Luxury Travel Advisor - December 2008 - (Page 28) HOTELS Rittenhouse Hotel, PHILADELPHIA We’re just back from a visit to Philadelphia, where we checked into The Rittenhouse Hotel (www.rittenhousehotel. com). The 98-room, AAA-FiveDiamond property overlooks the city’s historic Rittenhouse Square and has hosted A-list stars including Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks. In fact, the pair called the hotel home while in town shooting their film Philadelphia. Throughout the hotel, rooms ending in the No. 08 offer the best views of Rittenhouse Square. Our own deluxe guest room, No. 508, boasted separate sitting, work and dressing areas and a sizeable bathroom, not to mention a colossal king-size bed. Personal Touch: We arrived to find twin plates of homemade chocolates, our names artfully inscribed with chocolate along their rims. Request this elegant touch for an extra-special guest. Suites are suitable for families, but if you’re sending your own VIP, request the Presidential Suite or the Chairman’s Suite. We took a look around the former, which is a sprawling space that features an elegant four-poster canopied bed, a baby grand piano, a large dining area/ table and a second connecting bedroom. Luxury travel advisors should contact Front Office Manager Lucia Pernot (lpernot@ rittenhousehotel.com; 215546-9000) or Director of Sales and Marketing Karen Downing (kdowning@rittenhousehotel. com; 215-790-2523) for assistance with securing the perfect accommodations. We followed up our late-night arrival at the hotel with an earlymorning visit to its Adolf Biecker Salon. Note: Although the salon is large, it fills up quickly and early on Saturday mornings—as a result, our services felt rushed. Suggest clients come at a quieter time for a more relaxing and attentive experience. Contact spa/salon reservations (215-7356404) to make an appointment. Tip: At the spa, insiders say the Swedish massage (request Michael) and customized facials are its top draws. Ask Spa Director Monique Bertsch (mbertsch@ adolfbiecker.com; 215-735-6404) for expert advice on the appropriate treatment for your VIP. With its central downtown location, the Rittenhouse is within easy reach of Philly’s high-end shopping options; ask Chief Concierge Frank Marandino (fma randino@rittenhousehotel. com; 215-546-9000) to arrange personal appointments for serious shoppers, and a private car for shop-hopping. Marandino also can assist with reservations at Philadelphia’s ever-expanding repertoire of top restaurants; however, we say the hotel’s own restaurant, Lacroix, is a worthwhile option. The restaurant’s menu, comprising primarily French-inspired fare, is complemented by cool décor and up-close views of Rittenhouse Square. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served during the week, but try to snag a table for brunch on Sundays, when Chef Matthew Levin’s kitchen is opened to restaurant guests. Tip: Let your late-nightloving clients know that Lacroix recently unveiled its brand-new Bar 210. —Lindsay Lambert RITTENHOUSE CHAIRMAN SUITE, one of the property’s top suites, features comfortable furnishings. Photo by Weaver Lilly 28 LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR | December 2008 http://www.rittenhousehotel.com http://www.rittenhousehotel.com
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