Penn’s View Hotel sits right on the edge of Philadelphia’s Old City neighborhood, right near the waterfront walk that is Penn’s Landing. Penn’s Landing has a lot of old restored ships, booze cruise boats and in order to class up the neighborhood they are thinking of building a Planet Hollywood Casino there. I hope they don’t do that last part, even so Penn’s landing is a bustling and fun place to place to walk and enjoy a river view.
Meanwhile, Old City has some of the best restaurants (including some of the famous BYOBs) and the big historic sites like Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell Center and the Constitution Center.
So, the Penn’s View Hotel sits right where you want to be if you are visiting Philadelphia for the first time. The restored warehouse (which feels more like a townhouse) not only has a few river view rooms, but the proprietors have decorated the place with a colonial/federalist flavor that sets the mood nicely for exploring American history. The hotel’s bar and restaurant also has a truly great wine list and, for oenophiles, offers wine tasting weekends.
The building is on the national register of historic places and has even won awards for its clever use of space and top-notch renovations.