Rittenhouse Hotel, Philadelphia

December 3, 2008 By: Lindsay Lambert Luxury Travel Advisor

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We’re
just back from a weekend visit to the City of Brotherly Love, where
we checked into The Rittenhouse Hotel
(www.rittenhousehotel.com).
The 98-room, AAA-Five-Diamond property overlooks Philadelphia’s
historic Rittenhouse Square and has hosted A-list stars including
Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks and Bruce Willis (in fact, Washington
and Hanks 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 Presidential Suite, where just weeks
before, insiders told us, President Bush sat down with Mikhail
Gorbachev for a top-secret tête-à-tête. The
sprawling suite is rich and warm, awash in tones of gold, burgundy
and caramel, and 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;
215-546-9000) 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 early-morning
visit to its Adolf Biecker Salon for some pre-function pampering.
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 (215-735-6404)
to make an appointment. Tip: With our tight schedule, we had to
forego a visit to the spa, but 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, including Burberry,
Tiffany & Co., Lago, Nicole Miller and more; ask Chief Concierge
Frank Marandino (fmarandino@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 one not-to-be-missed dining experience
is in the hotel’s own restaurant, Lacroix. The restaurant’s
menu, comprising primarily French-inspired fare (the French fries are
unforgettable), is complemented by cool décor and up-close
views of Rittenhouse Square. For dessert, don’t miss the
chocolate fountain, which is surrounded by bite-size cookies, cakes,
fruit and other goodies that are ready for dipping—or dousing.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served during the week, but take
extra care to snag a table for brunch on Sundays, when Chef Matthew
Levin’s kitchen becomes a culinary wonderland that’s
opened to restaurant guests.

Tip: Let your late-night-loving clients know that Lacroix recently
unveiled its brand-new Bar 210, which serves up specialty cocktails
and an extensive wine list, as well as not-so-average bar snacks like
homemade potato chips and shiitake tempura with Coca Cola-and-soy
sauce.