Built in 1787, the Morris House Inn is a delightful historic property in the Washington Square district of Philadelphia. It has 15 rooms in two buildings, the main house and an annex where M Restaurant is located (hotel guests get 10% off their restaurant bill). We stayed in Room 402, directly above the restaurant and facing the courtyard. It is described as a Large Extended Suite and includes a small kitchen, sitting area with foldout couch and bedroom with a luxurious queen-sized bed. The sleekly modern bathroom has a Jacuzzi tub and separate shower, and is appointed with thoughtful amenities like bath salts and makeup remover wipes.

Lowell greeted us warmly upon our arrival and gave us a tour of the facilities, offering to provide assistance in any way he could. I subsequently emailed him a spreadsheet listing all the attractions we intended to see, not once but twice, and he printed it for me.

One of the first things we encountered when we checked in was afternoon tea featuring three kinds of homemade cookies. The chocolate chip were described by my son thusly: "A land of chocolate exploded in my mouth. BEST... COOKIE... EVER!" The ginger cookies were also very good, and are a novel alternative to the usual nightly chocolates on the pillow. A pitcher of hot chocolate was available along with the usual envelopes. In a detail I found particularly thoughtful, half and half was provided in addition to yucky Coffee Mate. The Inn has Keurigs both in the common area and in the rooms, so if you have a particular favorite you might want to bring some K-cups from home. Then again, the brewed coffee at breakfast is absolutely heavenly!

Speaking of breakfast, it's included and served from 7 to 10am each morning in the warm, light-filled dining room/library. I would call it enhanced continental as it's more than just pastries, and everything is house-made. Offerings also include excellent granola, salami, sliced cheese, quiche and fruit. When we arrived at 9:30, Lowell encouraged us to let him know if anything needed replenishing.

We were in Philadelphia at one of the worst possible times weather-wise, with bone-chilling cold and sleet. The location of the Morris House allowed us to visit Washington Square, the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, the National Constitution Center and the U.S. Mint on foot with minimal inconvenience and discomfort.

One of the great things about the Morris House is that it is a historic property but with plenty of modern conveniences, most notably the Wi-Fi. This is a must-have for us as my son is all about the technology. He really loved the room's iHome dock as well.

Drawbacks here are minor. Our suite's bathroom was adjacent to its front door, with the kitchen, living area and bedroom following in that order. Therefore you must pass through the living area if you're going to the bathroom from the bedroom. If there is someone in the sleep sofa that's a light sleeper, this can be a problem, especially since the wood floors squeak. Also, there is no parking on site, although a discount is available at the garage across the street. Evenings can be a little loud if you're atop the restaurant, but the noise is typically done by 10:30. Finally, there is no elevator, but the staff happily assists with luggage so it's not a big deal if you're capable of climbing stairs.