Philadelphia: Courtyard by Marriott Navy Yard (July 2017)




My spouse and I stayed at the Courtyard Philadelphia South at the Navy Yard on a Saturday night in late July 2017. We reserved our room online using the Marriott website. As its name indicates, this hotel is located in the Philadelphia Navy Yard, but we chose it because of its proximity to the Wells Fargo Center, Citizens Bank Park, and Lincoln Financial Field, because we would be walking to all three venues over the course of our two-day weekend in South Philadelphia. (The only other hotel within walking distance of the stadiums is the Holiday Inn.) The hotel also claims to be close to the Philadelphia Airport, but at nearly 7 miles away, there are other better-located Marriott properties if flying is your goal. Complimentary parking is available in a large surface lot, or you can park on the streets surrounding the hotel. We had no problem finding parking on a weekend when the nearby offices are closed, but it might get a bit crowded during the workweek if the hotel is operating at capacity. Speaking of which, we received an email from the general manager a few days before our stay inquiring if we might be willing to move to the airport location in exchange for a complimentary stay. But as we explained to her, we had booked this property because of its proximity to the sports venues, and therefore, we did not want to move.

The Courtyard Philadelphia South at the Navy Yard offers amenities including a fitness center, bistro/bar (which offers semi-table service for Starbucks coffee, alcoholic beverages, and less-complicated food. (Originally, we planned to have lunch at the hotel, but when we checked out the bistro’s offerings, the menu was more casual and simpler than we wanted. Instead, we walked to nearby XFINITY Live!, which offers several dining options including the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Bar and Grill, Victory Beer Hall, Broad Street Bullies, and 1100 Social. (See our separate reviews of XFINITY Live! Titled “Huge Restaurant/Bar/Entertainment Complex Near the Sports Venues”, NBC Sports Arena titled “Huge Venue to Watch Televised Events”, and 1100 Social titled “Interesting Food at This Well Managed Restaurant”.) Another dining option, Bar Amis, is close by, but it is not open for Saturday lunch or at all on Sundays. (See our separate review of Bar Amis titled “Sit on the Outdoor Patio and Enjoy the Navy Yard View”.) On weekdays during traditional working hours, the Navy Yard offers additional counter-service restaurants to feed the employees, some of which are accessible by the general public/hotel guests. Additionally, the hotel offers a food/sundry pantry where you can buy pre-made sandwiches (which were surprisingly filling and tasty as a midnight snack), snacks, packaged food that can be microwaved (the pantry contains a microwave for guest use), and beverages (both alcoholic and non- alcoholic). Note that although the pantry is open 24 hours per day, state liquor laws prevent the purchase of alcohol after 2:00 am.

Our standard king room offered a bed flanked by two nightstands, a furniture piece that held the large flat-screen TV, empty mini-fridge, coffee service, and ice bucket. An adjacent desk and chair offered a place to work. (Missing from this room was a luggage rack; we had to place our suitcase on the desk instead.) Our room also contained a sleeper sofa and a large leather ottoman; we are always pleased when we have somewhere to sit and watch television other than the bed. The bathroom was large and modern, with an oversized glass-enclosed shower (but no bathtub), and a good size vanity with single sink. Basic toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, lotion) and a hair dryer were provided. The closet offered an iron and ironing board and an electronic safe. Wi-Fi is complimentary throughout the hotel.

We enjoyed our quiet stay at the Courtyard Philadelphia South at the Navy Yard, and we would stay here again before or after a nearby sporting event or concert.











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