Life, Liberty, and Cheesesteaks

Two weeks ago, we visited Philadelphia. I had a feeling we would enjoy exploring this city…I was right! Philadelphia is BEAUTIFUL, has an amazing history, and there really is a ton to do and see. I can’t believe we’ve never been here until now.  I thought I’d share all the details…what we did, where we stayed, what I recommend, etc.

Where We Stayed

When I was researching Philadelphia, I kept reading that it is a large city but it’s also very walkable.  I decided that we needed to stay downtown so we could walk to everything from our hotel.  There are a lot of hotels but I kept coming back to the Loews Philadelphia Hotel for so many reasons… the location, the history, the beautiful rooms, etc.  That is where we ended up staying and we couldn’t have had a better experience.

Here is a little video of our room tour.

Isn’t it beautiful? It was so clean, plenty of room for our family of four, and the views were incredible!

The Loews Philadelphia Hotel is in the center of Philadelphia, in the heart of Center City.  We never needed our car in the city once we arrived; we walked everywhere!

The story behind this hotel was so interesting.  It was the first savings bank in the US, called the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society (the PSFS sign is still up on the top of the building).  It is considered one of the most significant buildings of the 20^th century.   In 1997, Loews bought the building and started turning it into a luxury hotel.

They took full advantage of its unique history and kept many of the items from the original bank, it’s incredible to see!!  The 3-story banking room is now a beautiful banquet space that still has the banks safe.

You can find Cartier clocks throughout the hotel and the original marble!

And can we talk about these views?! 🙂

The hotel also has a special going on this summer! Here is a little bit about it:

As part of a brand-wide initiative, Loews Philadelphia Hotel is giving friends and families a reason to getaway, even if for a staycation, and pay it forward this summer. Loews Philadelphia Hotel is looking to help teachers and students as they prepare to head back into the classroom and operate in this “new normal.” For any two-night (or more) stays booked direct, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Loews Philadelphia Hotel will donate to DonorsChoose to help fund Philadelphia school projects for the 2021-2022 school year. DonorsChoose is an online non-profit that makes it easy to help teachers and students in need by allowing people to donate directly to local public school classrooms.  Guests can take advantage of a special summer offer Park & Stay at Loews Philadelphia Hotel which includes complimentary nightly parking for one vehicle.

Families can refine the art of togetherness this summer with “Loews Loves Families,” a brand-wide program that offers perks for children of all ages across Loews Hotels nationwide. From cribs to crayons and night lights to family activity guides, Loews has kid friendly amenities on-call. The brand’s summer focus further displays Loews’ commitment to “Welcoming You Like Family,” speaking to each team members’ intuitive ability to care for guests as if they are family.  For more information about Loews Hotels, call 1-800-23 LOEWS or visit https://www.loewshotels.com.

The hotel also has the Joseph Anthony Salon & Spa, the best spa I’ve ever been to (on the 5^th floor)! I’m going to share more about that later in the post because I spent 3 hours here.  😉

What We Did

The evening we arrived, we needed to stretch our legs (thanks long car ride) so we headed to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to run the Rocky Steps!!  We showed the kids the clip prior and they found this so fun!

And check out these views!

Honestly, that day of driving was a killer so we got carry out (restaurants are everywhere by the hotel) and admired the views from our room.

The next morning, we explored the hotel some more because there is so much to see!

Then it was off to the Liberty Bell?  The kiddos kept telling this joke… “Have you heard the joke about the Liberty Bell? It will CRACK you up.” 😉

We walked around Independence Hall.

Then we explored Society Hill.  Talk about a gorgeous neighborhood!!

We picked up lunch (Philly cheesesteaks) from Jim’s South.  I did a ton of research on this beforehand and everywhere I read Jim’s South has the best steak subs and we have to admit, they were delicious!

We ate lunch and let the kids play at Three Bears Park (in the middle of Society Hill and walking distance to Jim’s South). I highly recommend this park/area, if you have kids!

Then we walked to the Betsy Ross House.  This was so cute to see!!

Elfreth’s Alley was next! It was a beautiful street!

We stopped by the Reading Terminal Market (right next to the hotel) on our way back to the hotel.  We picked up some ice-cream and some snacks; it was really fun to walk through!

The kiddos (and Judd) wanted a nap so I headed to the Joseph Anthony Spa for a few hours…talk about paradise! If you’re ever here, ask for Kathleen! She is incredible.  The Joseph Anthony Spa has 3 locations in the Philadelphia area, I’ve only been to the one in the Loews Hotel but after my experience, I can promise you that all 3 have to be amazing!!

I arrived and took a little tour of the spa and gym…they have everything you can possibly imagine from a salon to get your hair or makeup done, to a spray tan to every spa treatment you can possibly imagine!! They went all out in designing this spa, it’s beautiful, relaxing, and the staff goes over and beyond!

Then it was time for my treatment.  I checked in and they gave me a locker and I changed into my robe.

They then gave me a drink and I soaked my feet in the transition suite. Then it was time for the Joseph Anthony Experience in the Turkish Bath.  This was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done and I know I’m going to struggle explaining it because I’ve never done anything like this.  It felt like I was in a different world!  Basically, my spa therapist told me how it worked and then left the room where I then covered myself in detoxifying and exfoliating muds while breathing in an herbal steam.

This is the room, isn’t is beautiful?  Everything is heated so it’s warm and comfortable.  There is relaxing music playing while mists of steam float through the room.  The sky is Swarovski Crystals, the attention to details in this room is breathtaking!  It becomes steamy, then turns into an ice-cold fog, and ends with a warm rain shower rinse!

Next, I had a Swedish massage.  It was the best massage I’ve ever had and I’ve had a lot of massages. It was SO relaxing!

My final treatment was the Soft Pack Float treatment.

It starts with a gentle body scrub followed by an application of creams.  Then I laid down on this warm bed, my spa therapist covered me with a blanket and turned on the soft pack float.  It immediately felt like I was floating. It’s a pressure free cushion of warm water. It was absolutely heavenly!! This photo is from their website but wanted to share it so you could see what it looks like.

I was one happy and relaxed mama! You can find out more about the Joseph Anthony Spa here.

Recommendations

Judd and I will always tell you we travel fast…we’re in and out of museums and are fast walkers.  We spent 1.5 days/2 nights in Philadelphia. I think 2 full days would’ve been perfect for our family but for others, I’d recommend 3-4 days!  There is so much to see in this city especially if you love history!

My number one recommendation is pick a hotel centrally located, like the Loews Philadelphia Hotel!!  It makes the trip that much more enjoyable and easy!

Thank you to the Loews Hotels and the Joseph Anthony Spa for hosting us! All opinions are my own.