Hot Hotels

Hotel Spotlight: Family review of Best Western Plus Philadelphia Convention Center Hotel

Well-located and clean with a lobby bar, this hotel in downtown Philly gets the job done

After completing the southern portion of our #HotMamaDoesAmerica road trip, we headed up to explore what the east coast had to offer. One of our most anticipated stops was Philadelphia. My daughter was especially excited about this visit. She was learning all about the Liberty Bell in school and couldn’t wait to see it in person.

We had a jam-packed weekend planned in this historical city. So, we needed suitable Philadelphia accommodations to rest our heads at the end of these long days. Luckily, were invited to stay at the Best Western Plus Philadelphia Convention Center Hotel. Here is what we thought about our stay.

Best Western Plus Philadelphia Convention Center Hotel

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN COMPENSATED LINKS. FIND OUT MORE IN MY DISCLAIMER.

Where to Eat in Philadelphia:

There are many Philadelphia hotels to choose from. However, if you happen to be attending an event at the Philadelphia Convention Center, then The Best Western Plus Philadelphia Convention Center Hotel would be the perfect location. It is literally right across the street. We weren’t planning on visiting the Philadelphia Convention Center, but we were planning on eating a lot. I mean you kind of have to when you visit Philly. Happily, the hotel is located in Center City Philadelphia surrounded by good eats. If you love Asian cuisine, then you will be a happy traveler as The Best Western Plus Philadelphia Convention Center Hotel is in the heart of China town. In fact the Vietnam Palace, known as the jewel of China Town is less than a mile away.

In addition to the city’s best Asian dishes, the hotel is also across the street from the famous Reading Terminal Market. Recommended by both locals and visitors alike, the Reading Terminal Market is a foodie’s paradise. As I said, our family likes to eat and this delicious attraction was at the top of our list. I just wish we had more time and more room in our bellies to try all the vendors in the exciting indoor market.

Reading Terminal Market

Check Rates & Availability

Philadelphia Historical Sites Nearby:

Like I said earlier, we had a lot we wanted to see while visiting Philadelphia. There are so many things to do in Philadelphia, but top of our list was seeing Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. Rather than stay in hotels in downtown Philadelphia or hotels in South Philadelphia, Center City Philadelphia hotels may actually be a preferred choice. It is right there in the name, Center. The central location of The Best Western Plus Philadelphia Convention Center Hotel made it easy to navigate throughout historic Philadelphia. For instance, the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall were only a mile away, and it was less than a mile for Logan Square, a neighborhood full of historical buildings and museums.

See more about our time in Philadelphia in our Ultimate Guide to Philadelphia with Kids.

Liberty Bell in Philadelphia

Only a mile and half away from The Best Western Plus Philadelphia Convention Center Hotel is the infamous Eastern State Penitentiary. I wasn’t sure if we were going to have time, but I am so happy we had the chance to tour this historical prison. For one, it is the first prison of its kind, paving the foundation of the modern prison system. Second, Eastern State Penitentiary housed one of the most infamous prisoners in US history – Al Capone. Third, it is haunted. Lastly and most personally interesting, this is where my dad had performed in the 1940’s as a child.

Eastern State Penitentiary Philadelphia

Thanks to the convenient location of The Best Western Plus Philadelphia Convention Center Hotel, we were able to everything on our list, including a few extras in just one weekend. Check rates and availability.

About the Hotel:

Although The Best Western Plus Philadelphia Convention Center Hotel as been welcoming guests since 1920, the hotel is set in a simple yet modern building facing the Philadelphia Convention Center. Unified with its neighboring buildings along the low-key commercial street in which the hotel resides, it is almost hard to spot if you are not looking for it. In fact, many of our Uber drivers didn’t even know the hotel was there. It is one of the few hotels in Philly that still feels like a little secret. Check rates and availability.

Here is a little video of us enjoying our first day in Philly & Best Western Plus.

Parking:

For a big city hotel, parking wasn’t too bad. Like many hotels in Philadelphia, it cost to park your car overnight at the hotel. To self-park it is $20 per day and you can come and go as you please. However, the parking lot is two blocks away from the hotel. If you are not familiar with the city, I recommend taking advantage of the valet for $35 a day. For unloading there is a convenient spot right in front of the lobby entrance. The front desk will give you a 20 minute pass for your car upon check in, so you can get all your stuff and people out before parking it the off-site lot. Not the best parking situation, but not the worst in our experience given the location in the center of a big city.

Amenities:

The Best Western Plus Philadelphia Convention Center Hotel is 100% smoke-free and is stocked with many of the modern amenities to suit most travelers’ comfort needs. For instance, there isn’t a pool, but there is a 24 hour fully equipped exercise facility. For those on business, there is a 24 hour business center with printers, faxes, computers and a photocopy machine.

Like many big city hotels, there is a need to maximize space. Although the rooms are smaller, they have many in-room comforts. Happily, every Best Western Plus we stayed at had HBO, allowing us to never miss an episode of Game of Thrones the entire summer! The Philadelphia Convention Center Hotel was no different. Every room has a refrigerator, which is great for storing baby’s milk or mama’s beer. If you are traveling with babies, there are cribs available for your room. Let me just say, the view of the Philadelphia from the rooms is breathtaking. After a long day of sightseeing, it was so nice to come back to the room and look at the city aglow.

View of Philadelphia from Best Western Plus Philadelphia Convention Center Hotel

One of my favorite parts of the Best Western Plus Philadelphia Convention Center Hotel was the cocktail lounge. This was the spot we ended each night in Philadelphia. Open 7 days a week from 5:00pm to 11:00pm, the bar is located at the entrance to hotel with a big scenic window for viewing the city outside. The bartenders were so nice and loaded with great information about their city. One night the bartender even put on the Disney Channel for our kids, so we could enjoy another round of drinks. Honestly, The Best Western Plus Philadelphia Convention Center Hotel cocktail lounge was one of the highlights of our trip.

Best Western Plus Philadelphia Convention Center Hotel Lobby Bar

Complimentary Breakfast:

You have to love complimentary breakfast. Every morning in the lobby, the Best Western Plus Philadelphia Convention Center Hotel puts out a full breakfast buffet with a selection of hot and cold items. Everything was so nicely done. Even the waffles came complete with a Liberty Bell branding, which my daughter loved.

Best Western Plus Philadelphia Convention Center Hotel Breakfast

Competitive Rates:

Staying in budget on a big trip is no joke. Best Western Philadelphia is a great choice option for cheap hotels in Philadelphia without sacrificing style and comfort,  What I love is that the competitive rates of Best Western Plus Philadelphia Convention Center Hotel allowed us to have lovely accommodations in a big city without breaking the bank. In addition, we earned Best Western Rewards through their loyalty program. Not only did we save by staying with Best Western Plus, but we continue to save on future travels. The great thing is that the points never expire and the program is free to join.

That’s A Wrap!

If you are looking for where to stay in Philadelphia, look no further. We started each morning with a complimentary breakfast and ended each night with a cocktail at the cozy hotel bar. We were close enough to Philadelphia attractions that we could easily see everything we wanted in one weekend. All in all our stay at the Best Western Plus Philadelphia Convention Center Hotel was a huge success. Check room rates and book your stay today!

Disclaimer: HotMamaTravel is a participant in affiliate advertising programs. By providing convenient links to my  affiliates, I earn a little commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions are my own and I only link to companies that I trust. Thank you for supporting my site!

Like it? Pin it!

Best Western Plus Philadelphia Convention Center Hotel

Author

I am a busy mama with 3 delicious babies and a serious itch for travel and writing (when I am not bartending, that is)! After graduating from Cal State San Marcos with a B.A. in Communications, I decided to start a family and pursue a career in freelance writing. I created HotMamaTravel as an outlet to do what I love while sharing useful travel tips and inspiration with others. Our mission is to show parents how to master travel with kids, while keeping your Saturday-night selves. We call it "Family travel...with a twist".

18 Comments

  1. Pingback: FAMILY TRAVEL BLOG | Visiting Beautiful Spruce Street Habor Park in Philadelphia – BookMyHotels

  2. I love Philly. We have been to the reading market (the best!) and the liberty bell, but not the prison! I had no idea it was even there. There is lots to do in Philly, we are only about 1.5-2 hours away from there. Hope to get back down there soon!

    • I didn’t realize the prison was so close to all the other sites either. I was on the Phlash bus and saw it as a stop, so we just hopped out. It was really cool.

  3. I love this place, and that it’s only less than an hour from me. Can’t begin to say how many impromptu trips we’ve taken to Philly!

  4. I would love to visit Philly! There is so much to do and see! The hotel looks good too!

    • I know, but it is just something you have to see when you are visiting, especially for the first time.

  5. We’ve always enjoyed the Best Western Plus hotels. They are usually conveniently located, offer a great breakfast (waffles for the win!!). Philly is awesome. I feel bad that I only had two days on a work trip to explore, but I’ll have to get back and explore some more.

    • Yeah you can’t beat a free breakfast with themed waffles. You’ll have to go back to Philly when you have time to explore.

  6. Location is important, but being comfortable and welcoming to kids makes this a pretty good find all round. Love the breakfast waffles!

    • The waffles are fun. You know you are in the right spot when the bartender puts on cartoons for the kids. Ha

  7. Pingback: Things to do in Philadelphia with Kids - HotMamaTravel

  8. Pingback: Family Road Trip Across US: 19 states in 60 days - HotMamaTravel

  9. Maria Vigo Reply

    I don’t understand how you could write a positive review for that dump, misleading people to get a room in the filthiest hotel of Philadelphia!!! Future travelers be aware! DO NOT STAY AT THIS FILTHY HOTEL FULL OF HOOKERS SMELLY AND UNSANITARY BEDDING FILTHY CARPETS AND NON EXISTENT SERVICE!!! STAY AWAY AT ALL COSTS

    • I sorry to hear that you had a bad experience. We stayed there with our family three years ago and had a great experience, which is also documented on our vlog. It was very clean and bright, the rooms were nice and the bar was lovely. We didn’t see anything seedy and all the people we encountered were great. I don’t know if things have changed since 2017, but we honestly enjoyed our stay and I encourage anyone reading this to check out the vlog and see for yourself.

Write A Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Like my article?

Share it like it's hot!
I\'ll pass