The first stop on our road trip to the Midwest was still relatively close to home, but shockingly one of my favorite stays of all.
Coming from Boston, it was about a 7-hour drive to Philly {also the shortest leg of our trip}, but I couldn't wait to crash after being in the car with my two cats all afternoon! Yes, that's right, I went on a solo road trip with my cats!
After doing my due diligent research on cat-friendly hotels, I felt most comfortable booking with Kimpton Resorts & Hotels.
Although it wasn't our main destination, I booked a 3-night stay at the Kimpton Hotel Palomar in Center City to treat myself {and the cats} to a more posh stay before hitting the road up to the midwest. It wasn't long before the cats made themselves at home!
This former art deco office tower from 1931 has been turned into a sultry yet charming place for guests to reside. I became obsessed with everything immediately when I walked in {per usual} including the glossy black tiles in the lobby, historic art deco, and luring hallways. It felt like every new corner I turned, there was a hidden surprise!
The vintage bronze-door elevators also add the perfect amount of character to the more modern twist on this historic building. There was definitely a unique sense of tranquility all throughout the hotel while I was there, even in such a bustling neighborhood!
The room we stayed in was on the 15th floor {of a 24 story building} so we had a beautiful eye-level view of the city's historic skyscrapers. Our jacuzzi spa bathroom had a spectacular large window view which made for the most invigorating morning showers!
I absolutely loved the location of our hotel because its situated right in Rittenhouse Square which is home to the first stock exchange building & original banks in the US. I thought that was pretty significant to be honest!
The streets neighboring the hotel are vibrant and swanky, as it is known to be a highly prestigious area with gorgeous historic architecture! There was intimate outdoor dining with bulb string lights at almost every corner I turned, and ritzy shops & boutiques nearby as well. I don't know about you, but that's my kinda neighborhood!
Hotel Palomar is also in walking distance to all the historic museums & landmarks which is perfect if you want to get lost in time on a hot summer day! I ended up visiting only 4 museums but most of the best ones are all within a couple of blocks from one another!
I highly recommend the Ben Franklin Museum, Science History Institute Museum, National Liberty Museum, & the Liberty Bell Center if you only have a couple of days in Philly!
As a pharmacist by trade, I appreciated the Science History Institute because everything from alchemy to modern day medicine was broken down to its roots on a timeline.
With addicting descriptions under each vintage object, you can see how 4 hours can easily pass without realizing! Science really is behind everything, but we often take it for granted!
I really wanted to go to the American Revolution Museum but by that time I started to get blisters from walking in new sneakers all day! Silly me. Oh well, there's always next time!
Although I had already been to Philadelphia once when I was younger, I gained a new appreciation for the city with a different lens. This time around, I came the week before July 4th, so I was enriched with American history at the right time of year!
With a mix of both Old City & the more modern trendy side of Center City, I left feeling like I went through a magical time capsule!
Thankfully, we can depend on our new favorite cat-friendly boutique hotel chain for a purrfect stay no matter what!
Bottom line: I highly recommend Center City Philadelphia to anyone looking for a quench of history & beaming architecture.
XO Hope
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