My boyfriend and I stayed here for a night and to be honest, did not have the most pleasant of experiences. I will start with the pros though, as Penn's View did have a few.

PROS:
* Very easy to get to using the subway if you are travelling from interstate and have arrived in Philly at 30th St Station.
* Only a short walk away from the Constitutional Walking Tour attractions (Independence Hall, Liberty Bell etc).
* The lady who checked us in on the afternoon of Wednesday the 12th was extremely friendly and helpful.

NEUTRAL:
* The standard Queen rooms are quite small, although if you are staying for a short time as we were and only need the basics then it will suffice - provided those basics actually work (more on that below).
* As the hotel is located right on the corner of two major roads (one of those being an interstate expressway), it can be quite noisy, particularly as the windows do not provide much insulation from sound - however, visitors should already have an idea of what they are getting into simply by viewing where this accommodation is on a map.

CONS:
* While we did not have a room with a view per se, the hotel advertises those which do to have a lovely view of Penn's Landing and the Delaware River (which we could catch a glimpse of through our window) - unfortunately there is not much to see here at all, as the area is quite dingy and industrialised.
* For some reason our TV was unplugged from the wall, and it took us some time to work out that this was the reason we couldn't switch it on, as it was not clearly obvious straight away. As you can imagine, we felt quite silly once we worked out what the problem was - but why was it unplugged to begin with? When staying in a hotel I would expect all the facilities and amenities to be set up and ready for our use.
* On a similar note, the alarm clock was not reset after the last visitor checked out of our room - this meant that we were awoken in a rather heart-stopping way at 6 in the morning when the radio started BLARING. These things really should be looked at when the room is cleared for future guests - pretty standard really??
* Our room in particular, 401, was right next to the fitness room, supplies closet and elevator (I'm assuming rooms 301, 201 etc also have similar problems other than the fitness room) - considering the walls are paper thin in this hotel, we could hear every door slamming and every footstep within range.
* I mentioned above that if you only need the basics then on paper, these rooms are adequate - however, you would think that a properly working shower is one of these basics that you would expect to be on offer in a hotel. There seemed to be two water settings on room 401's shower - skin-blisteringly hot, or freezing cold. Neither my boyfriend nor I were able to have showers during our stay (unless you count splashing the water onto ourselves from afar as "having a shower"). When this was mentioned to the lady who checked us out on Thursday the 14th (a different lady to the one who had checked us in), she could not have been more indifferent about it, or more insincere in her "concern" about the problem. We were not looking for a discount or freebie in any way, we simply wanted to mention it in case it could be looked into and fixed in time for the next guest who stays in that room - unfortunately something tells me that that next guest will also not be having any showers in their time at Penn's View.

Penn's View was a perfect place to stay while in Philly. The staff was wonderfully friendly and helpful. Our room was beautifully decorated and very comfortable. The morning continental breakfast was very nice and served in a beautiful dining area. Our stay here could not have been more perfect and I would recommend this hotel very highly to anyone traveling to Philly.

We had a choice of outside or inside room. Inside being quieter. It was quiet, cozy with attentive staff, and convenient to all the historic sights and downtown. Had a wonderful time, and would certainly stay there again.

I met 3 former college friends here for 3 nights in Sept. 2008. This is a small, family-run hotel in the heart of the historic district. We had 4 single rooms, so I can't describe the double rooms. The singles were furnished very nicely in the Williamsburg style, with one queen sized bed, a desk (free wi-fi), round talbe, and armoir for the tv. The size was fine for a single, but might be a bit tight for 2 people. The bathroom was well-appointed and looked brand new. Breakfast was included--boil-it-yourself eggs, make-your-own Belgian waffles, bagels, muffins, cold cereal, orange juice, coffee and tea. At night, the breakfast room becomes the Ristorante Panorama, which serves wonderful Italian food in a elegant atmosphere. They are apparently known for their "wine flights"--a sampling of 5 different wines. There is also a very lovely bar with a huge selection of wines. The family that runs the hotel was very helpful and accommodating. When we arrived, we were concerned to learn that a wedding party was also there that weekend. Although we expected some noise, none of us heard a thing. The hotel is very quiet and the window A/C helped as well. We will definitely stay here the next time we visit Philadelphia.