The Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia, PA

We just finished a four-night stay at The Rittenhouse (three of those nights this past weekend), and I left feeling genuinely disappointed — especially at this price point and for a hotel that markets itself as a true luxury property. We’ve stayed here before and always found it beautiful, but this stay fell far below what we expected. I do want to recognize the two bright spots in the experience. Kai at the front (I believe a bellman) was absolutely exceptional — warm, attentive, and incredibly kind to our toddler. He genuinely made our son feel special, and his level of care is exactly what you expect from a hotel in this category. Mo, our server each morning at LaCroix, was equally wonderful — thoughtful, friendly, and consistently welcoming. They were outstanding and deserve credit. Unfortunately, the rest of our stay was defined by repeated service failures — the most frustrating of which was how the hotel handled our swimsuits being accidentally taken to pool laundry. After visiting the pool, our swimsuits were mistakenly gathered with the towels — accidents happen, and we understood that part. What was unacceptable was that it took two full days for the hotel to locate and return them. During that time, we had to repeatedly call the front desk ourselves to chase updates because no one followed up, no one seemed to know what was happening, and there was zero urgency or ownership from the hotel. We have a two-year-old, and the pool is one of the main reasons we chose this hotel — it’s a core part of how we plan our trips as a family. Losing access to the pool for nearly half our stay completely disrupted our plans and took away one of the key experiences we were paying for. When the swimsuits were finally returned — on the morning of the day we were leaving — there was no acknowledgment, no apology, and no effort to make it right. For a hotel positioning itself at this level, that is simply unacceptable. The same lack of follow-through showed up in other parts of the stay. The phones in our room didn’t work when we arrived, and despite asking multiple times, it took two days for anyone to come fix them. Housekeeping repeatedly removed empty shampoo and conditioner bottles without replacing them. We called to request more, waited over an hour and a half with no response, called again, and still waited another two hours — and when items finally arrived, the body wash was missing and had to be requested separately. We asked for toddler slippers and were instead sent women’s slippers. Small error, but reflective of the broader issue — details weren’t being paid attention to, and requests weren’t being handled with care. On our final day, after again waiting for toiletries that never arrived, my husband finally went to Target to buy body wash because we were tired of chasing basic amenities. We also booked through Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts, which includes a $90 daily breakfast credit. When we checked in at LaCroix, we were explicitly told that it applied to breakfast or brunch. At checkout, we were informed that it does not apply to brunch — and we were charged the full amount. So we lost the credit entirely because we relied on incorrect information from the hotel’s own staff. None of these issues on their own would have defined the stay — but together, they made it clear that the service culture simply isn’t operating at a luxury standard. At this level, guests shouldn’t have to repeatedly follow up, wait hours for basic room items, receive conflicting information, or lose key parts of their stay due to staff mismanagement — especially when traveling with a young child. The Rittenhouse is a stunning property and physically a beautiful hotel, but the service we experienced was far below what you’d expect for the price — and frankly, far below what comparable hotels in Philadelphia deliver. We’ve consistently had exceptional experiences at the Four Seasons, and based on this stay, that is where I’d recommend travelers go if they’re looking for a true luxury experience. We’re grateful for Kai and Mo, who were wonderful — but overall, this was a deeply disappointing stay, and we won’t be returning.

We stayed at The Rittenhouse for two nights and three days to celebrate our engagement, and the experience was exceptional from start to finish. From the moment we arrived at the parking square, we were greeted with warm, attentive service from the valet team, which immediately set the tone for our stay. When the hotel learned we were celebrating our engagement, we were surprised with a room upgrade along with strawberries and champagne waiting for us. It was such a thoughtful touch and made the weekend feel even more special. The room itself was beautiful and comfortable, and the details really stood out. The Rittenhouse uses Le Labo toiletries, which was a lovely surprise and added to the luxury feel. We also enjoyed daily room service, which was consistently excellent. Dining at the in-house restaurant, Lacroix, was a highlight. The food was delicious, and having it available via room service made it even better. We also highly recommend booking a spa treatment during your stay. It was absolutely worth it and one of the most relaxing parts of our weekend. The location is ideal, right in the heart of the city, with convenient overnight parking and electric vehicle charging stations available. By the end of our stay, we truly didn’t want to leave. The Rittenhouse made our engagement weekend unforgettable, and we wouldn’t hesitate to return for another special occasion.

I really want to give this 5 stars because this hotel has such a great reputation in Philly. But I just can't honestly give it 5. Maybe we expected too much, but this was not a 5-star experience. Just weird little problems that popped up. -No bedding in the room for the pull-out couch. We had to call down to order it. It's nice they came up to make the bed. But what it if had been 11 p.m. and no bedding to be found? -We asked at the front desk for an extra robe to be sent up to the room. We waited 20 minutes, but no robe. We called again. They apologized and delivered the robe within 5 minutes. -We sat in the lobby near the bar for a drink. I went into the bar to order. A server was standing there doing nothing. They said they would be right out to take my order. I went back to the lobby to have a seat. Waited nearly 10 minutes for the server to come out. Why not just follow me to my seat? -We ordered room service. We asked the server for the hotel checkout time. He thought 11 a.m. but wasn't sure. He said he would have the front desk call our room to confirm. No call ever came. -The room came equipped with a bluetooth speaker. The battery was dead, and there was no charger. We saw a staff member in the hallway and asked them to send one to our room. It never came. We had to go down and ask at the front desk. The charger was delivered. -Men's locker room: I tried a couple of lockers to store my belongings. Three of the locker doors came off in my hand. One hinge broken on each door. -The HVAC return air register vent was incredibly dirty and dusty. I guess no one has taken the cover off to clean it in years.

We have stayed in this hotel for many years. The long serving staff has always been so kind, and felt like family when we returned. The rooms always impeccable, service the same. Sadly, this is no longer the case. And this hotel is not anywhere close to 5 Stars. The rooms are not cleaned well. Upon checkin we noticed 2 boogers on dressers, a dirty bathroom sink, and towels that smelled ripe. We also noticed no vacuuming occurred after seeing some crumbs left under a table and bedside remain there for days. Drains in sinks and shower don’t drain properly meaning a reduction in preventative maintenance. There is no standard turn down service which is just unbelievable for a so-called 5-Star property. They do not tell you this on check in and you are welcome to discover that you must request this “extra”. After requesting this you will quickly discern that no staff is appropriately trained at exactly sure what to do with this item. We routinely came home after dinner to find the room either not turned down or in various stages of an apparent attempted turn down. For example, bed barely unmade, no slippers, no chocolates, no waters, no curtains drawn. Or slippers left in a wad beside the bed without the small floor cover even spread evenly beneath them, no waters, no drawn curtains, nothing else. Or we come back to the couch re-arranged to a sofa bed, unmade with other furniture moved around for no reason at all. After complaining staff admitted the hotel has “just changed” and “sorry and sad to say this is the new Rittenhouse, we also wish it wasn’t this way”. Staff actually shared that several long term employees were considering leaving or retiring early given that the property is now clearly in a state of decline. It’s a sad situation. Having the room cleaned is just as challenging, as they simply won’t clean the room or if they do they just throw the bed together, which by the way I might add no longer has decorative pillows. Replacement bathroom towels are only upon request, and the same goes for soap, gel, or anything. Other items: Nobody routinely checks on the mini fridge for replacement items so you have to request it and even then it doesn’t happen. Also in conjunction with turn down service you would previously and routinely find an ice bucket filled. Nobody does this any longer. Go get your own ice. The hotel used to leave a welcome letter handwritten from management welcoming you back. The it went to a printed card. Now it’s nothing. No welcome home or welcome back. Zilch. Zero. Nada. The rooms used to decorated with flowers or plants and magazines or books. No longer the case. Just a room. Within a day or two of checkin the hotel would previously deliver a fresh “Philly Pretzel” to the room. Naturally, they have also eliminated this. A very disappointing stay after years or staying here. We will explore alternatives and reluctantly bid Rittenhouse adieu. I could never recommend this property to anyone after this stay. This hotel has literally gone down the drain with budget cuts, staff reductions, and a management team that seems to genuinely not care or can’t care given a corporate structure that seems to demand that the property function as a 3 Star or lower…

The Rittenhouse is an amazing hotel with truly friendly, warm staff who made us feel welcome from the moment we arrived. The room was lovely! The location is absolutely perfect for exploring Philadelphia. Our family loved our stay and we can’t wait to come back.