PM Hotel Group has opened the fully renovated Philadelphia Marriott Old City. Formerly the Sheraton Philadelphia Society Hill, the Philadelphia Marriott Old City has finalized a multimillion-dollar renovation to present the reimagined 364-room hotel in the heart of Philadelphia’s historic district.
The property, which is owned and redeveloped by Buccini Pollin Group, blends colonial with contemporary to offer an enhanced hotel experience and elevated aesthetic.
“When creating the interiors of the Philadelphia Marriott Old City, the Krause Sawyer team drew inspiration from the local warehouse structures and centuries-old colonial detailing found throughout the property’s neighborhood,” said Kajsa Krause, co-founder of Krause Sawyer.
Guests who are Marriott Titanium and Elite members can experience Philadelphia’s first M Club, a new club lounge including upscale food, tech-enabled connectivity, and working space. The M Club offers many services that contribute to a brilliant stay, while providing the ideal space to work, recharge and relax with the convenience of food and snack options, according to the company.
“The greatest challenge was to transform the large, open, mostly unprogrammed atrium into an active gathering place,” Krause said. “The atrium is now host to a large bar with a separate barista café counter. The heart of the Marriott Greatroom, the voluminous space features large communal tables at bar height alongside a variety of lounge seating, well-suited for bigger groups as well as single individuals.”
“A large skylight above tracks the sun and brings in natural light throughout the day. An overhead, custom-designed, blackened metal grid is added as a layer within the large volume to bring down the scale, adding intimacy and creating a structure for appropriate lighting. The columns around the atrium arcade have been partly whitewashed and clad with a back-lit metal mesh for an added layering of color, materiality and texture, allowing for intimate mood lighting,” she added.
Located steps away from Philadelphia’s most iconic attractions, the Philadelphia Marriott Old City is the perfect location for corporate groups, conferences and meetings. With more than 20,000 sq. ft. of fully renovated meeting spaces, the property can accommodate everything from sunrise breakfast meetings, to post-conference happy hours, and everything in between.
“As guests approach the reception area, the well-known sentence ‘Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness’ has been deconstructed and applied to the wall in golden metal letters. As you move through the rest of the public spaces, the narrative of old meeting new continues to unfold in both design details and art application,” Krause said.
For families, the property provides ample dining spaces with a variety of snack and meal options. Renovated guestrooms, which are available in a selection of sizes and room configurations, offer families flexible spaces during their stay. Additional property enhancements include a large fitness center with 4,000 sq. ft. of space and new equipment, as well as full-day dining options at Society Commons, the property’s new food and beverage concept.
One of the new crown jewels of the Philadelphia Marriott Old City is its sweeping ballroom. Grandiose in design and with a capacity of 550 guests, the ballroom space can hold weddings of all sizes.
“Utilizing industrial elements and artisanal craftsmanship paired with hardwearing garments and intricate tailoring, the building location’s past is woven into every element of the freshly modern design,” Krause said. “Raw materials meet refined finishes, innovative art meets traditional elements, and the old and new inherently connected. The arrival moment features open blackened steel frames holding large, intricately woven textile art installations spanning the gaps between the brick-clad columns in the freshly transformed atrium, setting the general tone for the rest of the property.”
