Courtyard by Marriott Philadelphia Downtown

The location was excellent; right next to City Hall and within walking distance of many things. We needed to take the bus to get to the zoo, and if you are going to South Street you can either pay $6.00 cab or take a long walk. The restaurants in the area are great, as well as the fast-paced market. Plus right near the bus terminal. The service was absolutely excellent, from calling to confirm our reservation, to absolutely every interaction we had. They advertised a complimentary newspaper, but Sunday morning there was none at the door. We called downstairs to ask, and they said they had recently stopped delivering them to doors, and were out of all papers downstairs, so they actually had someone go out to the store and get one, delivered directly to our door! Downside was there was no refridgerator or microwave in the room, though there was a one-cup coffeemaker. If you don't like powdered creamer, you are in trouble, b/c you won't have the fridge to keep milk or leftover food. I liked the linens a lot- good quality, but I hated the pillows. My head sunk into them, but two was a little too much. Pool: Very good for kids. Not so great for adults. The entire pool is 3 feet deep and not heated. There is a (very)hot tub. The fitness center has many machines, including several treadmills, eliptical machines, medicine balls and a Swiss ball. There is TV hooked up to the cardio machines, but I could not for the life of me get the buttons to move to change channel or sound, so I scrapped that. As someone coming from economy rooms, I thought the room was beautifully decorated. Staff was great and I would definitely consider returning to this hotel if I am in Philly again.

From check-in to check-out the staff were friendly and helpful, going out of their way to please. Breakfast buffet was great way to start the day. Location can't be beat. Walk to museums, restaurants, convention center, Reading market...only took cabs to and from the train station.

Good: Location Big room Accommodating staff Comfy beds Not TOO noisy, considering the location Check out a 12:00, not 11:00 (important after those long nights out :) ) Availability of roll-away beds (was important for us with a child who wiggles all night long when sleeping :) ) Bad: No parking to be found other than valet Coffee maker makes ONE cup at a time... water conservation? What's the point? No complementary breakfast No room service (food) other than for dinner Strange: We were given disable access room. None of us are disabled. Was not worth switching a room in the middle of the night when we lugged ourselves on the fifth floor, but I never figured out the reason behind it. Was weird taking showers sitting on the bench... Check upon the check-in I suppose. Never would have thought to do so. In general though - for a hotel in the center of the busy city I would say it was not bad at all. This is for a hotel only. The nightmare we had to go through with the airlines (Delta and US Air) which put Orbitz reservation on the very bottom of the priority list is a whole 'nother story

The most challenging part of staying at the Courtyard Marriot was getting to it; I was one of many who passed it several times before calling and literally being talked to the front door. Primarily due to the old Square that it and two other Marriott’s are located on. Once I pulled up the valet took care of the rest. Note that the valet area itself tended to get a bit crowded but the staff were excellent. In fact the valet who assisted me flagged down my friend, who I was meeting in Philly, into the hotel. I mean he literally walked part way down the block waving his arms  later we witnessed another valet staff doing something similar, as I said getting to the front door is the tricky part-LOL While the accommodations were nothing more or less than you would expect it was the staff that will bring me back. I had made an error in booking my room and had us checking out a night earlier than we actually wanted and even though online the hotel was full, they took care of it. Everyone on the staff went above and beyond the call of duty thus the service was 5 Star all the way!! This hotel is centrally located, as far as the historic sites, along with many other attractions like the art museum and most of them walking distance from the hotel. The work out facility was good, clean but the view was great! Same with the pool, while it was small, it was tastefully designed and had an amazing view!

I stayed at this hotel when in town for a wedding...the location was very convenient, the hotel itself was quite nice, and the room was very comfortable. Although the bathroom setup was a little weird - the shower and toilet in one room, the sink in another - that didn't hamper the enjoyment of my stay at all.

We had a wonderful weekend family reunion at the Hotel, about 130 people, largest reunion yet. The location cannot be beat for interesting things to see and centrality to transportation. If you had enough of your family love fest, you could escape to a lovely quiet corridor inside the hotel or outside to exceptional architecture and American history. Our meals were delicious and well served. The rooms used for the parties are grand in scale with windows looking onto the exhuberent city hall. Perhaps the reason for being at the hotel has colored my memory; I'll still recommend. Joe

fine hotel - staff okay but I've seen better. Central location - easy walking distance to good restaurants and attractions.

The stay was very enjoyable. The room was roomy and comfortable. It is located close to shopping, historic buildings, museums, and good restaurants. Overall a good experience.

I stayed at the Courtyard in Philadelphia for a conference. I couldn't have picked a better location. It was very centrally located right by City Hall, Macy's, and the Market East rail station. From the airport, I was able to take a $7 train, get off two blocks from the hotel, check in, walk to dinner near Rittenhouse Square, and walk everywhere I needed to go in the city. For a business related trip it was perfect. The staff was prompt and the room was nice--not luxurious, but comfortable, clean, and quiet.

Within walking distance of many things to see in Philly; among others are the City Hall, historical district, Franklin Institute and great restaurants ... found 2 good ones walking around: Sabrina's Cafe and Chima Brazillian Steakhouse. Their business center is not the best. Slow connection and rather expensive. Printer didn't work.