, and screams classic luxury with clear signs of historical significance.

Check in was swift, and I received instructions for digital check in at the top of the day. My room was ready early which was convenient as well. There was a minor error with my room assignment, so the Front Office Manager, Coco personally walked me to two additional rooms to see which one met my liking for the stay. Coco then had my keys refreshed and valet them to my suite with extra bottles of water so I would not have to be inconvenienced. It was an effort that I appreciated as we had evening plans quickly approaching.

To my surprise on Fridays and Saturdays the Bellevue hosts a manager’s reception in a beautiful and peaceful conservatory which screams French countryside solarium. Champagne and chocolate covered strawberries are given out compliments of the hotel and it is an opportunity to connect with your travel companion or simply relax. It really was a stellar touch and a nice surprise. Matthew, the Manager tending the reception shared so many fun facts about the hotel that no other hotel can boast about. Matthew was engaging and made us feel appreciated as guests. The bartender, Jordan was all smiles and service. 10/10 for ambiance and hospitality.

Our accommodations were a Junior Suite facing the conservatory. This suite was absolutely the best room I have ever roomed in. I have stayed at many Ritz Carltons, W hotel, Edition hotels, Conrads, and even The Rittenhouse Hotel but the Bellevue really WOW’d me. Super spacious room with a canopy bed, a library nook, a shower with a marble bench installed and two different shower heads. The colors were muted shades of grey all the way down to the floor planks. A large bistro table offered workspace but even better dining space for two. A Nespresso machine with short cup & saucer sets made my usual morning trip to Starbucks unnecessary. Tiffany’s stained glass in unexpectedly places throughout hotel which was fun to find!

Last, I dined at Pergola for an early lunch. We visited Pergola late the night before to cash in our complimentary welcome drink ticket and the mood was vibey and the skyline twinkled. During the day the space was filled with light. Elegant but approachable space with plush upholstered seating and windows from wall to wall. Gabriel was our server and was amazing.. made perfect recommendations and even gave a gentle warning about the spirit-forwardness of the espresso martini made with Jamaican rum. Best espresso martini anywhere! The menu was concise but inclusive and we enjoyed steak frites and the cedar plank salmon.

I would stay at The Bellevue Hotel over and over as it was that impressive. I didn't not have time to visit the Sporting Club which is my only regret. The Bellevue team brings the “plus one” to everything they do and don't mind going above their own lofty standard to ensure their guests are happy. I look forward to...