Alexander Inn

Alexander Inn is popular for a very good reason.

I do not like to spend a lot of money on accommodations when I travel. It is just a place to sleep and shower, then I'm off to see the sites. Because of this, it is very important that I find someplace that has the "Three Cs" and is the least expensive. That can sometimes be difficult in large cities. You either have to stay at a place that is in the middle of nowhere to get a good deal or you have to pay up the nose for convenience. If you do find a good deal downtown, it's probably in a frightening area and isn't very clean.

Alexander Inn is a remarkable deal in the middle of everything and it has the "Three Cs" that I like.

Clean! Although it is an old building, they do a great job of keeping it clean and well-maintained. I felt very comfortable with the level of cleanliness. I never saw the maid but everytime I came back from my days of exploring, my room was as lovely as the first day I arrived.

Cosy! The bed and chair in the room were comfortable and the colours used in the room made it cosy. Many hotels have the nicest decor in the lobby but they scimp on the rooms. Not so at the Alexander. The rooms are painted in colours that you would find in a nice home, rather than your standard-issue white walls found in most affordable hotels. Even the halls have a home-like feel to them!

Classy! The decor is contemporary but is reminiscent of the old luxury liners. From the lobby, to the great room, to the hallways, to the very rooms themselves, there is a classy look and feel to the Alexander without being over-the-top.

The crowning jewel of the Alexander Inn, however, is the staff. They are as helpful and friendly as everyone says.

I highly recommend the Alexander!

Unique Quality: The Great Room has an ATM for your convenience, a nice continental breakfast from 7am until 12 noon on Saturday and Sunday, 7am until 10:30am Monday through Friday, and also some fruit to snack on throughout the day and night.

In the basement is a nice gym and two high speed computers. There are also vending machines (which also sells pain reliever!) and a huge rack filled with visitor brochures. It is a very nice finished basement so don't be scared to venture down there.

The only reason why I gave a rating of Very Satisfied, instead of A Great Experience is because of the city noise. It is by no means the fault of the inn but if you are a light sleeper, you may want to ask for their most quiet room. Even so, I enjoyed the Philadelphia skyline view and people-watching from my window.

July 2006 Update: I just came back from my 2nd trip to Philadelphia and I stayed at the Alexander Inn again. I actually ended up in the same room I had last time (#402). Since my previous trip, they replaced the air conditioner with a nicer model, added a collapsible desk (very handy if you brought your notebook computer), and a new electronic safe which is also handy to lock up your notebook while you are out exploring.

Directions: In Center City, in the middle of everything. You can walk everywhere from there. Even after stopping for a cup of coffee at a local cafe on Spruce St, it only took me about 20 minutes to leisurely walk to the Delaware River.

The Alexander in is in a great location - very close to the city center, but not so close that you have all the hustle and bustle. The building is on of the red brick houses so common in that area of Philly, it is renovated and the lobby is quite nice (though I thought it looked somehwat less posh than it did on the webpage). Staff consists mainly of young people, they are really friendly, service was good. Next to the lobby there is a room where you will find the breakfast buffet. It was really good, though not exceptional, you get your bagels, cream cheese, cereal etc. The atmosphere is really relaxed, more like a cozy living room in a student's apartment than a hotel. Rooms are okay, again a bit less stylish than I had expected, but everything was there, it was quite nice and clean. Generally the atmosphere in the whole hotel is very relaxed and you will find plenty of young people staying here.

Unique Quality: What I really liked was the free internet access. The computer is situated in the gym (a small basement room with some exercise equipment) and even though there was only one computer, I never had to wait as apparently hardly anybody used the gym or the computer. I really liked being able to check my email so comfortably.
The Alexander Inn is a good place for exploring the city and if you like a certain level of comfort with a "student atmosphere".

129$ per day for three including the 14% tax ?!

Unique Quality: Ancient but comfortable and clean hotel (a huge change compared with our hotel in New York). Complimetary gorgeous breakfast. Free internet room in the basement. Parking in the neighborhood : 10$ /day

Directions: 12th & Spruce Street - Philadelphia 19107 - 215.923.3535

A real find courtesy of Virtual Tourist. We stayed 4 days in May and the staff were so friendly and helpful. Breakfast is lovely - much more than the usual sad excuse that hotels call "Continental". Good location with lots to see within walking distance or hop on the Phlash.
Nice rooms. Not huge (this is an old building) but stylish although my 6 foot husband found the bed a bit short. The whole hotel is spotlessly clean even the basement gym.
One word of warning there were a few problems with the online booking reference being wrong which caused concern as this was Graduation week and all Philly hotels were fully booked.

Unique Quality: Free internet access, gym. Nice area

This is an older hotel though a well restored one. Each room seemed to quite unique. Very centrally located!

Unique Quality: The service provided by the staff was excellent!

An outstanding facility, centrally located with all the amenities you will need. Outstanding in every respect. You can gather a lot of information from other sources about details. I will only tell you that it turned out to be ideal for our recent visit.

Unique Quality: Location, location, location. Internet, exercise room, friendly, great breakfast, GREAT recommendations and directions. Decor, ambiance, etc. etc. etc.

Directions: Centrally located between Market and South Streets. Relatively quiet. Parking a block and a half away, discounted.

The staff were friendly, knowledgeable & helpful.

Room 204 was clean and comfortable. King bed was comfy, small bathroom was fine. The bay window, furnishings ... were homey. However, the second floor was noisy. During the night we heard conversations of people walking below as well as traffic speeding past. We would have requested a higher floor had we known.

The continental breakfast was sufficient, lots of hot coffee, juices, pastries, bagels, fruits, toast ... The cardio equipment & computers sufficed.

Unique Quality: Hotel was well situated; we were able to walk all over Philly. Staff was knowledgeable & helpful. Room was comfortable, loved the soaps & hair products.

Directions: Located in Center City, six blocks from the historic district, shopping & restaurants abound, reduced parking lot a few blocks away.