We stayed at Hotel Palomar in Phila a few years ago to celebrate a wedding anniversary and had a fantastic experience; so, I decided to re-visit this year for our 25th anniversary / Valentine's Day weekend. I called Abby Raymond (she also is the one who helped me a few years ago) to arrange to have roses and hand made Marcie Blaine chocolates in the room when we arrived. Upon our arrival, we received a big smile and a wonderful "Happy Anniversary!" from the front desk person, Naeena, that set the tone for the entire visit! Abby had spread the word and the entire hotel staff was aware that my wife and I were there celebrating our 25th!!! This is THE MOST FRIENDLY, WELCOMING, and HAPPY HOTEL I have ever stayed in (and I travel allot)! Kudos go out to Abby, Christine (our Concierge) and the entire staff at Hotel Palomar. Whatever you guys are doing there--keep doing it and keep hiring all those great people!

With all the accolades, I thought I'd put in a shocker of a title. Sure, the room had no coffee maker. So I called the desk as instructed by the card in the room, and took quick delivery of a Keurig, with four K-cups, and cold, fresh milk, exactly as I had requested. In fact, there's a list of all kinds of things they'll deliver upon request. No surprise: they also provide free wi-fi, wine and hot toddies late afternoon, a mini-bar credit (never heard of another chain that does that!), and a hotel that's stylish, immaculate, and staffed by total professionals who smile.

Great exercise room. And the elevators...the elevators are amazingly decorated. All in all, wonderful.

I love visiting cities and Philly is one of my favorites. I found the Hotel Palomar on Trip Advisor (naturally) and liked the reviews so I booked a room. The price was right for that particular day, too.

Valet parking is a bit confusing. The website states to pull up on the side of the hotel on Sansom Street but when I did there wasn't any sign of a valet employee or even signage stating that I was in the right spot. Thankfully, I know Philadelphia's confusing one way streets well so I was able to drive up a block or two and back around to come to the front of the hotel. I was greeted promptly by a valet and handed a ticket quickly so I could get out of the freezing cold into the hotel.

The check in receptionist was a lovely young woman who was friendly, courteous and professional. The hotel management who understands how important that is to guests will always attract repeat business no matter what other negative experience may occur. Kimpton, your management team knows what it's doing and I applaud you for that.

The room was just lovely. I often travel alone so space isn't much of an issue for me but this room was spacious. Everything was sparkling clean. The bathroom was fresh looking and the complimentary toiletries are high-end. It was super quiet and I never heard another guest in the hall or adjoining room. The view from my window was of the brick building next door but I don't care much about views when visiting cities. So, if you want a view you should probably make a point of asking for a room with a view.

The only disappointments were the bed and room service. I was surprised that I found the bed so hard and uncomfortable which caused me to wake up with a backache. Maybe it was just the bed in that particular room.

I'm an early riser so called room service around 5 a.m. to order breakfast. I was told that I couldn't order from the breakfast menu but only from the "anytime" menu. I truly do not understand why making me a pizza or quesadilla is no problem but frying a couple eggs and toasting a slice of bread is a problem at 5 a.m.? The gentleman who answered the phone was charming and apologetic and we compromised by having a pot of coffee sent up to tide me over until I could order breakfast. Again, pleasant, helpful staff makes a good impression and can smooth over difficulties except, perhaps, with the most unreasonable guests. I should add that the coffee was probably the best room service coffee I've had in recent memory.

These two disappointments are not enough to keep me from returning to the Hotel Palomar on future trips to Philadelphia. The location is fabulous, there are restaurants and shops galore. If you love tea you must visit Steap on 18th Street. Wonderful selection of teas and tea-related supplies.

I booked the Palomar for a weekend to help celebrate my wife's birthday - and boy did I make the right call!

Shortly after getting situated in our room on a Friday night, we were presented with a huge slice of chocolate cake and a bottle of wine. And because we arrived after the wine social, we were remembered with a big bowl of their signature popcorn (which is unbelievably good). Talk about being treated right!

In heading out for dinner we asked about potential restaurants. The staff really knows the area - the restaurants, shops, and the events going on... If you have a question or want a suggestion, ask them - they're definetly in the know.

The location of the hotel is fantastic. We did some shopping on Saturday around Rittenhouse square and headed back to our room to drop-off our bags and get ready to go to dinner. I was surprised to find a brthday card and a 2 large (chocolate and vanilla) cupcakes from a local bakery (Brown Betty). Very thoughtful - and delicious! This hotel does customer service right!

To warrant all this attention, all I did was mention in my reservation that it was a birthday stay for my wife. She was greeted with a "Happy Birthday" when we checked in, and "we hope you enjoyed your birthday" upon checking out. While this might seem small, this kind of attention - just like the hotel itself, is special.

The hotel itself is spotless, modern, and unpretentious. The wine "happy hour" in the lobby is a relaxing mixer that you shouldn't miss. We had a King Spa room that, like others on this site have said, is an upgrade you need to make.

Go ahead and do your research - but customer service, location and price make this hotel where you want to stay in Philly.