Needed a Philly staycation…
We’re big Philly people. I mean, my husband and I collectively lived in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection for 17 years. But then kids happened, and we sold out and moved to the burbs. We’ve vowed to introduce our kids to the city—it’s unique architecture, the eclectic food choices, and how accessible it is. For being the sixth largest city in the US, it’s surprisingly simple to get around.
So when the weather finally started getting nicer in the Northeast, we decided to do a Philly staycation at the gorgeous Center City property, Kimpton Hotel Palomar.
Disclosure: Our stay was complimentary, but all opinions below are my own.
Philadelphia is a great spot to visit for solo travelers, couples, and families with kids of all ages. Not exaggerating when I say there’s something to do for everyone. Below is a breakdown of our leisurely weekend trip into Philly, sweet and simple. As we start to slowly ease back into travel post-pandemic, we found that it was important to take baby steps with our not-so-seasoned traveler baby (ha).
How do you get there?
PHL is the major airport. If staying in Center City, it’s a quick cab ride (15 min tops) from the airport. Another option is to take the Septa train from the airport into Center City. Can be easily done in 20 minutes.
Philly is pretty easy to drive into too, especially if you’re coming from around the Northeast/Mid Atlantic. The Hotel Palomar had valet parking (in and out privileges as you please) for $58 per night, but there are a number of parking decks for cheaper nearby. We opted for the valet because it was so convenient to pull up, unload our stuff, and be in the lobby with the kids in under 5 minutes.
Where should you stay?
Definitely in Center City or Old City, if you can. Center City is just that, central, so you can get to pretty much anywhere in under 15 minutes via public transportation, cabs, or walking. We mostly walked!
As mentioned, we stayed at the Hotel Palomar and it’s probably one of the best spots to stay given it’s convenient proximity to Walnut Street shopping (1 block), the city’s top restaurants (within 3-4 blocks, tops), Philadelphia Museum of Art (~20 min walk), and Old City/Independence National Historical Park (easy 20 min walk or 10 min cab ride). We explored the city and took many breaks at the hotel so the kids could nap and recharge.
When we got into our hotel room, the kids were surprised with a tent and Philly welcome backpack. Be sure to inquire about the Little Explorers package if you book at the Hotel Palomar. The setup was super cute and the kids had a ton of fun with it. The welcome backpacks included a Philly scavenger hunt coloring book, colored pencils, and markers. The hotel also left an instant-print camera for us to use on our trip. My son took that camera everywhere. Another special touch? A bottle of pinot noir for mom and dad.
Hotel Palomar also set up a pack and play for our daughter, allowing for us to travel light. A number of hotel guests also had dogs with them. The property provides a pet bed, food and water bowls, and disposable bags in your room so your pup feels right at home!
The hotel has an interesting history. It sits in the Architects Building, which was designed by a group of Philly’s top architects and housed architecture firms in the late 1920s. You must walk into the lobby and check out the design of the building…and the art. Oh, the art! We had a good time taking in all the unique Philly-focused sculptures and paintings. The hotel’s Art Deco influences made it an interesting spot to take notice of every carefully selected detail. Another plus? When Kimpton converted the building into a hotel, they made sure it was LEED-certified.
The room was surprisingly spacious for a city hotel that sits in a building that was built in 1929. We had plenty of space for our family of four. There was a living room with pullout couch, desk, and TV with two huge windows overlooking the city. We were on the 22nd floor. Ask for a high floor when booking—the sunsets are gorgeous! There was a bedroom with king size bed in it off the living room, also with two large windows. The natural light in the room was gorgeous. I love bright, airy hotel rooms. Finally, there was a bathroom that was almost as large as the bedroom, with a standing shower and large hot tub. Definitely a great place to stay if you want space to hang/store your stuff and not feel like you’re all over each other.
What should you do (and more importantly, eat)?
Read on for our itinerary, followed by additions I wish we hit. There’s always next time!
Independence National Historical Park: We started off our trip with a visit to Independence National Historical Park. Our son is becoming a huge history buff, like his dad, so he requested to see the Liberty Bell. This area is a great way to kick off your stay in Philly. There’s a spacious lawn overlooking the National Constitution Center, Congress Hall, and Liberty Bell. You’re also just a few blocks from Betsy Ross’s House and Elfreth’s Alley (showcasing houses built between 1703 and early 1800s).
We then walked over to get a slices of ‘za at a random spot on 2nd and Chestnut. Listen, if you’re from NY, it’s not great pizza. But it got the job done and was cheap. There are quite a few quick pizza spots around Old City. Kids don’t care what kind of pizza you get them as long as there’s promise of good ice cream afterwards. Which is what we did. Right around the corner from pizza was the Franklin Fountain, a must-see for the young (and young at heart)!
Franklin Fountain: this old fashioned ice cream parlor serves up homemade ice cream and is a Philly institution. They use milk and cream from Lancaster County, PA. Soda jerks wear bow ties and aprons, and it truly feels like you’ve stepped back to the 1950s. Be sure to order a sundae, they’re known for them!
R and R! Checked into the Hotel Palomar and took naps in the hotel. Our toddler fell asleep in the tent (naturally)!
K’Far Café: We ventured 5 minutes away to K’Far to pick up Israeli pastries and coffee I pre-ordered via their website. Famed Philly chef Mike Solomonov owns this spot (also try Zahav for dinner if you can get a reservation)! They’re known for their pistachio sticky buns and they sell out quick so I’d highly suggest pre-ordering.
Rittenhouse Square Park: We took the pastries and coffee to the park across the street and enjoyed the afternoon on a blanket. This is a great spot for people watching, listening to music, and letting the kids get out some energy. Rittenhouse Park is one of five open-space parks planned by William Penn in the late 17th century.
Comcast Technology Center: From Rittenhouse, we took a short walk to 1800 Arch Street, where the CTC sits. Our son wanted to see where daddy works. The CTC is a 60-floor building and is the tallest building in Philadelphia. It was closed to the public (I think because it was a Saturday), but check in online before you go. The lobby is gorgeous from the inside and has a free immersive experience called the Universal Sphere created by Steven Spielberg.
R and R! We headed back to the hotel to rest again. The kids got some iPad time in the tent and then “swam” in the hot tub. This is when my son said, “I never want to leave, mama!”
Hotel Palomar Complimentary Happy Hour: This is a perk of staying at most Kimptons. There’s complimentary wine happy hour from 5-6 in the hotel lobby. We got ready for dinner and enjoyed a couple of glasses of white wine and met some other guests before dinner. I love this about Kimpton hotels. It’s so nice talking to people before they head out for the night. The kids also enjoyed it.
Gran Caffe L'Aquila: We had dinner reservations at 5:30, so we left the hotel happy hour at 5:29pm to walk over to dinner. Took us all of 2 minutes. Noticing a trend here? There are so many really great dinner spots near the Hotel Palomar. I felt this one was the most kid-friendly. Gran Caffé has amazing Italian food and their weekly specials menu features dishes from a specific region in Italy. I know, very Stanley Tucci of them. We sat outside and watched the people and cars go by. They don’t have a kids menu, but the menu is pretty kid-friendly so they shared with us. I ordered the Pollo Mattone (great crispy chicken dish), and my husband ordered the Carbonara. We had some cocktails and topped off the meal with gelato, because you must have gelato when here. You can also stop by to pick up just gelato or Italian espresso drinks if shopping one afternoon.
Back at the hotel, we got the kids ready for bed, and Hubs and I popped open a bottle of wine and watched the sunset from our room. We managed to work in a ton of stuff that day, but no one felt overly tired. I truly believe this is because we were so centrally located.
La Colombe: The next morning, we walked 2 blocks to La Colombe’s flagship location for coffees and took a quiet Sunday morning stroll through Philly.
BCBS Broad Street Run: The Broad Street 10-miler was happening on Sunday morning so we cut through Rittenhouse Park to Broad and Spruce Street and cheered on the racers. This is the quintessential Philly run. If you’re a local, you’ve either ran this or cheered someone on. Our son had a great time rooting for people as they ran by.
In-room breakfast at the Hotel Palomar: The Hotel had a suburb breakfast. Like, we’ll come back to Square 1682 (their onsite restaurant) just for breakfast. We opted to eat in our room so the kids could take it easy, and it was quick and decently priced for room service. One note, room service is only available when the restaurant is open so plan accordingly.
We texted the valet 10 minutes before our desired departure/check out time and the car was ready and waiting for us out front. The Hotel Palomar really made our trip easy and enjoyable (all that I ask for when traveling with littles)!
Places we didn’t get to, but you should definitely add to your trip
Independence Beer Garden: this beer garden sits across the street from the Liberty Bell and is a good time for all. Enjoy 20+ beers on tap, cocktails, and snacks while playing Jenga or Cornhole. Great place to relax after touring Independence National Park.
Angelo’s Pizzeria South Philly: Angelo’s is only a mile from Independence National Historical Park and has become one of Philly’s best pizza spots. It’s cash only and you have to wait in line as soon as they open or call ahead (and get through a bunch of busy signals) to secure your slice. They also have to-die-for hoagies. I would have swung by here if we didn’t have two hungry, impatient kids with us.
JG Skyhigh and Jean-Georges Philadelphia: This bar and restaurant, respectively, sit at the top of the CTC. You can make a reservation to eat up there and take the all-glass elevator to the top of the city.
Shopping on Chestnut and Walnut Streets: Shops include Uniqlo, J. Crew, Madewell, Lululemon Athletica, and Tiffany & Co., among other retailers.
Parc: charming little French bistro facing Rittenhouse Park. Get an outdoor table and enjoy a cocktail and appetizers as you people watch.
