OverviewLocated about a 4-minute drive from downtown Philadelphia and a 6-minute walk to Walnut Locust Metro Station, the Radisson Blu Warwick Hotel (formerly the Radisson Plaza Warwick Hotel) is geared towards business and vacation travellers who require a centrally located hotel with on-site dining, free Wi-Fi and easy access to public transit.
This non-smoking hotel offers 301 air-conditioned guest rooms and suites, each offering free Wi-Fi, cable TV, a desk, a coffeemaker, a laptop safe, one free bottle of water per day, an iron and ironing board and a hair dryer. Standard rooms offer two double beds or one king bed.
Rooms with a mini-fridge, an iPod docking station and a bathrobe and slippers for each guest are also available. Wheelchair-accessible rooms are available upon request.
Dogs are permitted on the dedicated dog floor for a one-time, non-refundable $50 deposit and $10 daily fee. On-site self-parking is an additional $34 per day.
Hotel amenities include a fitness centre, meeting/banquet space, a business centre, a coffee shop, a beauty/barber shop and express laundry services. Spa services and bike rentals are available as of June 15, 2013.
On-site dining is offered at Tavern 17, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, and Prime Rib Restaurant, which serves dinner daily. There is also an on-site and licensed Coffee Bar. Room service is available.
Guests may want to note that the hotel is undergoing renovations to its rooms and common areas, slated for completion late in the summer of 2013.
The Pennsylvania Convention Center is about a 7-minute drive or 20-minute walk northeastward, and City Hall is a 9-minute walk away. Shops at Liberty Place can be found roughly a 4-minute drive north. The University of Pennsylvania is an 8-minute drive west of the hotel and Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is a 17-minute drive southwest or a 25-minute trip via public transit. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Free Wi-Fi, parking $34/day, dogs permitted for $50 deposit & $10/daily fee, wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: June 21, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with much praise going to the hotel's location, staff and rooms.
Numerous guests were pleased with the hotel's location. They described the area as walkable, and found it to be close to bars, restaurants, Rittenhouse Square, shopping, historical locations, the subway and City Hall.
The hotel's staff were the source of many compliments by reviewers, who characterized them as efficient, friendly and helpful with suggestions about the area.
Several lodgers praised the hotel's accommodations. They described their rooms as spacious, modern, clean, beautiful and well equipped, with comfortable beds. It should be noted, however, that a few guests had complaints about their rooms (below).
The hotel's food was also praised by several patrons, who described it as wonderful, unbelievable, delicious and superb.
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were a few complaints about the rooms and noise transfer.
While the majority of guests were pleased with their well-equipped and comfortable rooms, some lodgers had complaints. They reported dated decor, worn furniture, some cleaning issues, a lack of hot water and worn carpeting. It should be noted that the hotel has been in the process of renovating its rooms, and the majority of negative reviews are from 2012. As mentioned above, the renovations are expected to be completed by late summer 2013.
Noise disruptions were mentioned by a few reviewers. They reported noisy in-room air-conditioning units, plumbing noises through the walls, noise in rooms located near the ice machine and noisy staff in the hallways.
Expedia.com guest reviews rated the hotel 4.3 out of 5 with a 92% recommendation rate from 1,229 reviews.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #27 of 84 Philadelphia hotels with an average rating of 4 out of 5 from 646 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviews rated the hotel 8.3 out of 10 from 105 reviews.
The author called the hotel on June 21, 2013 to verify some information.