Just got back from the Hilton Inn at Penn. We drove down from NYC just to see the historic sights and to see the King Tut Exhibit. It was well worth the money and one of the best hotel experiences I've had in a while. The staff is exceptionally pleasant and the service was superb. The beds are comfortable, the rooms are clean, the atmosphere is rustic and we were given plush turkish robes for use during our stay. They thought of everything.
It was a 10 minute drive to pretty much everywhere we wanted to go...Chinatown, South Street and Franklin Institute.
The only downside is the mandatory $27 valet parking. But that wasn't a deterrant. I willd definitely return.

This is a very nice Hilton property in the University district of Philadelphia...but only a 10 minute drive to the historic areas near downtown. The hotel has a charming art deco feel, and the room was large, clean, and nicely decorated. I love the white down comforters I've seen at the last few Hiltons I've stayed in. It's very easy to see how clean they are (which is always nice in light of the occasional television news reports that remind us what DNA-encrusted nightmares most hotel bedspreads are), and (lest you think they are stark) they are dressed up with a rich looking coverlet that you can remove at bedtime. We had a very comfortable king-sized bed, a large armoire with television, minibar, a very roomy desk w/ office chair, and a sitting chair w/ ottoman. The bathroom was also roomy, and had plenty of counterspace surrounding the single sink, a standard tub, and shower. Plush bathrobes were also provided, which were very cozy and must've weighed 20 lbs. apiece. Coffee in the room was a better-than average brand, and real creamers were provided...a nice touch. Godiva chocolates, bottled water, and a fresh bag of ice were delivered at turndown time. There was not mini-fridge in the room, but they are available at no charge upon request...one was delivered to us within 10 minutes after a quick call to the front desk.

One of the nicest things about the hotel was the service. All staff members we encountered, from concierge to valet parking attendants, were highly professional, very courteous, friendly, and helpful. Another thing I loved was the quiet. The sound-dampening must be very good in the hotel, because I never heard a sound at night...either from the adjacent rooms and hallway or the streets below.

There's a small, cozy lounge in the hotel, which is where breakfast is also served every morning. We did not try either, but did go to the hotel's attached wine bar and restaurant (Penne Restaurant and Wine Bar) one night. We found the wine-by-the-glass selection there to be limited and overpriced, and the menu selections uninspiring, so we moved on.

The only negative experience occurred when the housekeeping staff failed to close our door completely after servicing the room. one day. Nothing was taken, but it was a bit unnerving to return to the hotel in the early evening to find our door slightly ajar.

I recommend this hotel for its service, comfort, and attractive decor...but at rates of approximately $200+ per night along with valet parking charges of $27/day (there is no self-parking on the property, or anywhere nearby that I could see), you will pay for that.

I have stayed at this hotel several times before when a guest of the University of Pennsylvania (it is in the heart of campus), and it has always been pleasant. But this time, I noticed some definite upgrades in quality and comfort. The furnishings appear new, very attractive Art Deco lamps and opulent bed coverings, new feather bed tops. Other new luxury touches included a heavy white bathrobe and Godiva chocolate mints on the pillow. Nice bathroom amenities, comfortable bed - altogether I really enjoyed my stay. The location is great if you want to see the campus.

The first thing I want to say about the Inn at Penn is that the bed is the most comfortable one I've ever slept in. While we splurged a little bit to stay here, the bed alone makes it worth the price, in my opinion. The room was also large, clean, and nicely decorated, and the bathroom was also particularly large and clean.

That said, we were a bit disappointed that there was no refrigerator in the room other than the mini-bar refrigerator, which we didn't use to store beverages for fear we'd be charged. We always like to store water, soda, etc. in our hotel room when possible. However, there was an ice machine nearby, which I guess you could use to cool off a store-bought drink.

Another slight annoyance was the fact that our room was the closest room to the elevators, which meant that we heard a lot of hallway noise, including someone in the middle of the night yelling about a keg. We believe there was a wedding party that was staying on our floor that night, which might have been the reason why we ended up stuck in the room next to the elevators.

The front desk people were generally very friendly and polite. There aren't a huge amount of eateries nearby, although the area is quite nice, being on the UPenn campus. We ate at a very nice restaurant called "The White Dog", a couple blocks down on Sansom Street, which was another slight splurge for us, but which was very tasty. They note prominently on the menu their concern for using meat and produce from family farms that treat animals well, using organic produce, etc. I'd recommend the Kung Pao tofu, although it's a bit spicy. We tried to avoid eating at the gimmicky-looking "Pod" restaurant next-door to the hotel.

It's too bad there is no complimentary continental breakfast here.

As far as parking goes, we avoided the cost and trouble of valet parking, and were able to park quite conveniently on the street next to the hotel. However, this might prove inconvenient to people who are staying more than one night at the Inn at Penn, as meters must be plugged 7 days a week, 8 am to 8 pm. Some streets nearby were even more restrictive than this.

I think we'd stay here again, if only for the fabulous, super-comfortable bed.