Kestrel Hotel

The Kestrel is one of two Philly "invisible service hotels," i.e., no staff on-site ("Think of us as professionally managed Airbnb units"). We stayed in the one in the "Loft District," also known as the Callowhill area. It was a good price and it wasn't unpleasant, but it was a bit odd.|Pro: The location, a five-minute walk across Vine Expwy. from the Convention Center (we were in town for the Flower Show) and a few blocks from a nice brew pub, a good pizza place and coffee shop, and the newly opened little section of their "High Line" elevated park. The parking: only two spots at ground level, reservable in advance for $40/night, worth it not to have to navigate a terrifying Philly public garage. The room: clean, a comfy bed (we had the "Billy Penn" room), cool view of said Penn statue do

Loved our hotel stay. We booked Friday-Sunday for the Flower Show and it was the perfect location for the three of us. Hotel was loft style with a queen bed on top and a smaller bed nestled in a nook under the staircase. Both were comfortable. We had a little difficulty plugging the key code into the main entrance and room door, however, management was so responsive. Called the property and they helped clear it up right away. We were in the Hive Room on the 5th floor. Room was clean and well stocked with dishware, utensils and full sized fridge.

This was a pleasantly surprising choice. The units have a more at home feeling than a hotel or motel. It was a very relaxing atmosphere and liked the fact there wasn't a TV in the studio. Everything was super clean and they even provide basic necessities for cooking. I enjoyed not having the hassle of dealing with front desk check in and yet the quickness and attentivemess they provided when I needed something. If I were to offer a slight critque it would be that the pillows weren't great and the shower curtain was way too small and left too much of an area exposed. I would totally stay there again and already recommended it to friends and family.

We really enjoyed that this place was unique and not one of the generic big (or small) hotels. The location was perfect for our show at the Met and the compact garage was an added plus. The bed was comfortable and the bathroom spacious. Instructions before and during our stay were very helpful. I would suggest that a luggage rack be provided and be aware that there is no television which was ok with us. The Elixr coffee that was provided was spectacular and we went to their cafe and purchased our own. If you want a different place to stay in the city, this is it!

Our expectations for this accommodation were very high, due to the beautiful pictures and the rather high price. Not everything was as we had anticipated. The building has probably been recently renovated, giving the entire hotel a fresh look. Our arrangements were somewhat complex (several people, several rooms), but it worked out well. I myself stayed in the most luxurious apartment, the Mayor's Study, which apparently isn't used much. ADVANTAGES >> very large, extra rooms, (by American standards) very clean, centrally located, well-equipped kitchen, we were allowed to leave an hour later, nice panoramic view. DISADVANTAGES >> The worst thing was the bed/mattress, a mid-range model from Ikea that practically swallowed us up, it was so soft. It was not only uncomfortably hot, but we also