So last weekend was the last long weekend for a couple of months (going by federal holidays at least), so a friend and I decided to take a getaway to Philadelphia. Neither of us had ever been, and its a quick and painless bus ride from DC (about 3 hours on the way there, a bit longer on the way back because winter.)
Having never been, we considered our housing options. A cheap hotel? A hostel? Try and find something on Air BnB?
Well, after some checking around and price comparison, we ended up staying a really nice hostel with a super convenient location in Center City, The Philadelphia House. From the moment we arrived, it had a really friendly vibe. A bunch of people, staff and visitors, were hanging out on the ridiculously comfy couch chatting and joking like old friends. The woman who greeted us at the front desk was incredibly helpful and spent a good amount of time asking us about our interests and giving recommendations of places to check out. The rest of the staff was equally as pleasant and helpful the whole time.
The location was excellent as well. We took the Megabus to Philly and the Greyhound out, and the hostel was conveniently located on the Market-Frankford line, which meant both were just a few stops away. It was also a quick walk to all of the main tourist attractions (Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, lots of museums and other historical sites), and a number of bus lines passed right by, making for easy transportation whether we were feeling cold or just lazy.
The other pluses: a free happy hour every night (yes, they have a keg refrigerator and Jenga), coffee in the morning, nice rooms and comfy beds each with charging areas, the fact that the staff was always cleaning so it never felt dirty (impressive when you’re at capacity and have thirty-some people passing in and out), a well-supplied kitchen, reasonable quiet hours (SLEEP), and an interesting cast of characters, including lots of au pairs down from New York for the weekend.
It was the first time in a while that I’d stayed at a hostel, and my first hosteling experience in the United States, and I’d definitely stay there again. The only catch was that the reservation and payment through Hostelworld doesn’t include local taxes so that was a bit tricky because you basically lose your deposit. Booking directly through their website is the way to go.
Megan's Wanderlust 