Historic Hotels in Philadelphia

The neighborhoods

Where to stay, by area

Old City and Society Hill

Visit Philadelphia’s Historic District, from the Delaware River to 7th Street and from Vine to Lombard, is the core of Penn’s original city. Independence Hall, begun in 1732 as the Pennsylvania State House and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the free Liberty Bell Center anchor it, with Old City’s galleries and cafes to the north and Society Hill’s cobblestone, red-brick 18th- and 19th-century blocks between Walnut and Lombard.

Inns here: Penn’s View, in an 1828 warehouse at Front and Market by Penn’s Landing; Kimpton Monaco, in the 1907 Lafayette Building across Chestnut Street from Independence Hall; and the Morris House, a 1786–87 house on 8th Street in Society Hill.

Rittenhouse and Center City West

Rittenhouse Square is Center City’s upscale neighborhood of dining, shopping and one of the city’s best-known public squares, with Fitler Square’s historic homes to the southwest and the Schuylkill River Trail beyond. The Warwick, at 17th and Locust, is individually listed on the National Register and sits inside the Philadelphia Register’s Rittenhouse-Fitler local historic district.

Washington Square West and Midtown Village

Midtown Village and the Gayborhood, the center of Philadelphia’s LGBTQ+ community, fill the middle of Center City, with boutiques and restaurants along the 13th Street corridor and some of the city’s biggest hotels and theaters. The Washington Square West Historic District (National Register, 1984) runs roughly from 8th Street to Broad between Locust and Lombard. None of our verified inns is inside it; the Morris House is just across 8th Street in Society Hill.

Avenue of the Arts, Broad Street and Market East

South Broad Street, the Avenue of the Arts, is lined with theaters and grand early-1900s buildings, many inside the Broad Street Historic District (National Register, 1984). A block east, Market East holds the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Reading Terminal Market (1892) and Jefferson Station, the Regional Rail hub.

Inns here: The Bellevue at Broad and Walnut; The Notary, in the 1926 City Hall Annex facing City Hall; and Loews, in the 1932 PSFS Building at 12th and Market.

University City and Powelton Village

Across the Schuylkill from Center City, University City is home to Penn, Drexel and 30th Street Station. Powelton Village, Philadelphia’s first streetcar suburb, keeps its Victorian houses inside a National Register district and, since 2022, a local historic district. No inn here has passed our checks yet.

Before you book

Planning your stay

Getting around

Center City is compact: Visit Philadelphia puts Penn’s Landing 2.4 miles (26 blocks) from the Schuylkill River Trail, about a 50-minute walk. SEPTA buses, trolleys and subways cost $2.90 a ride with a SEPTA Key card or a contactless tap, and SEPTA’s Airport Line runs between Center City and Philadelphia International Airport; Regional Rail fares are $5 to $11 with Key or contactless, more if you buy on board. The seasonal purple PHLASH bus ($5 day pass) loops from Penn’s Landing to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Indego bike share starts at $4.50 per half hour.

Parking

Expect hotel valet in Center City: Loews charges $60.02 a night, including the city’s 25% parking tax, and has no self-parking. Near Independence Hall, the Philadelphia Parking Authority’s AutoPark at Independence Mall sits under the Independence Visitor Center, with entrances on 5th and 6th streets between Market and Arch (fee applies). Visit Philadelphia’s Overnight Package bundles free hotel parking at participating hotels.

When to go

July 4th is the city’s signature celebration: Welcome America runs a series of free events around Independence Day, so book historic-district rooms early for that week. Independence Hall is open year-round, with free open-house entry early in the morning and timed-ticket tours the rest of the day, and Visit Philadelphia warns that tours can sell out. The PHLASH bus runs daily from April through September and on weekends through December.

Accessibility

Independence National Historical Park says its buildings and programs are accessible through ramps, captioning and assistive listening devices, and the Independence Visitor Center is fully accessible and lends wheelchairs. The first floors of Independence Hall and Congress Hall are accessible, with touchscreen albums showing the upper floors. The historic hotels vary, and the Morris House was built as a house in 1786–87, so confirm room access before you book.

Before you book

Reserve timed tickets for Independence Hall online in advance, since they can sell out, and budget for nightly valet in Center City (about $60 at Loews). The Morris House includes continental breakfast. Loews takes pets for $75 a stay, Kimpton Monaco takes them with no fee or size limit, and The Warwick also welcomes pets.