Sofitel Philadelphia

I’m not a big fan of hotels— even the highly rated ones—so I tend to research them thoroughly. I’d call myself a hotel snob on a middle‑class budget. During the first weekend of April, a friend and I visited Philadelphia for one night. Based on the reviews, we thought we made a smart choice with this hotel. The reality was the opposite. Still, I’ll acknowledge the positives before getting into what went wrong. What was good Location: Right in Rittenhouse Square—vibrant, classy, clean, with great restaurants and plenty of shopping. It’s not walking distance to most tourist sites, but I still liked the area. Valet and concierge: Both were excellent. Friendly, helpful, and great with recommendations. Lobby: Warm, stylish, and inviting. A comfortable place to relax or socialize. I did see a large dog, which I wasn’t thrilled about, but that’s on me for not checking whether the hotel was pet‑friendly. Now for the ugly—the very ugly My friend wasn’t feeling well after dinner, so I walked to a nearby pharmacy. While I was gone, she noticed an odor in the bed. She pulled back the sheets and found a giant urine stain on the mattress. She immediately called the front desk. Instead of moving us to another room and comping the night—which should have been the obvious response—they sent someone up to “clean” it. I went downstairs and told the manager we absolutely refused to sleep in that room. She moved us to a new one and sent an employee with us. When we got there, my friend pulled back the sheets again… and this time there were blood stains on the mattress. I wish I were exaggerating. The employee took photos, and we went back downstairs to speak with the manager again. At this point, you’d assume they’d offer a free night. You’d be wrong. They moved us to a third room. It was already 10:30 p.m., we were exhausted, and we stayed—though we were beyond upset. I understand that hotels deal with all kinds of situations. Accidents happen. But failing to offer a full refund after two contaminated mattresses is inexcusable. Stay far away from this hotel. Philadelphia has plenty of options—including a few nicer ones directly across the street.

Heidi at check in was wonderful. Kind and answered all our questions. Our room was perfect and we enjoyed the breakfast and watching sports while enjoying happy hour at the bar. The doormen were also welcoming and helpful. We will be back.

I stay at Sofitel fairly frequently and always have a great experience. Big shoutout to Ada, she was awesome and really went above and beyond to help with everything during my stay. Will definitely keep coming back.

Staff were all excellent and room was very nice especially for the money. Very centrally located =. overall great stay

Staying away from home for nearly six weeks due to mold remediation was an incredibly stressful and disruptive experience. Being displaced from your own space, routines, and sense of normalcy is never easy. However, my stay at the Sofitel Philadelphia at Rittenhouse Square made a difficult situation much more manageable—and even relaxing at times. From the moment I arrived, the staff showed genuine warmth, professionalism, and attentiveness- specifically Jessica, Mateo, Sarah and Sergio who were consistently kind, attentive, and compassionate. They remembered details, checked in thoughtfully, and made sure I was comfortable throughout my extended stay. Their professionalism combined with warmth made the hotel feel like a safe haven rather than just a place to sleep. The accommodations were clean, well maintained and restful, which was especially important given the circumstances that brought me there. Having a peaceful, well-kept environment to return to each day provided a sense of stability when everything else felt uncertain. While I would have much preferred to be in my own home, I’m incredibly grateful for the care and consistency the Sofitel provided during this time. They helped turn a challenging situation into something far more bearable, and for that, I truly appreciate them and won’t ever forget my stay there.