My family and I spent (wife and 3 year old son) a weekend in Philadelphia and decided to stay at the Sofitel based on reviews. The last time we were in Philly, we stayed at the Four Seasons. This time we booked a suite with a king bed.

We drove down from New York and found the hotel to be right downtown. Valet helped with the bags. Check-in in the front desk was fast and everything was correct upon arrival. We were asked about preferences on whether to be close to the elevator or not. I always asks to be far away.

The Sofitel is a rather skinny but long building. Got a room on the 12th floor (need a card key to access each floor) and had a long walk down from the elevator to the room (you get what you ask for).

The suite was nicely decorated with a living room with flat screen tv, working desk and sofa bed. The bedroom was separated by french doors and was very comfortable. The bathroom was nicely done with separate bath and shower. What was interesting was the lack of a drawer to put clothing and limited space to hang coats and clothes. Overall the room was very nice, a bit worn at the edges but quite comfortable. We had a partial view of Rittenhouse square.

Got to use the gym on the 4th floor. Mostly cardio equipment with televisions, spacious and empty the weekend we were there.

Had breakfast in the cafe, again, good pastries and coffee.

There are plenty of restaurants, coffee bars and shopping around the block. Found it was easy to walk everywhere.

I was staying in Philadelphia by myself for a weekend as part of an extended business trip and the Sofitel provided me with a wonderful experience.

It has an excellent location, right in the middle of the downtown area with all the shops and restaurants that you'd expect no more than a few minutes away.

Everyone within the hotel was friendly, welcoming and focused on service. The two different conicerges that I spoke to were very helpful and provided good advice that met my needs.

The room that I stayed in was of the highest quality - it was quite spacious, it had a huge and very comfortable bed, the bathroom was high spec and all the fixtures and fittings had been chosen carefully. There is a really nice range of shampoos/shower gels etc which were constantly replaced.

I didn't use the restaurant but I did use room service (the breakfasts in particular were excellent). The bar was an almost perfect example of what a hotel bar should be - slick, attentive service, a wide range of drinks, a good section of bar food and a nice atmosphere - just as good by yourself as in a group.

I do a lot of travel (mainly on business) and the Philadelphia Sofitel is now the benchmark against which I will measure other hotels.

I stayed here for a conference taking place in Philadelphia. It was a great hotel to walk into and both the lobby and the room has that "aaah" feeling as soon as you do. The room was clean and tidy and the service was attentive, the bar was good and the room service was quick and pretty good value. The room had good amenities, much as you would expect - I liked the proper seating area, unusual for a bedroom only deal - and the hotel rightly prides itself on its bathrooms.

The hotel is well located for Market Street and also for walking down to Antique Row and South Street shops, though parking seems to be slightly difficult. I found a great noodle bar and a great coffee shop nearby (bonte) on 17th Street, but it took me a little longer to find a really good cheesesteak.

Like other reviewers, I was a little disappointed that in-room internet access was not free. If seemingly every coffee shop can provide free access for a $1.45 purchase, surely a chain like this could provide free access. Sadly though it's getting to be more common to be charged (as it is in the UK) which is a shame - Sofitel should do what a couple of other good hotel chains are doing and include it in the price.

I'd definitely stay here again for either business or pleasure.

Just got back from the Sofitel. My husband had a conference in Philadelphia a few blocks from the hotel. We loved our stay here. Check-in was quick and we made our way up to our junior suite on the 7th floor. The bellman brought our luggage, got us ice, oriented us to our room and answered any questions. The room was very nice. The living area had a loveseat, chair, end table, cocktail table, desk and chair, and corner cabinet with flat screen tv. The room was well lit with 3 lamps. The bedroom area was separated from the living area by double doors, and had a king sized bed with floating nightstands on either side, chair, and corner cabinet with flat screen tv. This opened into a dressing area with small table, mirror, bench and double closets. The bathroom was nicely appointed with marble and separate glass enclosed shower and tub. A few cons regarding the room: there are no drawers for clothing, instead there are open shelves in the closet; no flat sheet on bed between you and duvet; shower pressure was somewhat weak; loveseat had wood topped arms that could be uncomfortable. The view wasn't the best, and the room, without lighting was dark because you are downtown surrounded by tall buildings. However none of these things affected the enjoyment of our stay.
The front desk was very helpful with directions and maps. Marci, the concierge was outstanding, helping with restaurant questions and decisions and making our reservations. I used room service for breakfast two mornings, and the service was quick and efficient. My breakfast arrived within 15- 20 minutes of ordering and was just as I requested, no missing items. We also had Sunday breakfast at the hotel restaurant. There is a buffet with omelet and egg station, and items such as mini brioche with smoked salmon and boursin cheese. We ordered off the menu, I had nutella buttermilk pancakes that were fantastic and my huband had smoked salmon benedict with porcini flavored hollandaise sauce. We had cocktails one evening in the bar where you can order small appetizers and relax in the comfortable seating. Worth mentioning: if you have a car, parking is $30/day. We had a car so I could visit friends in the area, but we just used cabs or walked while in center city. We really enjoyed our whole experience at the Sofitel and would definitely stay there again.