I only stayed one night in the Egan room. The room was comfortable and nicely furnished. The house was lovely with floors of beautiful wood with patterned designs. If you like old houses, you will love exploring the details here. The neighborhood was fairly quiet and seemed safe.
My only complaint would be that breakfast was not very good. Everything was out when I came down to breakfast (quiche, yogurt, fruit, coffee, juice, cereal), including burnt muffins. I don't think it's necessary to serve breakfast to guests, though it is nice, but why put out food that doesn't look good?
I'd stay here again because the house is very nice, but I'd eat breakfast at one of Philly’s great restaurants.

Wake up to the sound of birds chirping, warm sunshine filling up your room through large lace curtain-lined windows, to the aroma of freshly baking bread and muffins; and smell the brewing coffee downstairs. Gaze out of your window onto the little garden outside and watch the squirrels trapezing across trees.....
That's The South Room at Gables Bed and Breakfast, Philadelphia, PA in mid-October. But, I wish the inn-keeper would get the lock to this room replaced/redone. It is an effort to lock this room. The bathroom door also has a problem and does not close at the first instance.
The reviews you have read are reliable coz I chose this place based on them and am simply delighted by Gables.
I spent five days at the Inn and the location was just perfect - within a mile of the University and connected by a trolley that ran every five minutes.
Tip - the trolley accepts only an exact change of $2. But, you can also buy tokens from bookstores around university city. These work out cheaper since they bring down the cost to a little under $1.50 a ride.
If you took a cab back from the university to Gables, it would cost you about $6. So, you know how close it is.
The only flip side to staying at the Gables (like most B&Bs) is there are no restaurants within walking distance. There is a Salt and Pepper Deli which is a five minute walk. But, I am not too sure what they have.
Warren the inn-keeper is warm and friendly and has done a good job decorating and maintaining the victorian home.
The breakfast was sumptious and delicious. I am vegetarian and the inn-keeeper was accomodating enough to cook up vegetarian breakfast recipes on all days.
There is a fridge stocked with apples, water, milk, meat, jams n jellies n spreads, soda, etc. there is a microwave too.
The dining room is cozy and the parlor has a couple of pianos. And, there are a lot of books and magazines all over the inn.
He has a cute and friendly little black poodle called Oscar who seemd to have taken an instant liking for me from the moment I walked into Gables! I am not a dog person but I loved the way this Oscar rubbed himself against my legs and tried to hug me the moment he saw me!
A couple of problems -
The toilet paper gave me an infection - I came back with an itchy infection and the doctor said it was a fungal infection.
Also, the Inn has an overwhelming fragrance of apple cinnamon. Perhaps we should tell Warren to go easy on the pot pourri and get fresh, clean and disinfected toilet rolls.