Review: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Philadelphia

While attending a Darkness Radio Paranormal Convention in Philadelphia, I stayed at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Market Street. Although I wouldn’t classify my experience there as completely unpleasant, I was not impressed by the hotel. Below are the pros and cons of my experience with the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Philadelphia.

Pros:

• Air conditioning in room worked very well and kept the room cool and comfortable in spite of the hot weather.
• Room was cleaned reasonably well by the cleaning staff.
• Food and service in the hotel restaurant was pretty good.
• The bed was comfortable and felt clean. The pillows were a little soft for my taste but there were plenty of them and I was able to arrange them in order to sleep comfortably.
• Starbucks located directly across the street (a definite plus for me).

Cons:

• Room was extremely small for the price. Barely able to move comfortably between the bed and the desk and there was no seating other than on the bed or in the desk chair.
• Bathroom was even smaller and did not have enough room to use comfortably. Banged my elbow repeatedly while reaching for toilet paper, which was awkwardly placed in relation to the toilet.
• Clock radio was not plugged in and plug was tucked under the bedside table. Had to move furniture to retrieve plug and set up the clock.
• Free coffee provided in room tasted horrible.
• Wireless internet access not available in most rooms, contrary to what I was told when making my reservation, and the wired internet access was slow and unreliable.
• Had issues with toilet running continuously and not wanting to flush. Had to jiggle the handle repeatedly to get it to shut off before I could flush and then would have to jiggle the handle again to get it to shut off or be stuck listening to it run.
• Room service and restaurant meals were over-priced.
• Parking prices were ridiculous and should have been included in the room charge, or at least significantly discounted for hotel guests.
• Did not receive several things that were mentioned during the reservation process. When I advised the hotel staff of the missing items, they apologized but did not remedy the situation by providing those items.
• Was given a room directly across from the elevator and heard the “Ding” and people talking frequently during my stay. Fortunately, ghost hunting late into the night left me tired enough to fall asleep in spite of the noise.

Overall, I would say that this is an okay hotel as long as you aren’t expecting luxury and don’t plan to be staying long. I’m glad I was given a discounted rate through the convention, since it was being held in the same hotel. I would have been very upset with the quality if I had paid their usual rates.

Ven's Rating:  

I would love to hear about your hotel experiences, either at the Crowne Plaza or other hotels. What types of services do you expect from the hotels you visit? Please add a comment and tell me about it. I would love to hear your story.