Hotel Monaco Philadelphia, a Kimpton Hotel

We are staying here as part of a wedding party that is spending lots of money at this hotel. We paid for a King Deluxe Suite and were placed in a tiny room on the second floor that overlooks a gravel roof. We were out from 10 – 2:30 but received no maid service. We had to call for towels and soap. We usually like Kimpton hotels but are unimpressed with this one.

Stayed here for a brief day trip right before New Years and I was very impressed. I’m REALLY fussy about hotels and boutique hotels can be a hit or a miss. The Monaco is definitely a hit! I loved everything about this hotel ESPECIALLY the big gorgeous tub in the spa room to the bright and colorful décor. Whomever designed this gem, round of applause! I did find the room quite feminine and absolutely beautiful.
The bar/​restaurant attached to the hotel is also gorgeous but on the pricey side. We did not have any food here so I can’t speak to that but staff seemed very knowledgeable.
Location is the best as well, central to all the touristy attractions. And walking distance to great bars and live music.
A couple things I wasn’t too fond of but in no way affected my five star experience was the cost of valet (could be so much worse, believe me) and the elevators are tiny. There’s ample parking nearby if you don’t want to use their facilities, so a huge plus. I would absolutely stay here again and would absolutely refer to anyone visiting Philadelphia!

Situated perfectly in the heart of Philadelphia’s Historic District Hotel Monaco is within walking distance of Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and many other landmark venues.
Enjoyed a wonderful two night stay in this uniquely decorated Art Deco style hotel where coziness, comfort and caring rule. From the valet to the doormen to the concierge everyone was professionally polite and helpful.
Our KIng Size Room was clean (loved those «wild and crazy robes’) — our bathroom fine with a sizable shower (strong water pressure) with half glass cover — no slide door. No coffee in room but available in lobby between 6AM and 9AM. Late afternoon hour wine tasting a nice relaxing plus. Hotel offers two restaurants — the Red Owl Tavern (see separate review) and the Stratus Rooftop-​bar (Wed.-Sat. only).
Yes — Hotel Monaco is a bit pricey but you certainly receive what you pay for.
A very fine two night stay…

Gorgeous and stylish. Comfortable and clean. The service is super friendly and clearly everyone has been directed to be as kind and as professional as possible.
This is absolutely the best location in terms of historical old city Philadelphia. Everything is close by. I think this will be my new place to stay when I come back to Philadelphia.

We stayed three nights at Hotel Monaco, and although this hotel has some big pluses, I can only give it 3 stars.
First, the check-​in was a nightmare albeit the beautifully designed lobby, which was always bustling and filled with patrons. The concierge was so by the books, he wouldn’t let me check into my room while my partner was parking but had to check his ID as well, as if I was somehow faking a hotel reservation. As if. Secondly, the room, while very spacious, was missing basic toiletries like shower caps, the mirror on the bed post had cracks and the fridge lock broke with the key inside it. This was annoying as we payed extra for the king sized room with a view. The bathroom door also doesn’t have a lock and the shower area is exposed, giving you little to no privacy. No WiFi unless you become a member, and they ask for all your personal information. No thank you. No coffee in room either. But the wallpaper is nice.
Now, onto some positives:
1. The location is excellent; right in the heart of Old town/​society hill; close walking distance to restaurants, bars and coffee shops and all historical landmarks
2. The view of the liberty bell and independence hall was pretty nice
3. There is a self-​park lot very close to the hotel which is pretty convenient as you don’t have to pay for valet
4. Wine o’clock from 5 – 7, complimentary which is very popular.
5. Good, powerful blow dryer.
6. Nice design, lobby and comfortable rooms.

DO NOT BOOK YOUR WEDDING BLOCK HERE!!! Leading up to the event, there was so much turn around in the management office that my information was regularly confused, guests were not tracked properly, and I had to send multiple emails before receiving a response. When we got to the hotel the day before the wedding, they had lost a package that contained gifts for my gift bags even though the carrier had a signature from their staff indicating they had signed for it! Worst of all, I had asked the hotel to charge our parents’ rooms to our account and filled out the paperwork they required me to fill out weeks beforehand. Not only did they not notify our parents that their rooms had been taken care of, they charged their credit cards and ours!!! My parents had no idea that I had paid for their suite! When I emailed my complaints to the hotel, I received an email back from a manager-​in-​training (she literally signed her email that way) saying she was sorry and that she hopes I return to the hotel so they could make it up to me. I then called the Hotel and was told upper management would call me on Monday (they were not available on the weekends). That was three weeks ago and I still have not received a phone call.
Additionally, the hotel charged up for everything! They charged $ 4 per gift bag, would have charged a $ 1,000 minimum for less than an hour of after party food and drinks, and charged $ 35 a person for a bagels and fruit breakfast.
The Hotel Omni Hotel, on the other hand, was effortless. I had the same contact there for the year and he was great! They didn’t charge me anything to deliver gift bags, kept the bar open for us on the wedding night with no minimum, and people raved about the rooms and the service. I really wish I had booked all of my rooms there.
I really hope no other bride has to go through what I did. It was the ONLY thing that made me stressed the entire weekend and was the only vendor that I would not recommend. I could not have been more disappointed in the service at the Hotel Monaco.
UPDATE: The day after I posted the review, I was contacted by a very nice woman from management. She let me know they they had just hired someone to manage room blocks and gave me a refund on my gift bag charges. I really hope they fixed all the systems because it could be a really fantastic hotel.

Having enjoyed a work event at Hotel Monaco over the summer I happily decided to visit again. Really glad we chose to stay here for an our overnight getaway. We got an amazing $ 122 deal for this same day booked Friday night stay through HotelTonight App. The hotel sits at a great location next to the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall in the Lafayette Building built in 1907. It’s walking distance to all of the Old City bars and restaurants. Beautiful rooftop bar with a DJ that’s open to the public, and continues till 2am on the weekends. You can valet your car at a pricy $ 40 a day, but you’re encouraged to take it out and in as many times as you like and you can leave it till 6pm on your checkout day without additional fees. Very friendly and accommodating staff, everyone we encountered, from valet, to bellmen, to front desk and restaurant staff were lovely. They hold a nightly free wine hour with a great crowd in the gorgeously decorated lobby. Hot toddys were also being served. I really enjoyed the eclectic décor which is layered with many unusual and sumptuous accents. The lobby has a large fireplace and a signature Kimpton scent that is sure to make you linger. They showcased a gingerbread contest while we were there during this holiday time. The room was gorgeous, eye catching and had many thoughtful touches, from a yoga mat, quirky robes, and interesting patterned wallpaper, carpet and tile. The bed was very comfy and loved the Kimpton pillows. The hotel is pet friendly and I’m told you can ask the staff to walk your pet if needed. When I say pet friendly, I mean it, dogs were welcomed throughout the hotel and there was even a pet alpaca in residence during our stay, much to the shock of the other hotel guests, who stopped to take pictures with her. Who brings a pet alpaca to a hotel… that’s for another post. So go, enjoy this wonderful city, and be sure to stay at Hotel Monaco.

My stay was just as described in the other five star reviews. The property is just as it is in the pictures. The staff was very accommodating and complementary wine hour is a plus. This was my first stay at a Kimpton property and it won’t be my last.

Great hotel and service. Didn’t even need to check for bed bugs. So that’s good. A bit on the swanky side for my liking but definitely worth a stay.

We are staying at the hotel Monaco for a brief after Thanksgiving stay with the kids. The hotel is very inviting and well decorated. The service is on point and non intrusive. Rooms are beautiful and well thought out. We have a great view of Independence Hall. This is a safe area to walk around and a central location to Über about. I can’t recommend this place more.

Hotel Monaco is diagonally across the street from Independence Hall which makes it great for tourists but anyone will appreciate the amenities, hospitality, and cleanliness of this fine hotel. The classically elegant yet boutique quirkiness of the décor is Wes Anderson-​esque. Some of the thoughtful amenities include an evening wine hour, umbrella and yoga mat in the closet, and C.O. Bigelow soaps. They offer valet parking and there is a garage around the block. It met and exceeded my expectations for a four or five star hotel. I can’t think of anything bad to say about it.

Are you looking for a nice hotel in Philadelphia? Well look no further. This is your dream hotel. YOUR DREAM HOTEL, I TELL YOU!
I have wanted to stay here for years, and back in the days when I lived in Philly I would often walk by and think «what could I do to justify a stay here even though I live walking distance away?» That moment arose when my husband and I came to town for a friend’s wedding and their hotel room block was at the Hotel Monaco. Sure, it was still expensive (a place this swanky comes with a price tag!) but I told my husband that we basically had no choice but to live it up for the night and book a room. Carpe diem.
We walked in and it was glamour from the very first second. Everything is just gorgeous and impeccably decorated. The customer service is unbelievable. All I could think was «don’t slip up, Jessica, pretend you’re classy!» We got to our room and holy cow… who decorated?! Don’t get me wrong — I loved every square inch of it. We found «loud» wallpaper, a pillow with an adorable quote, a perfectly propped up book of Alice and Wonderland, and the coolest bright red TV stand /​media center that I have ever seen. In the closet were robes (including a leopard print one) and a yoga mat (whattttt). The bed was unbelievably comfortable and we had the most luxurious night’s sleep. And the bathtub came with bath salts so that you could really soak and relax (I didn’t utilize this but it was tempting). The ONLY thing that could have made our room better was if we had a cool view (some people I know had an incredible view of Independence Hall). We had kind of a semi-​view (ok, this is a stretch) of the Liberty Bell. But this should tell you how great the location is — you are RIGHT in Old City. You step outside and BOOM it’s Independence Hall. We had 45 minutes to kill and went on a guided tour of Congress Hall with no problem. You can go to the Liberty Bell, the Betsy Ross House, the Constitution Center, or the American Jewish Museum (among about a million other cool places) without needing to hail a cab or set foot on a subway.
The two annoying things (well, one is actually kind of cool). The first: parking was something like $ 43 a night. I mean, I get it — you’re in downtown Philly in the most touristy neighborhood in the whole city. But no way, Jose. Fortunately I know Philly well and we found free street parking in the Grad Hospital neighborhood and took an Über to the hotel (for about $ 7 each way). Second: Lil Jon was in the house. Seriously. There was some type of late night event with Lil Jon as a DJ up at the roof top bar. When we caught a cab back late at night after the wedding was over there was like a whole swarm of people trying to prevent us from crashing the Lil Jon party. There was even some guy who looked like Secret Service blocking us from going up one of the elevators because that was, like, the Lil Jon party only elevator. Cool your jets, I don’t want to party with Lil Jon that bad. (I mean I kind of do but you know.)
Come here, stay here, feel glamorous, check out Philly tourist traps, learn a little history, wear a leopard print robe, read Alice in Wonderland, and maybe party with Lil Jon. This place rocks.

This is specifically a review for Stratus, the bar on the roof of Hotel Monaco. The waitresses were very sweet and attentive and gave good drink recommendations. There was plenty of seating to hangout with friends. The vibe is extremely cool and relaxed.

It was quite amazing to experience firsthand the gem that is Hotel Monaco. I’ve stayed in a number of Kimpton properties before, but none of them had matched the splendor of this recent renovation. For the past three years, Monaco has been quickly becoming one of the top nighttime tourist destinations, and for good reason. The ambiance is just wonderful, making the place a fun hangout, despite the fact that it is a hotel, it is actually a nice place for passers by to just chill and linger. The lobby features a real glass hearth, and several pieces of classic furnishings that look like they belong in a museum. Everything in both the lobby and the room itself is kept fairly clean and open, with no unnecessary boxes or contraptions that should make the space feel cluttered. The room décor has some unusually strong pizzazz, but the color array did not clash with my tastes. I only wish the bathroom door would lock or latch to provide more of a sight and sound buffer, but I guess the presumption is that if you’re in a suite, privacy will be respected out of familiarity with the person. Nonetheless, there is no shower curtain either, which means the only thing a person can do is to schedule their bathroom visits. I do prefer hotels that allow a separate «mudroom» for the sink so that bathing and going to the bathroom do not necessarily have to cause inconvenience. This one small stylistic gripe does not hurt the overall wow factor of this hotel, and I would definitely have no qualms about staying here with my wife, but do not think a business partner or less familiar friend would be comfortable with sharing these as tight quarters.
Both checkin and checkout were quite pleasant, and I must add that the front desk hires only sweet people who don’t mind checking in on their guests with a courtesy «MR last name» when calling the room and making me feel like I am not just a renter of their room but an esteemed guest o the house. The customer friendliness is top notch here and I should like to get used to that by staying here again. Even the parking attendants were useful, unlike most hotels, at getting my pick-​ups and drop-​offs coordinated in a manner that did not interfere with their valet operation.

When I wanna roll with my linen suits in the summer and drink free happy hour wine, I stay here.
If you want the whole hotel/​bar/​club/​lounge experience, stay here.
The rooftop bar/​lounge will have mad lines on weekends… which you can blow past when you book this über-​original place.
Buy some tasty silky couture and stay/​drink/​lounge it up at this hotel.
Like me.

Stayed here for a wedding the weekend of July 17^th. Great location if you’ve never been in town. I had two rooms, a King suite and a double Queen room. The King suite was fabulous. The décor was eclectic and so well done. The stand alone tub and shower area alone were well worth what I paid for the room. They deliver a live goldfish in a bowl to the rooms, which is an interesting touch. My complaints would be this… the walls are thin and the pipes are old. I could hear when the neighbors started the shower up. My room was dark, definitely needs more lightning. My window faced a dreary interior courtyard which got very little sun.
My son and daughter stayed in the double queen room which was bright and sunny and had a fantastic view of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. Their major complaint was that they must have been next door to a wedding suite and the entire bridal party were up yelling, slamming the door and hanging in the hallway until way after 3am. I understand they were celebrating, but it sounded like they were standing right in their room.
There must have been a few weddings going on that weekend and it was inconvenient when one decided they wanted to take photos in the very small entryway and the elevators were blocked for use. Hey, we all had somewhere to be! I felt management didn’t really have someone to help direct and make sure all parties were given the same treatment.
Our flight got in to Philly early and we arrived a little after 1:30pm. The king room was ready by 2pm but the double queen wasn’t available until almost 4pm. I was extremely disappointed as we all needed to get ready for a rehearsal dinner at 5! It took a few calls and visits to the front desk before the room was ready and then we all felt rushed.
Overall it was a very pretty hotel, but felt very overrun by wedding parties. I would also suggest expanding the room service menu. Very limited selections.

Hotel is beautiful– like a Wes Anderson film. Had a lovely time until we received two noise complaints from our neighbors. It was 7:00pm. The hotel absolutely ruined our night and what a shame we apparently ruined someone else’s. Then, in the morning we could literally hear our neighbors on their phone and make out the entire conversation through the adjoining door. There is no way we were that loud, it was just that you can hear everything through their terribly designed doors/​walls. Don’t stay in this hotel if you’d like to have a evening without disturbances. Will never recommend this hotel until they remedy their noise problem.

Can’t even begin to describe what exceptional service this hotel chain aspires to. Though there was a line when we checked in, the front desk staff still made the interaction personable yet efficient to move it quickly along. The rooms and décor have a modern art deco vibe. Very clean, fast elevators, friendly staff and comp wine hour! The fitness rooms were impressive and even had complimentary issues of Vogue. We are absolutely hooked and have become Kimpton hotel brand loyal customers. All hotels should aspire to be like this!
Additional reasons Why We Love This Hotel:
–Pet friendly (no charge!)
–Sign up for Kimpton Rewards and get free wifi
–Everything in Philly walking distance from here!
–Great, safe location
–Personal items available in case you forgot to pack something

I’m totally drinking the Kimpton kool aide. I love the vibe, I love the feel, I love to stay here! It’s like staying in your own personal art museum, if you like funky pop art, bright colors and sometimes clashing patterns (that clash in a good way!).
They sure know how to treat their guests too. Free wine happy hour. Free bikes to take out on the town, Free wifi. I mean, what more can you ask for? Oh yeah, a $ 10 ‘raid the mini bar” credit if you sign up for their rewards program. I mean, hello, why wouldn’t you! I enjoyed my ice tea and gummy bears very much!
The absolute only thing I have to complain about is the open shower. I know this is modern. I know a lot of hotels have this now, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it! The water just gets everywhere and it’s always hard to get warm when the shower is open to the whole room. Ya dig?
The free wine hour makes up for that though. And the comfy bed and plentiful outlets. You have hooked me Kimpton and I’ll be back again and again!

If only all the hotels I’ve stayed at could be as wonderful as the Hotel Monaco. First impressions are a big deal to me and it started with the door man, not only did he open the door for us but shook our hands and asked our names. I knew just by this small experience it was going to be a great weekend stay. Overall the customer service is top notch, check in was smooth, staff super pleasant and even the housekeeping staff greets each guest in the hallway daily. I even talked with one housekeeper who was a huge eagles fan, just blown away at how well each employee is trained.
To top all of this off the rooms are gorgeous, bathrooms spacious and our view was the best! Oh did I mention we melted in the bed, so comfortable I didn’t want to get up each morning. I will definitely be staying here again when we return to Philly for the holidays.