Lonely Planet Review

A small hotel catering to a mix of business types and Liberty Bell tourists, this Best Western offers an intimate spot near Independence Park and lively Old City.

Once a dry goods store and a shop for a doll manufacturer, this mid-19th-century building is now a small 36-room boutique hotel. While some of its original charm has been retained, the decorating style tends towards either staid, tacky or generic (or a combination of the three). Bright tones, shag carpeting, floral bedspreads and faux Chippendale furniture are not unusual. There's a decent breakfast in the morning with fresh waffles and fruit. Some evenings the hotel hosts a fireside wine and cheese reception in the moderately sized lobby, where the curving staircase and leather couches provide suitable backdrops. Though it's part of the self-proclaimed 'world's largest hotel chain', this franchise boasts enough individuality to ease the minds of many (but not all) of those travellers wary of staying in a Best Western.