Best bets for a place to stay in Philadelphia

Best Hotel Health Club: The Wyndham Philadelphia at Franklin Plaza, 17th and Race streets (tel. 800/996-3426), with 758 rooms -- second only in quantity to the Convention Center Marriott -- has the best facilities for hotel guests, including a 45-foot indoor pool, a track, three racquetball courts, three squash courts, outdoor handball, and two tennis courts -- all on the third-floor lobby roof. Weights and Nautilus machines round out the picture inside.

Best Hotel Pool: Above the garage complex of the Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue is the Sporting Club, with its four-lane, junior Olympic pool. Hotel guests and local members can use the pool and the other 2 acres of health facilities, or you can pay $20 for a 1-day pass to the club. The Four Seasons Hotel's indoor pool at 1 Logan Sq. (tel. 800/332-3442) is smaller, but is absolutely spectacular for laps or lounging.

Best Views: Many of the hotel listings specify one side or another as preferable. In Center City, rooms at the Rittenhouse Hotel, 210 W. Rittenhouse Sq. (tel. 800/635-1042), all have wonderful views of the Philly landscape, from the leafy park below on the east to the western view of the Schuylkill and the Parkway. The new Hyatt Regency Philadelphia at Penn's Landing, on the Delaware River waterfront at 201 S. Columbus Blvd. (tel. 800/228-1234), commands spectacular views of Center City to the west and Camden to the east.

Best Hotel Restaurants: The Zagat guide to local restaurants has listed the Fountain Restaurant in the Four Seasons as one of the country's top 50 dining spots. Recently refurbished, it is virtually flawless, with high prices to match the high quality. It now has a worthy rival in the Rittenhouse Hotel's restaurant Lacroix, opened in 2003 by Jean-Marie Lacroix, for 2 decades the chef at the Fountain. This haute-meets-modern French restaurant is soothing and sleek, with park views, limestone accents, and elegant green-velvet seating; it has received great acclaim from Esquire's John Mariani, among others.

Best Splurge Hotel: The Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia, 10 Avenue of the Arts (tel. 215/523-8000), is an overwhelming dose of luxury, with its massive domed lobby, lavish furnishings, and clubby bars. Upgrade to the Club Level for less than $50 and experience a lounge spread of champagne and endless hors d'oeuvres.

Best Trendy Hotel: Philly's luxuriously hip Hotel Sofitel, 120 S. 17th St. (tel. 800/SOFITEL), has modern decor, a groovy long bar, and lots of French people swanning in and out frequently, plus Deco-contemporary furniture and a great location for shopping near Walnut Street.

Best Hostel: Centrally located near all the historical and nightlife attractions, the Bank Street Hostel, 32 S. Bank St. (tel. 800/392-4678 or 215/922-0222), is smack in the Old City/Society Hill nexus; it's perfect for budget or adventurous travelers.

Frommer’s is America’s bestselling travel guide series. Visit Frommers.com to find great deals, get information on over 3,500 destinations, and book your trip. © 2006 Wiley Publishing, Inc. Republication or redistribution of Frommer's content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Wiley.

For a complete listing of Frommer's-reviewed accommodations, visit our online hotels index.

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