Arriving at the Windsor Suites in Philadelphia was a total breath of fresh air after the eight hour bus journey and rather cramped accommodation of Boston. The hotel is part of the Modus Hotels group and definitely lives up to their other city centre hotels. My daughter and I stayed for 3 nights in a standard suite and used it as a base to explore the beautiful and very child friendly city of Philadelphia. More on the city later, for now this is what we thought of the hotel.
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The Location of the Windsor Suites
The hotel is perfectly situated within walking distance to all the major attractions in the city but far enough away from the busier areas making it ideal for travelling with kids. There are a few restaurants and convenience stores within a few minutes walk or you can easily get an Uber to other parts of town. It was perfect for us as 30th Street Station, where we arrived by Megabus is only 5 mins away in a taxi.
The Rooms and Hotel
This is a suite hotel so the rooms are absolutely massive! The bed was huge and comfy and the room was quiet enough to ensure a good night’s sleep.
There’s a very well equipped kitchen with a lovely coffee machine (and pods) which was perfect for waking me up in the morning and a dishwasher to wash all your crocks each day. The fridge was empty on arrival but the hotel will happily stock it for you with a handy order form left on the door but we just walked the 2 minutes to Wawa down the road for our supplies.
One of my favourite parts of the hotel (and my usual bug bear when staying anywhere else) was the huge amount of storage space, with a walk in wardrobe and plenty of drawers for unpacking. There’s even an onsite laundry if you’re staying a while!
Piper took full advantage of the space and enjoyed buiding her lego creations during our evenings in the room.
The Pool at the Windsor Suite, Philadelphia
The Windsor Suites has a lovely rooftop pool which is open over the summer and is a fun place to relax after a busy day exploring Philadelphia with kids. We took a dip every early evening, it was slightly cool but in a refreshing way and never too busy.
It’s not massively glamorous or Olympic sized but was a pleasant surprise in an inner city hotel and the views from the roof are stunning. They provide pool towels although we found them pretty small and thin but beggars can’t be choosers!
Special Features for Kids
We didn’t come across any additional features for kids although the hotel does feel extremely child friendly. When we checked in, the reception staff were so friendly and welcoming to my daughter, even practicing some dance moves with her, she was really made to feel at home.
The Food at the Windsor Suites
The onsite Irish pub, Con Murphy’s was a nice place to visit for drinks in the evening. They do breakfast, lunch and dinner, we tried lunch one day which was tasty and generous. I had the Philly Dog (when in Philly after all!) and my daughter a burger.
Each evening we popped in for a quick drink and a game of “categories” before bed, sometimes they had live music which was fun way to end a day but we always headed back to our room before it became too busy.
There’s also ASIA ON THE PARKWAY which offers an Asian fusion menu and always looks reassuringly busy.
We bought food in and ate in the room for breakfast and dinner. This was easy to do having the kitchen and dishwasher. Plus it meant I could shoe horn some fruit and veggies into Piper. Always difficult when eating at restaurants in the USA.
Are the Windsor Suites, Philadelphia value for money?
I would say it was amazing value for money, we paid just over £100 per night for our stay. It’s not a luxury hotel but it is a much higher standard than most other hotels we found in that price range in Philadelphia.
Although we didn’t travel by car there is onsite secure parking with an overnight rate of around $50 (gulp). Which is a pretty standard rate for the city centre.
What they didn’t get right
Pretty much nothing! We totally loved our stay at the Windsor Suites but just a few things worth noting:
The shower was completely temperamental. I couldn’t get it to stay at one temperature the whole time we were there. We survived however with a few monkey showers and baths.
The lifts took FOREVER to come, even when it wasn’t busy. I don’t think I’ve ever been anywhere where they are so slow!
On the second day we asked for more coffee and toiletries which never came. And they only cleaned the room after I left the door hanger on. More my fault than theirs but it would have been good to have been told that this was the protocol.
And my final little bug bear – the towels, why are they always so small in the States. This isn’t specific to the Windsor Suites but seriously?!?!?
Have you stayed at the Windsor Suites? I would love to hear what you thought, just leave a comment below. You can also check out the latest prices on Tripadvisor by clicking on this link The Windsor Suites
If you’re looking for family friendly things to do in Philadelphia, you may also enjoy:
My review of the Franklin institute in Philadelphia, a brilliant family friendly science museum.
Be sure to check out my ultimate guide to visiting Philadelphia with kids.