I've stayed at the Windsor a bunch of times while in Philadelphia and I REALLY like it.

There are really large rooms with full kitchens, which makes it perfect for families traveling on a budget. I regularly run up to the markets in the ComCast Center or to the Whole Foods that is about 6 blocks away to stock up on food that I then eat back in the room, saving us from having to eat out all the time.

It's also just a few short blocks away from neat sites like the Reading Terminal Market and the old Capital building -- making it a good spot for tourists, too.

This visit was disappointing to me, though.

The bathtub in my room wasn't draining well -- like 65 minutes or more just to get one tub's worth of water to drain -- and we found a cockroach in the bathroom.

Also, the front desk staff that is on duty at night don't have the ability to negotiate reduced rates when those kinds of things happen and the hotel is sold out. That meant I was forced to wait around in the morning of our departure until the manager showed up so I could talk to him about an adjustment because of the inconvenience.

When I finally got to talk to a manager, he was understanding and apologetic and he provided me with a discount for both nights of my stay that I thought was fair.

But I missed a part of my morning meeting simply because there was no one on site that could make the adjustment until he got there.

So the polish has been rubbed off the Windsor a bit for me. I love the location. I love the size of the room. I thought the rate was fair. The full kitchen saves me money. There's free wifi.

But there were problems this time -- and while the solutions were easy, no one was there to help when I needed it.

Traveled to Philly over the holidays with my family, including my 4 year old son. The hotel staff is incredible: friendly, super-helpful and very organized. We were able to drop off our luggage early and park the car with no hassles, so we could enjoy a day of wandering around. Speaking of that...the hotel is in a prime location! Just a few blocks away from City Hall, the Reading Terminal Market, and a nice, comfortable walk to the Old City and/or the PMA. The hotel was clean and comfortable, priced VERY nicely, and the restaurant downstairs worked well for us after a couple of tiring days. The kitchen served us well also, saving a bit of $$ and time.

The valet parking is a bit pricey but in retrospect and knowing how difficult it is to park in this city, It was well worth it. I'd stay here again - in a heartbeat.

Downtown hotels in cities can be very pricey and this one was not. we stayed there because our daughter was performing at the Philadelphia Art Museum and she was also staying in this hotel. But we found it to be the perfect place for the weekend. The kitchen was the best part as we were able to have our morning coffee and breakfast in the room. The nearby Whole Foods supplied the ingredients for breakfast, and that was helpful. Bed was comfortable, towels were thick and absorbent, iron and ironing board available, and it was two blocks from the train we took from the airport. Easy entry to the city--soo accessible. The only problem was the thin walls (so we heard the TV next door late at night) and the noise of construction in the building on the day we departed, but otherwise, we were pleased. The bar on the first floor served good wines for about $4 a glass. Not luxurious, but a hotel where you were comfortable walling around on the carpet barefoot--not often found in a hotel at this price.

After we exited the Suburban Station (corner of JFK and 17th Street) of SEPTA from the airport we walked down 17th street. After two blocks we came upon Windsor Suites at the corner of Ben Franklin Parkway and 17th st. Very convenient!!
Check in was fast, friendly and helpful.
Our room on the 8th floor facing the Parkway was large with two double beds, two closets--one a large walk in) a galley kitchen with a stove, sink and microwave and many cooking and eating utensils. The redecoration was done with very good taste as evidenced by the choice of wall paper design and color. The old style wooden furniture showed their age with many scuff marks and dings but to me at least those added to the charm of the room. The bathroom was a winner too as the tiles are in very good taste as well as the porcelain and chrome fixtures. Well done. The towels were large, thick and very absorbent. At first I thought they were the legendary Turkish towels but they were made in Pakistan. Well done!!
On Monday morning we heard the sounds of hammer drills and jackhammers start at around 9:00 am. They sounded as if they were right in our room. Turns out they were two doors down where the whole room and its furniture were being replaced. Good thing we checked out soon after.
Bottom line: this is not a fancy, schmansy venue but will meet your needs if you need to be in the central part of the city. There is a cafe/bar serving Thai fusion dishes and another bar/bistro right across in the entrance vestibule. So no need to even step outside for sustenance.
And the location cannot be beat at this price.