Hyatt Centric Center City Philadelphia

I'm not easily pleased by hotel rooms, but I have to say that my stay at the Hyatt Centric was exceptional. On the outisde, the building is nothing special. It's crammed into a tight space on a narrow street, and the building front is pretty plain. The lobby is small, oddly laid out, and perhaps a touch pedestrian. Other Center City hotels, at least upon entering, have a lot more pizzazz. In fact, they have fancy flourishes throughout. What the Hyatt has, or at least my room had, is a sophisticated cool. Everything was tasteful but restrained -- wall to wall Scandanavian hardwood floors, concrete ceilings, toned-down wallpaper, thoughtful color scheme, excellent lighting. Toilet, sink, shower were all perfectly functional. HVAC was quiet and responsive. The room overall was extremely clean. A pet peeve of mine, which I often find even at fine hotels, is cracked or smudged bathroom basboard tile. At the Hyatt Centric the tile was flawless -- just a measure of how new and well taken care of the room was. After most hotel stays, I'm tired of it all and happy to be home. For the Philly Hyatt Centric, I can readily imagine going back. (I stayed in a king high floor, which I recommend: possibly less wear and tear, floor to ceiling view toward the south.)

We’ve always liked the rooms, the bathrooms, and the views at this hotel. We recently tried the breakfast and found it much improved from the previous poor reviews. The dining room is comfortable and stylish, the staff is very friendly and efficient, and the menu choices are varied and interesting. My wife and I ate light—poached eggs and toast, a yogurt parfait, and coffees—but if we’d been hungrier the breakfast buffet looked very good. It was fully stocked with a lot of choices, several of them entrees from the a la carte menu.

The location of this hotel was ideal for my needs. It's in a nice area of the city. Everything was within walking distance. The staff was quite helpful and accomodating

Location, overall quality and courteous staff

The hotel is good in general