The Notary
I was going to Philadelphia to meetup with a group of people who kinda travel around and drink (do not judge me!). In my planning, I had to find a couple hotels, and The Notary which is an Autograph Collection, had a great rate, perfect location, and fit the bill for a place to let the room stop spinning.Arrival
I was already over at the Le Meridien, so it was a 2 block walk to come here for the weekend. Easy walk, right by the world famous City Hall.Heavily staffed, but it was a bit demoralizing when the app said I had been upgraded to a suite, and when I got there, I was no longer in a suite. Well, I can't make much of that or do much about it, as I was rolling the dice on upgrades anyway.
I did pick the breakfast as my welcome amenity. That's by far my favorite item which can save up to $35 a person at some properties (ok, $55 at the St. Regis Maldives, but I digress).
The Room
A very nice, fairly large room, keeping in the theme of the building. While I was initially in a mood from that suite upgrade being reversed, I'll admit it is indeed a nice room.
3D interactive room tour, use your mouse or fingers to move around and see other rooms.
Dining
Sabroso+Sorbo is the Bar and Restaurant, which at the entrance is Pressed, the speciality coffee bar. The restaurant was better than a normal one. Food was quite good. The bar gets really busy almost as soon as it opens.Amenities
Well, strangely, there are very few. There is a sundries shop, the gym was under construction, and no pool (being in the city, that's not unusual).
Well, seems like the largest room on the floor, it's quite a nice room
Since I couldn't make the 3d work well between the two bath areas, here is the really good shower
Nice amenities, I really dig em
A very nice bar, quite set with the older crowd (like me) and can be busy after work
Sabrosos+Sorbo restaurant, Spanish in flavor
The breakfast I was able to order via ala-carte
The breakfast menu at Sabrosos+Sorbo
The entrance, with a porte-cochere
Vertical wheels of government
The old city administration character that is evident throughout
Summary
Yes, this is a fairly spartan property, but the bar and restaurant are quite decent. You're a block from Reading Market, and if you've never been, you're really missing out.It has character and the rooms are just delightful, but it's not a destination hotel itself. If that is what you are looking for, this is not the hotel you want. It's the place you go back to relax and escape the city after exploring the magnificence of Philadelphia.