Sonesta Philadelphia Rittenhouse Square

Rooms and decor

Picture a high-rise hotel in the middle of Center City where you step out the door straight into Philadelphia's busiest and leafiest neighborhood — that's Sonesta Philadelphia Rittenhouse Square. What pulls families here is the range of room sizes, and especially the King Suite, which is noticeably bigger than a standard room. Open the door and you find a separate sitting area set apart from the bed, with a sofa, a dining table and a small kitchen corner with a microwave, so parents and kids can actually sit together rather than pile onto one bed the way you would in a cramped room. The kids get a little space to move around, and parents can warm up milk or a quick breakfast right in the room. The decor is a warm, easy-on-the-eyes tone — practical business-hotel comfort — with soft beds and big windows that pull in views of the city's high-rises; many higher floors look out over the Center City skyline. Reviews agree the rooms are clean, the beds are comfortable, and the size is good value for a neighborhood this central. If you're coming as a group and want the space, the King Suite is the answer.

Food and amenities

The highlight that excites kids most is the rooftop pool, which opens seasonally in summer, roughly late May to early September. It's an outdoor pool that looks out over the city skyline, and a shady afternoon spent taking the kids up to cool off with the high-rises as a backdrop is a moment a lot of families love. There's also a 24-hour fitness centre for parents who want to move before heading out. The building has a restaurant and a bar for an easy meal or an evening drink without going anywhere — handy after a long day on your feet. Just as important for families, the King Suite's microwave and prep corner make it easy to reheat food for the kids or keep snacks in the room, saving both time and some money on eating out. Plenty of reviews praise the helpful, friendly staff, which makes the stay feel relaxed, like someone's looking out for you.

Location and getting there

Location is this place's strongest card. The hotel sits in the middle of Center City, the most walkable part of Philadelphia, about a 5–7 minute walk from leafy Rittenhouse Square — a green square with benches, a fountain and lawns for the kids to run on, ringed by cafes and nice restaurants. A bit further on is the Walnut Street shopping district, with everything you'd want to eat or buy. The family favorite, though, is the cluster of museums lined up along Benjamin Franklin Parkway — the Franklin Institute, a science museum kids can play in all day, the Academy of Natural Sciences, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art with the steps made famous by Rocky. To go further, there's a subway and trolley station near the hotel — a few stops gets you to the historic Old City and the Liberty Bell with ease. If you like ditching the car and exploring on foot mixed with public transit, this location is a perfect ten for families.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. The thing reviews mention most is that this is an older hotel building — some parts of it and some rooms are starting to show their age, the decor isn't as modern as a new hotel, and a few standard rooms aren't very large. If you're coming as a group, booking the King Suite makes things far more comfortable. The second thing to plan around is that the rooftop pool is summer-only, roughly late May to early September; anyone bringing the kids to swim outside that window won't be able to use it, so check directly with the hotel before booking which dates it opens that year, since the schedule shifts with the weather. Third is parking — it's valet only, with a separate per-night charge that runs fairly high by downtown standards. If you don't really need a car, walking and public transit is cheaper and easier. On top of that, when the city has a big event the room rates can climb, so book ahead for a better price and the room you want.

Our take

After reading through a stack of real reviews, Sonesta Philadelphia Rittenhouse Square nails the combination of a middle-of-the-city location you can walk everywhere from, a suite roomy enough for a family, and value that's within reach. If the trip in your head is taking the kids to run around Rittenhouse Square in the morning, then a whole afternoon in the science museum on the Parkway, then back for the kids to cool off in the rooftop pool in summer — all with a roomy King Suite where the family can relax and reheat its own food — this is a comfortable, good-value pick. But if you're expecting a sleek, modern luxury hotel down to every square inch, the building's age may not be your answer. Overall we give it 8.0/10, best for families and business travelers who value a middle-of-Center-City location and usable space over luxury.