The Franklin on Rittenhouse, A Boutique Hotel — Hotel in Philadelphia

I wish I could review the room I actually booked. I flew across the country and spent a month's rent on a 4 night stay here. When I arrived after a long day of travel, the front desk agent told me I had been "upgraded" to a suite next door... I had originally booked "The Jane" - a beautiful emerald green room. (My girlfriend's favorite color, and it was her birthday, so I made the choice specifically...) The suite I was transferred to was not even in the same building, it was next door. There are no photos on the website of the suite I was transferred to. Sure, I was "upgraded", to a larger room, but was it really an upgrade? I don't think so.

I also got no warning of the room change. When I asked for the reason, there was an issue with ANOTHER guest's room, that guest was given MY room, and I was bumped next door. The original guest couldn't have been bumped next door? Why was my experience valued below theirs? Interesting.

The room we got was 1st floor, with back windows facing the alley where the garbage truck will loudly wake you up in the AM. You can also hear people on the sidewalk loud and clear. I was offered to transfer into another room for a portion of the stay, but was warned that it's above the hotel bar and guests often complain of noise pollution (at this point, do I trade my noise polluted room for another?).

The room had a mini fridge, sink, and microwave. But, because of the wiring, you have to choose between a functional fridge or a functional microwave. Using the microwave tripped the breaker of the circuit that the fridge was also on. So I had to troubleshoot getting the fridge powered for our leftovers, and actually never got the microwave to run long enough to heat our food without popping the breaker.

There was a keurig in our room, but during our first 2 days of the stay, there were no spare cups and no K-cups. There were 2 teabags and a cup with honey/sugar packets. I was told by the front desk that if I drank the water bottle in my room I'd be charged $7 for it, so I didn't bother with that. There was free water in the lobby next door. The coffee machine in the lobby next door was not working during our stay.

The shower floor was improperly graded, sloping away from the drain. While the hot water, water pressure, and fixtures were nice, I would come with the expectation of a constant puddle by your feet. The fan in our bathroom was also not functional.

The bedding was nothing to write home about. Two flat sheets sandwiching a thin comforter.

The heaters in our room, again, nothing to write home about. We were a little cold during our stay, even with the heaters maxed out.

The building was beautiful and charming, but our room had an unfinished and hastily-prepared vibe to it. It was not the level of quality, comfort, or care I would expect from a $$$ hotel.

I was given ~10% off my stay for these issues.

Looking back, if I could have taken a full refund and booked at another hotel in the city, I would've. I've stayed in various hotels and airbnbs in Philly over the years. Next time I'll just book the Sofitel - similar price point, more amenities, and MUCH NICER bedding. At least I would have gotten the room I paid for.

The staff was...

We weren't sure what to expect because reviews are either wildly complimentary or somewhat negative, which made me wonder: are the negative reviewers just really nit-picky, or are the gushingly positive reviewers compensated somehow for those reviews? I'm happy to report that the negative reviewers are (in my opinion) just being nit-picky, and that staying here truly was a nice experience. I was not encouraged to write this, nor am I being compensated in any way. |1) The front desk staff was friendly and efficient. |2) The Liberty room was very clean. Nothing looked worn.|3) The garbage trucks that others complained about don't actually come until around 8am, so you're not getting woken up super early. It's a big city so you expect noises, but it was actually very quiet on that side street at night. We got a great night's sleep. |4) The speakeasy on the ground floor was fun—wide age range of guests, friendly bartenders, great music.|5) The buffet breakfast was really top notch. Attractive breakfast room, large variety that was kept fresh by a nice young man.|6) There are at least three fluffy cats that hang out in the windows of the apartment building opposite the street-facing rooms. I'm just saying.|7) If you're coming to see something in the Kimmel Center or another attraction on Broad Street, it's a very short, safe walk (about 8 minutes, unless mobility is a factor). I wasn't sure if the walk would be a pain, but it wasn't at all.|8) Maybe it's because we stayed on a weekday in March, but the price was extremely reasonable when you compare it to staying in, say, San Francisco or Chicago, where much shabbier "boutique" hotels will cost you almost double. Treat yourself!||We only live an hour away, so have always gone to Philly as a day trip. But now we plan to stay here again the next time we have performance tickets and don't feel like braving I-95...

1715 Rittenhouse Boutique Hotel The devil is in the details. I just loved the wallpaper in the room and lobby. This hidden gem is amazing from the staff, decor, towels, fresh fruit served for breakfast.

The rooms were much more spacious than expected, and all of the amenities were obviously chosen with thoughtful care. The staff was the star of the show - always helpful and kind, which made the trip that much more comfortable. Without us even asking, they placed a bottle of wine with a beautiful handwritten card for our anniversary.

Everyone from the manager to the front desk was always attentive and friendly. I found this hotel to be my favorite in Philadelphia partially because of its excellent location. It is located right in Rittenhouse Literally 10 steps to Rittenhouse square and has a feeling of natural peacefulness not present in the hotels deeper in the center city. It was a great feeling to spend the day in the hustle and bustle of the center city, then come back to our peaceful hotel. Additionally, the hotel is a short walk away from excellent restaurants such as Parc and Steak 48, as well as a huge variety of shops surrounding the area. If you're coming to Philadelphia, do yourself a favor and stay at the Rittenhouse. The wonderful staff, ideal location, and upscale furnishings are more than perfect for any trip's needs. We looked at different hotels including the Four Seasons and the Ritz for our special weekend, but we are so happy We went with the Rittenhouse Hotel.

Staff We cannot express enough how wonderful their staff is as well. They went above and beyond.

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