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The Notary Hotel, Philadelphia, Autograph Collection
4.2 reviews
Getting there
Great for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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The Notary Hotel, Philadelphia, Autograph Collection garners appreciation for its cleanliness and stylish atmosphere, with many guests enjoying the well-kept rooms and the lobby's thematic elegance. Its prime location is a hit among travelers, making it convenient for exploring the city's attractions. However, guests have called out the hotel for its value, pointing to steep parking fees and room cost concerns.
While the rooms are generally spacious and tidy, some visitors suggest they could benefit from updated decor and better soundproofing. Service experiences have been mixed, with reports of both friendly and unhelpful staff.
Location
Central
Atmosphere
Charming
Rooms
Spacious
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Satisfactory
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Located in the City Hall Annex building circa 1926, this Marriott family hotel has been renovated to modern standards with nice beds, large LG TV’s, and stone countertops (albeit on the small side). However, the elevators and outer doors are still creaky and the front desk lobby area is rather small. I also had trouble with the WiFi cutting out and would have like to have more AC outlets, eg. Close to the bed.
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Date of stay: September 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip:Â WiFi was not reliable
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The Notary is my second historic hotel in Center City, having previously stayed at The Bellevue by Hyatt not too far away. If you're picking between the two, the Notary is way better. Feels historic without feeling old, as even the hallways in the rooms appear refreshed and modern.
Valet parking is naturally expensive for being in a major urban area but had no issues with parking for 3 nights.
The restaurant downstairs has a nice bar area which is good for getting a drink before heading out for the night. I stayed in two different rooms during my stay (not an issue with the hotel, I had just decided to extend my stay after checking out already), and while my first room had a desk to work in, my second one didn't. If having a desk setup is important for you, I'd clarify that with the front desk when you are checking in.
Customer service was fantastic and the lobby area was nice to hang out in as there was plenty of comfortable seating and tables for working.
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Date of stay: September 2022
Rooms
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled on business
Room Tip:Â I stayed on floors 7 and 11, both were fine
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A lot to digest? Read an AI-generated summary of recent traveller reviews.
I stayed here with my teenage daughter who was in the city for rehearsals during the last weekend in April. Normally I stay at hotels in the Hilton chain. However, there was a massive teen volleyball tournament at the convention center this weekend, and just about every 2 bed room in the Hilton chain in Center City was booked. I luckily found that this hotel which had a 2 queen bed room available and managed to book it with a AAA rate for $224 a night. Closer to this volleyball tournament, hotel rooms in the city were going for upwards of $400-$500/night, so I was fortunate to get this rate.
The hotel was fabulous. It's a upscale Autograph branded Marriott hotel, built in the old City Hall Annex where residents used to get documents notarized, thus the name "Notary".
Everything in the room was great. Very clean and comfortable, and spacious for a city hotel room. 12 foot ceilings too. Room had a very large TV and a mini-fridge. The sink was separated from the shower/toilet area by a sliding door. Shower had multiple showerheads for various types of shower. Beds were comfortable. Plenty of desk space and storage space. Lots of vanity room at the bathroom sink. It was also very quiet despite being in a busy part of Center City.
Only issue that I had was with the TV. There were limited TV channel options. There are also streaming options (Netflix, HBO, Showtime, YouTube), and the TV is supposed to have an option to plug your device or PC into an HDMI port, but that option didn't seem to work. HBO streaming did not work, and there was no NBC Sports Philadelphia in the TV. Philadelphia seems to be the only city where the hotels don't broadcast the local sports channel.
Location wise, the hotel is close to Reading Terminal, Jefferson Station, The PA Convention Center, City Hall, and both major subway lines. It's a great place to stay if you're here for a sporting event, because the Broad Street Subway line, which takes you to the Sports Complex, is just a block away.
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Date of stay: April 2022
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Disappointing experience. The walls were extremely thin, and the two nights I was there the staff cleaned the room next to mine (including vacuuming) extremely late—midnight the first night and 3 a.m. the second. I slept very poorly if at all as a result. My coworker didn’t have hot water in her room the second night.
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Date of stay: October 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Kyle Vandine, Guest Services / Front Office at The Notary Hotel, Philadelphia, Autograph Collection
Responded Oct 19, 2024
I am saddened to hear that you experienced troubles with getting a restful night's sleep due to the noise issues. I am going to share this information with the housekeeping leadership team to look for alternatives to vacuuming so late into the night. We value this sort of feedback as we continue to look for improvements to our daily operation.
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This property really needs to up its game. Worst room upgrade as a Bonvoy Platinum member at a 4* property ever. Something about the view of the room (on one of the hotel's lower floors) was 'enhanced' according to staff I asked about this. The hard product is certainly there - the beautiful lobby, and nice, trendy, Autograph feel, but service standards are all over the place. Just to illustrate, I had breakfast at the hotel's restaurant for six days and every single day, the restaurant staff had a different interpretation of the breakfast benefit I was entitled to as a platinum member. Two of the days I had a wonderful server. The other days, service was awfully slow, uninterested, and incomplete. Every staff member I talked to, provided different information about charges, reservation information, etc. Worst of all, the manager I complained to was unapologetic about any mistakes made... Will try another property during my next visit to Philadelphia.
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Date of stay: August 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Michael M, Marketing at The Notary Hotel, Philadelphia, Autograph Collection
Responded Aug 27, 2023
Hi Worldtraveler12345, We're sorry that you were not satisfied with the room upgrade as well as our service in the restaurant area. We will discuss this as a team and work to improve, using this example as a teachable moment for our team members. We hope to earn back your business for a future visit. Sincerely, Michael M
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We booked the Notary for a Presidents Day weekend trip to Philly. We primarily booked it for its perfect location in Center City, easily walkable to the Independence Hall area, though walking to the museum areas might be a stretch for some. The hotel is across the street from City Hall, and you can walk around and view some of the outdoor artwork that Philly is known for.
The lobby is gorgeous. Check-in on the Bonvoy app was easy, and we used our phones as keys for the room. They are in the process of modernizing their elevators, so it would take some time to get down to the ground floor from our room, between waiting and then stopping on almost every floor on the way down. The room was clean, comfortable and well appointed. The window looking out to the city was a little small, but totally understandable considering the building is on the register of historic places.
The restaurant could use some work, primarily with staffing. We called down to ask how long a wait for a table would be, and were told no wait. However, when we got to the restaurant, we were told they were only taking diners with reservations, no walkups. Luckily, when we told them of the phone call, they did seat us after a 20-30 minute wait. Our waitress made it very clear that they were understaffed and she was overworked. The food was okay, drinks were better. Breakfast seemed to be staffed more appropriately, and again the food was okay. You're probably better off looking at the many restaurants around Center City (or uber to Dante's & Luigi's like we did on our second night).
Valet also seemed understaffed, though they were up front about the expected wait once we called down for our car (20-30 mins).
Overall, very nice hotel, could use some help with staffing restaurant. Would stay here again.
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Date of stay: February 2023
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip:Â A higher floor can help you avoid already packed cars and waiting for another elevator to come.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Michael M, Marketing at The Notary Hotel, Philadelphia, Autograph Collection
Responded Feb 24, 2023
Hi IanS1012, Thank you for sharing your experience from your visit! We're glad you enjoyed The Notary Hotel and the center city location! We'll be sure to share your feedback about your dining experience so we can work to improve the guest experience. We hope to welcome you back for a future visit! Sincerely, Michael M
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This place is a quick walk to the Pennsylvania Convention Center (business conference) and also the Reading Terminal Market (food!). If you want to do a double decker bus tour of the city, their terminal is literally the next bloc and u can book it right there. It's a gorgeous building since it was originally a historic government building that "notarized" papers.Â
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The service was friendly, with the custodian even asking me conversationally while on a random elevator ride if everything was ok in our room. I appreciated him asking. He alleviated some concerns I had. We had an issue with the curtains immediately after arriving and they sent someone right away to fix it.Â
If you are a Marriott bonvoy member, don't forget to log in to their app. You can message someone and request toiletries etc that way. You can technically use your phone to open your door but it wasn't working for me and I didn't have a chance to have it looked into (busy, busy you know?)
The room we were allocated was at the back end on the 3rd floor. Perfect for going to the convention as you take the stairs or the elevator down and exit through the back door and can walk 2 blocks to the convention. It was large and had 2 queen sized beds, super comfortable mattress and pillows. The mirror and sink were separated from the toilet and shower by a door so if one person was inside, the other person can still get ready. It had a large smart television (50 inches maybe?) that lets you log into your YouTube and Netflix accounts (& supposedly logs you out automatically upon check out). It had a Keurig, complementary water bottles, k-cups etc.Â
The toiletries were tiny and the smell wasn't to my liking so I would bring my own if I'm ever back in town (and yes, I would gladly book here again). It was a comfortable room and I felt right at home. Did I mention there's a coffee shop right downstairs? Got my morning coffee on my way to the convention every morning (get the latte with vanilla syrup. Yum!) They were also nice enough to let us do late checkout for free and held our luggage for a few hours so we could see a little bit of Philadelphia before heading home. (Business trip so didn't really have any other time to go and sight see). Thank you for a wonderful stay!
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Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Travelled on business
Room Tip:Â We got a room close to the back elevators and it was easy way in and out to the building towards...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
First off, this hotel smells fabulous! I thought I was crazy as every time we walked in the lobby, I noticed the smell but then someone else we were traveling with commented on the fabulous smell! The decor is cute, books piled and arranged all over the lobby, little items like an old fashioned key, a little chalk board in the room- it gives a chain hotel a more kitschy feel. Our room was a nice size with huge windows overlooking the city. It was a bit loud at night but nothing like staying in the middle of Manhattan. The bathroom is nice and updated. However the bathroom itself literally has the shower, the toilet and one hook. So while it’s a decent size space, there is no place to put anything. I put a towel on the hook and there was no where to place my clothes for after my shower. Outside the bathroom is the sink and a little shelf and mirror where one can get ready away from the main bedroom area. The door to the actual bathroom is a barn door and it doesn’t fully shut. The top half of the door is a frosted glass, so while you can’t see in per day, you do see shadows of someone in there. If you are sharing the hotel room, you might want to make sure you are very comfortable with your roommate. Hallways are dark and the doors to the rooms are scratched, dinged and would benefit from a fresh coat of paint. Service was very attentive and they cleaned the rooms daily- something that has been hard to find since Covid. We ate dinner in the restaurant one night. When we got there we were a bit taken aback as on line they have a great looking tapas menu. When we got there, it looked more like a diner and they said that they no longer offered tapas. There was a very, very limited menu but we were tired after a long day so we stayed. We are so glad we did as the wait staff was incredible! They were so upbeat and happy. I believe our server’s name was Kyra. She was amazing. The hotel is located in a great spot if you need to go to the convention center. We would consider this hotel again if in the area.
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Date of stay: March 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Staff was very nice, but even though on the 13th floor, we may as well have been sleeping on the street. Noise was crazy - it was a Saturday night but we heard every engine rev/drag race, stereo, etc - walls thin? I know its an older hotel ... anyway this may be as much the location as the structure, but it was not very restful.
Also, there were no cups in the room. used the app to ask for some, they said they would send up a few (paper, plastic, anything even for toothbrushes) and never came. Wife ran down to bar and got plastics. I mean overall it was fine...but just that
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Date of stay: October 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Kyle Vandine, Guest Services / Front Office at The Notary Hotel, Philadelphia, Autograph Collection
Responded Nov 1, 2023
Thank you for taking the time to send us a review. We are always looking to improve our services, and this is surely helpful. I apologize for our shortcomings, as this is not up to our standards. Some nights can surely be louder than other being in the middle of the city. Our historic building is also registered and limits us to some of the upgrades that we are allowed to do in terms of blocking that street noise. We do hope you stay with us again where we can assign you one of our quieter rooms.
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The structure is beautiful. Nice building. Nice lobby. Nice common areas. But first of all I specifically requested connecting rooms and I had to argue for 40 minutes upon arrival to get them. And without paying extra as they would have wanted. But the mistake wasn't mine. Then having booked for 3 children they hadn't thought about the extra bed. When they brought him it was shameful. Thin and just soft. I wouldn't put anyone to sleep on that mattress. Among other things, without even a mattress cover before the sheet. On the second day the second room was not made or rather only the main bed was made and everything else was nothing. The main bedroom, however, clearly lacked a vacuum cleaner. A shame for the class of hotel they think they have. Terrible service
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Date of stay: November 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
New Hope, Pennsylvania2,342 contributions626 helpful votes
Don't know. The concierge desk is your logical route. Depends when you are coming and when you want them. I would suggest contacting the hotel directly.
Los Angeles, California93 contributions40 helpful votes
Yes on the safe.
Not sure about laundry. Usually not in higher end hotels. They may have a service and charge accordingly- which from experience can be pricey.
Yes on the luggage - it was offered - but we ended up getting our room early (without any added fees) so there was no need.
Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey7,296 contributions3,675 helpful votes
Just ask the concierge at the hotel before you get there and I am sure that they can provide it. I would check with reservations when you are booking that they can do this ahead of time so it is there when you arrive.
There are more places to choose from in the Philadelphia area.
PRICE RANGE
C$377 - C$549 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
courtyard philadelphia downtown hotel philadelphia, philadelphia marriott, philadelphia courtyard
LOCATION
United StatesPennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaCity Center West / City Center East
NUMBER OF ROOMS
499
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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