Excellent boutique property in ideal city center location!! Hotel- Kimpton Hotel Palomar PHL
Date- 3july2020 until 6july2020 (3 nights)
Overall: 5/5. Excellent. This was our second experience at this property, and it went very well. The accommodations exceeded our expectations, the staff was friendly and engaging, housekeeping was effective, and adequate meal options were available. The location is unbeatable for the city center.
Rewards Club Recognition- 5/5. Excellent. We were verbally thanked for our loyalty, and our room was upgraded. 600 welcome bonus points and a $10 ‘Raid-the-Bar’ Food & Beverage Credit were both provided. A late checkout was proactively offered for our tier of loyalty, and a welcome amenity of 2 large waters, a milk chocolate bar, and a small bag of pretzel bites and candy were all offered. We felt like valued guests at this property.
Staff- 5/5. Excellent. We were checked into the property by Ashley, and she was a true delight. She was efficient, yet thorough, as she covered the hotel amenities such as the social/wine hour, the morning coffee service, the housekeeping modifications, and the restaurant. In addition, Emily was informative and fun to interact with. We would come back to the property just to visit with these two again!
Property Appearance & Maintenance- 4/5. Very good. Opportunities: Elevators, sinks, touch up paint.
Exterior- 5/5. The exterior was crisp and clean, even though there was high foot traffic by guests and passersby alike. The hotel was appropriately branded, and the valet station and personnel were visible and eager to help guests.
Interior- 3/5. The hotel is in relatively good shape but having only two of four elevators that work in a hotel this size is a huge drawback when so many guests are not yet ready to share small elevators. Increasingly impatient guests queued up in long lines in the lobby and on the floors and wait times could be excessive during busy times (morning, checkout time, check-in time, etc.). The lobby is stylish and clean, and the hallway walls and carpet were in good repair. Décor was eye catching. All corridor lighting was functional. Some scuffs were present on the baseboards, both in the hallways (on the bottom of the doors to the rooms, especially) and in the rooms, which could be easily remedied. Our sink also did not drain very effectively. The window covering for the shower room does not close; minor repairs may be needed to the roman shade.
Accommodations- 5/5. Excellent. We were assigned a “Cityview Spa 1 King Bed” room. The room was exactly as advertised. It contained the usual furnishings (bed, table, chair, sofa, some additional seating, a tv, a minifridge, etc.), and everything was in good repair. The carpet was clean and the bathroom spacious. The bathroom had a jacuzzi tub, but minor stains detract from its appeal. From our previous experiences at this property, we can say that the smaller rooms do not offer such spacious bathrooms. Overall, the room was very pleasing and worth paying slightly more than one would for a smaller room.
Housekeeping- 4/5. Very good. The room was well prepared. The bedding was clean, as were the carpets. All tabletops and bathroom surfaces showed evidence of a thorough cleaning. The only area worth further attention is the grout in the bathroom; far too much of it is molding. A high intensity cleaner or bleach could resolve this without substantive effort; worse sections may need the attention of maintenance/engineering.
Pool/Gym- 4/5. Very good. The fitness center has re-opened, and an ice machine is again online for guest use. There is no pool at this property.
Breakfast/Meal Options- 5/5. Excellent. The restaurant, Square 1684, is open and serving dinner Tuesday through Saturday and brunch on Saturday and Sunday. The menu is reasonably sized and offers a variety of options. We tried a breakfast sandwich and a pork dish, the Philly Special; both exceeded expectations. In addition, the hotel has set up a ‘bodega’ which contains all the usual minibar items. The signature evening social/wine hour proceeds per usual in the lobby, as does the morning coffee service. We felt there were plenty of options for us in the hotel. Of course, there were lots and lots of restaurants nearby.
Laundry- not evaluated. No laundry bag or pricing sheet was present in the closet.
Computer/Printer/WiFi- 5/5. Excellent. Connecting to WiFi was simple, and streaming was smooth. There are no computers, faxes, or printers available for use, but the front desk staff will happily offer to help with select office services.
Other-
First, the social password was good for either an extended checkout (1:30pm), a bottle of wine, an alcoholic lemonade, or a variety of other options. We chose a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. This was very nice.
Second, the doors to the rooms in this hotel do slam, and when the hotel is busy, it can be a nonstop banging in the hallways, day and night; to reduce the disturbance and prevent long term damage to the door latches and frames, an anti-slam product should be considered.