Good Hotel in Mount Airy or Chestnut Hill?

Hi all,

Does anyone have a good hotel to recommend that%26#39;s in/near Mount Airy or Chestnut Hill?

Thanks!

Good Hotel in Mount Airy or Chestnut Hill?

I wouldn%26#39;t suggest any in that area. Where do you need to be close to?

Good Hotel in Mount Airy or Chestnut Hill?

There is the Chestnut Hill hotel however I don%26#39;t think it is recommended. Another option is to stay in Center City and you can easily get a train to Chestnut Hill. Finally, you could check into the possibility of B%26amp;Bs.

bnbphiladelphia.com/philadelphia/chestnut-hi…

Donekers question

Just curious...I read on another forum that Doneckers is closing down entirely? Is this true? I%26#39;ve stayed there a few times in the past for business meetings and really enjoyed the restaurant and the stores. Any information on what is happening there?

Thanks.

Donekers question

Intelligence Journal newspaper out of Lancaster reports in its June 17 edition that the company is remaining tightlipped about its business. It has, however dropped dinner at its restaurant and is running a retail ';clearance'; that appears to be a liquidation. Restaurant will stop serving altogether at end of month. The article says that workers werd hired to carry placards advertising the sale of furniture and clothing along Route 322--not exactly in harmony with their highend merchandise!

A respondent to the article incicated that the restaurant, at least, is offered for sale in real estate releases. Asking price is $1,300,000, should you have interest! Another indication of the deep economic woes in our country!!

Donekers question

Yes Doneckers is in the stages of closing down, I have a friend from culinary school who was one of their chef and he is in the process of finding himself a new job

Does this mean the entire complex is closing? What about the Inn portion, is that closing as well? The only thing the website indicates is that they are having a big furniture sale.

The restautrant is already closed...

no formal announcement about the remainder of Doneckers businesses but if you have wanted to revisit the stores now would be a good time.

It%26#39;s official...

the clothing stores are closing also.

This is a real blow to Ephrata. Any town this size would be very fortunate to have an upscale, traffic producing specialty retailer such as Donecker%26#39;s, and their departure will surely impact the remaining modest business district.

I suppose in today%26#39;s marketing trends it%26#39;s just hard for an enterprise like Donecker%26#39;s to survive outside a major metro area.

Sadly, Ephrata is a different town these days.

Donnekers was always upscale with it%26#39;s clothing

line. I think they would have faired better had

they relocated more towards the Philly area.

I was there to shop a week or two ago and there wasn%26#39;t much left. I loved shopping there and will miss it. I did find that they did not have things marked down as advertised - 40 to 60% off. The better items were only 30% off. A real deal was Brighton handbags for 40% off! Some of the salesladies were very nice and helpful, others acted like you were a nuisance for shopping there, I found throughout the years.

Hi. Need some hotel help please...

Hi. I asked some questions last week that you all were so helpful in answering so now I%26#39;m back, lol. I%26#39;m planning a trip next Mon-Wed for my family. Last year we were able to Hotwire the Hyatt at penn%26#39;s Landing for a great price. I thought it was a pretty great location. I%26#39;m wondering if we should stick to that general area or maybe try to stay by Rittenhouse Sq as someone suggested. The things we will be doing are the zoo, the aquarium, Franklin Science Museum, Maybe the Ducks again(7 year old loved it!)maybe the Seaport Museum. I%26#39;ve been checking Hotwire and what I think is the Sheraton Society Hill is available but there is also a 3 1/2 star in Center City East. Anyone have any thoughts? I don%26#39;t have to use Hotwire but if I can save a few bucks I%26#39;d like to. The dates are 8/25-8/27 for people. Thanks in adfor any helpful hints.

Hi. Need some hotel help please...

I know some one that just hotwired the center city east and wound up with the sheraton with mixed reviews.

We hotwired last year for the Penns landing area and went to the Hyatt...loved it.

I have also stayed at the Mariott, Hampton inn, and Hawthorne Suites...all in the same area near the Reading Terminal Market. The area is okay, but I liked the Penn%26#39;s Landing with the 20 something floor view of the river and the bridge. I also liked the self park. We waited for almost an hour at the Hampton Inn for our car...then my husband got it out of the valet lot himself!!!!!!!

We so much preferred the penn%26#39;s landing area. Even if you get the Sheraton there it is right across the street. The reviews are still pretty good...I think better than the center city one.

To us, everything in Philly is fairly close. Much closer than things in Manhattan. We have always been lucky with parking in Philly...never a problem. I would go with Hotwire, save a few bucks, eat a few more cheesesteaks and be happy!

Hi. Need some hotel help please...

Hi -

I looked on Hotwire for your dates, here are the options I saw:

3* Center City West for $77/night - most likely the Windsor but could also be the Embassy Suites

3* CC East for $90/night - most likely the Crowne Plaza but don%26#39;t rule out the Hilton Garden Inn or the Doubletree

3.5* Olde Town/Penn%26#39;s Landing for $117/night - Sheraton Society Hill

3.5* Center City East for $117/night - most likely the Radisson Warwick

I%26#39;d go with the Sheraton Society Hill, just for the fact that the location is stellar and it has an indoor pool, which is a nice amenity with a 7 year old.

Hope that helps, good luck, let us know if you have additional questions.

Suzanne

Thanks for thr speedy replies! I think I will go with the Sheraton-we%26#39;re not too picky as long as it%26#39;s clean, we%26#39;re good, lol. I think I better book it-it keeps going up! I just hate that it%26#39;s non-refundable, you know how it is with young kids. I also was thinking of getting a Philadelphia Pass-it would be $272 for all 5 of us for 2 days. It includes pretty much everything we want to do except the aquarium. Any thoughts on tht? It seems like a no-brainer but maybe I%26#39;m missing something. Thanks guys-now I know why it%26#39;s the City of Brotherly Love;)

As far as the value for Philadelphia Pass it depends on how many attractions you are actually going to.

One thing you may want to ask about if you are going to the Franklin Institute is whether the Philadelphia Pass gives you entrance to the IMAX and Pirates Exhibit. Here is a link to the regular entrance prices for the FI

http://www2.fi.edu/visitor-guide/pricing.php

not sure where you on on LI, but if you buy a membership to the children%26#39;s museum in Garden City, at a certain level, I believe the grandparent level, you will get admission to the franklin institute and another science museum in Philly. Take a look at their website. We used it last year and it was great. There are museums all over the country that accept it. It may be worth it for you.

Nice place to stay during our visit

We will be visiting our daughter who lives in the Shadyside area of the city. She and her husband (a resident at U of Pitt) will be working some of the time we will be there. We would like to stay within 15-20 minutes from them at something like a Hampton Inn or Holiday Inn Express because they offer a nice hot breakfast and will not break our budget like the Marriott in Shadyside. We will eat lunch and supper with my daughter. Does anyone have suggestions for a nice area and nice hotel? We will rent a car to travel between airport, hotel and daughter%26#39;s apartment. This is our first time to visit my daughter. Thanks in advance for any help.

Nice place to stay during our visit

Not sure what the cost is at Shadyside Inn but it gets generally good reviews here and you would be able to walk to the Shadyside neighborhood with restaurants and shops.

Or you could try the new Hampton Inn in the Strip (downtown). It%26#39;s getting rave reviews here and you could walk to the Strip District or Downtown to eat. I wouldn%26#39;t call it a ';nice'; neighborhood exactly, it%26#39;s very urban, but it%26#39;s safe and outside of rush hour you could be in Oakland or Shadyside within 15-20 minutes.

Good luck!

Nice place to stay during our visit

Right near the university....a good choice of food and drink nearby...minutes to downtown...have fun!!!

http://www.pittsburghhamptoninn.com/

CeCe,

I would check out the new Hampton Inn or even the Westin. The rooms are very nice and spacious and within walking distance of many nice restaurants and shopping centers.

Romantic Restaurant before Spamalot?

Hi everybody,

Last year we had dinner at XIX and loved it when we went to see Wicked. Would like to try something different this year.

We like romantic and quirky, and good food obviously. Anything nearby that you would recommend?

Thanks

Romantic Restaurant before Spamalot?

you could try either of the Varalli, located at broad and locust (http://www.varalliusa.com/)

very good food at both

Hope this helps

Romantic Restaurant before Spamalot?

Thanks Mike.

It looks pretty good from the website. We%26#39;ll give it a try.

We had an excellent meal at Bliss and I%26#39;m eager to try 6 Arts.

Lynn

Bliss is closed on Sunday or that would have been our first choice.

We ended up at XIX again, only because we had an excellent meal last year there.

But wished after we had tried Mike%26#39;s suggestion.

They took our reservation on the phone no problem but when we arrived, found that the main dining room was closed on Sunday and were seated in the more casual dining area, where given a light fare menu which was not what we had wanted.

I feel we should have been told this on the phone when we made the reservation, as we would have made a different choice.

The food was pretty good not great, like last year.

Daffy2,

Sorry to hear things did not work out for you. I would recommend that you keep the varalli%26#39;s on you list for the future as they are both very good and the veiw from upstairs is quite nice.

But I would also recommend Bliss as an option for the future as well

Hope you enjoy these when you get around to trying them

Ernesto%26#39;s (small, classy, moderately priced Italian restaurant) is another good option.

Lynn

Thanks all

We usually go to the theater once a year and next year, I%26#39;m taking your suggestions.

you may want to check out 10 Arts, in the Ritz Carlton. I haven%26#39;t been yet, but Eric Ripert can do no wrong in my book. I would say the price would be comparable to XIX (Nineteen).

http://10arts.com/

Or, Parc , in Rittenhouse Square. It also tops my list of places I am dying to go to. Don%26#39;t know much, but it%26#39;s a Stephen Starr restaurant which means you will get fun %26amp; quirky, but you%26#39;ll also get a good meal and good service.

Where NOT to stay in Lancaster,Pa.

On a recent trip to Lancaster Country, we chose a motel that was pet freindly. WRONG move. It wasn%26#39;t even people freindly. We checked in and out within twenty minutes. If you look at the padutchcountry.com website you will see a nice room and write0up about it. The picture is not what you get.The Bates Motel would have been better. This place is the Paradise Motor Lodge, Route 30, Paradise,Pa..AVOID IT!

While I was walking our dog, my wife was in the room with the owner. After she left we took a closer look at the room we noticed that the sheets were not changed, we found HAIR on the pillows. That was enough. As my wife stood there in tears, I called a Comfort Inn that we passed on the way in on Route 23 in New Holland. I told them the situation we were in and that we had our son and daughter-in-law joining us, plus our dog. She asked when I needed the room , I said NOW. They had a beautiful room with a great rate and pet freindly. Now this was on a Friday afternoon and we got a room. When you come to Lancaster County check out the motels carefully and IF you are not sure about a place, call the Visitors Center. That%26#39;s what they are there for. To help you have any enjoyable and memorable stay and so that you would want to return.

We live in New Jersey and go often and have learned a lesson about checking out your choices of where to stay.

ENJOY!

Where NOT to stay in Lancaster,Pa.

Another hotel to avoid at all costs is the Days Inn on Keller Avenue. How this place is allowed to stay open (and remain a Days Inn) is beyond me. The hotel is not in the best section of town and there seems to be a lot of criminal activity at the hotel over the past year. Last summer there was a major drug bust at the hotel. So far this year there has been a triple shooting at the hotel%26#39;s bar, several guests of a room robbed and beaten, a robbery, and I cannot say that I am any bit surprised that this hotel has been rated the 8th worst hotel in America by Trip Advisor. From what I understand the property is very rundown and poorly maintained. I have never been in the hotel (or ever care to stay there), so I cannot comment on its cleanliness. Several reviewers have mentioned that the outdoor pool is green and algae can be seen growing in it. Other things that I have heard that really concern me are that some of the exterior corridor rooms%26#39; doors do not lock and that the hallway doors are often propped open (if the area isn%26#39;t scary enough!). My guess is that the people who frequent this hotel are criminals, such as drug dealers and prostitutes, and guests who don%26#39;t know how bad this hotel really is (or mistake it for the Days Inn in Ronks). My intention is not to bash this hotel but to make others aware that this hotel is very unsatisfactory and unsafe so that they can save themselves a headache as well as money (I hear they don%26#39;t give refunds). If you have questions about lodging, dining, or area attractions, I will be more than happy to answer them.

Where NOT to stay in Lancaster,Pa.

I am pleased to reply to this posting. We stayed at the Paradise Motor Lodge on a recent Saturday night in October. It was a desperate move on our part. There was truly nothing else available on that night and we were too tired to drive on. We SHOULD HAVE SLEPT IN OUR CAR! This place was dark and dirty, really dirty. The rug was so bad that we kept our shoes on except when we got into bed. The shower was full of soap scum. The room was just gross. The owner was quite chatty and didn%26#39;t seem phased by the filthy rooms she was renting. Also, the room was by no means inexpensive.

I agree with %26#39;Where NOT to stay in Lancaster,Pa%26#39;. This was one of the worst places I have ever stayed. Lancaster is such a lovely place. PML is a blight on this picturesque countryside.

Its ALWAYS a good idea to see the reviews of the motels/hotels before you stay in them. From past experience I will not stay in any place under 3.5 rating, ideally 4.0 %26amp; up. I have stayed in really nice places that deserved better ratings but some people really pick apart places. If the majority of people complain about a certain thing than stay away from the place.

We stayed in the Ronks Days Inn (Routes 896 %26amp; 30) last fall. It was the closest, available motel to our hot air balloon launch site in Strasburg. We were not pleased with the motel. There was no elevator to our second floor room (we have a son in a wheelchair), the carpet was loose in the stairwell and hallway and they had no milk for the continental breakfast. Must be normal operating procedures for all Days Inns. Even the one we stayed at off of I-80 near Bloomsburg was bad. I suggest staying at any of the rooms available in Intercourse at the Kitchen Kettle Village. Beautiful, clean and well decorated. Plus, you get a free breakfast at the Kling House restaurant.

To MDtraveler51, sorry you got stuck at Paradise Motel. I must tell you we took action with this place. We tried,but unsuccsefully, to get a full refund from our credit card company. We did get some money back.

On my return home I called the Lancaster Health Dept.,the Lancaster Visitors Bureau and the Better Business Bureau. The board of health check out the place and said they would be back to follow up.On their return they were asked if they had a warrant to inspect the place! A WARRANT, do you beleive the nerve of some people. I told the visitors center, that the Paradise Lodge does NOT represent Lancaster County at all. Due to my complaint,they plan on useing a star rating. I think the PML%26#39;s star burned out. By the way, did you happen to notice the phone book out side? Looked like it was there for years.

I still feel that I%26#39;m not done with this place. I know people will say it%26#39;s over, let it go, BUT how about the next couple coming down the pike? Should others be subjected to this filthy place?

I%26#39;ve heard a lot of very negative things about the Days Inn near the Amtrak stations and wasn%26#39;t surprised to find out that as of this week, the hotel is no longer part of the Days Inn chain. The hotel has been named one of the top 10 dirtiest hotels in America two years in a row now and has been the site of much criminal activity over the past couple of years(a major drug bust, several robberies, a shooting outside the hotel%26#39;s bar, and probably many other things). I don%26#39;t want to spread a rumor but I can%26#39;t help notice that when you check availability through the hotel%26#39;s website, they are only taking reservations until May 18, 2008. I hope (and probably so do the Manheim Township police) that this means that the hotel is closing as it is certainly an eyesore to the community and I feel that no one deserves to stay at such an unsafe, unclean, and poorly managed hotel that is notoriously bad. There are plenty of other choices. If you need help finding a place to stay in the area, feel free to contact the visitors bureau (they know which hotels not to stay at as well as which ones are nice) or you can always ask on these forums.

Wow I am so glad i read this we almost booked our trip there!!! But went the B%26amp;B route instead. WE will be going for the first time in july.

mamateresa2006,I%26#39;m glad you saw my post. If it saves even one person from the aggrivation we went through,it was worth posting. You should ride past the place and you%26#39;ll see some of what I%26#39;m talking about.To update the old saying,';let the vacationer beware.'; Have a safe trip and enjoy.

God Bless, popc

NEVER go to Cherry Lane Motor Inn in Ronks on Ronks RD. That place should really be bulldoxed down. The smell was horrible. There was no know on the AC unit so I had to get a pliers from the office and stand on a chair to adjust the temp. The beds were like slepping on a slab of cement. The wallpaper was falling off the walls. Black mold was on the windows. Popcorn was underneath the bed. Draperies were so dusty that anytime I opened them I had to wash my hands. Mattress was comming apart at the seams. Very dark interior. No blow dryer or shampoo. Very, very old motel that really hasn%26#39;t had any updating in about 35 years or longer. Took the AC cover off to clean the air filter and inside the unit there were so many live spiders and cobwebs that I just put the cover back on and figured it wouldn%26#39;t help anything at all. Dustiest place I ever went to in my life.

Oh that is terrible.....we were going to go to lancaster county this month but ended up canceling ....good to know for next time.

pimple cure

Help with restaurant name

Looking to see if anyone knows the name of a restaurant we ate at a few years ago. It%26#39;s not to far from the sovereign center and I believe it%26#39;s across the river. It is an Italian place, fairly large and offers tappas food. It%26#39;s located to the front of a large building.(other buisnesses in back of building). I beleive there is a wendy%26#39;s or other fastfood place up the hill across the road from it. It was a place we ate at one night when we were there for a concert. We are comming back for another concert and was trying to find the name of the place so we could get directions to it. I think it has kind of a weird name, but I could be wrong on that. Any suggestions would be great.

Help with restaurant name

I think it might be Viva Good Life across from the Vanity Fair Outlet - Website will give you directions, etc. if it%26#39;s the place you are looking for.

http://www.vivaeurofusion.com/

Help with restaurant name

Be aware that if it is indeed Viva, it%26#39;s currently closed because of the construction going on adjacent to it for the new Doubletree hotel going up. I%26#39;m not sure the timeline of the concert you%26#39;re seeing is, but it seems to be closed for the very immediate future.

Yes Viva is closed at least through Sept. 13, probably longer. Look on their website.

Other places to look into in that area (Wyomissing or in West Reading which is between Reading %26amp; Wyomissing) would be The West Reading Tavern, GNA Pizzeria Restaurant, Mom Chaffe%26#39;s (more expensive), 3rd %26amp; Spruce (it%26#39;s a bar), Chef Alan%26#39;s. Google these and get as much info as you can.