Philadelphia : Microtel Inn & Suites Philadelphia Airport (July 2009)

We stayed at the Microtel Inn & Suites Philadelphia Airport for one night before an early flight in July 2009. It was fine for that purpose. The standard room is quite small, so I wouldn’t want to spend any significant time there. Maybe the larger rooms/suites that have the sofa, wet bar, mini fridge are better. My only real issue with the hotel was the temperature of the rooms and public spaces--it was HOT! The air in our room brought in air from the outside, which was cool, but humid. If it had been hot outside, the room would have been stifling. As it was, we just had to deal with the humidity. We called down to the front desk about this, and we were asked what type of air-con unit was in the room. Apparently, some of the rooms have a newer digital system, which ours did not. The location is great--about 7 minutes from the airport, so you’re there in no time. The shuttle worked well, although they run only every 30 minutes. The hotel is in a complex with a Hampton Inn, Courtyard Marriott (or maybe it was a Fairfield), and an Embassy Suites. There is a Ruby Tuesdays within walking distance of all those hotels, along with the Embassy Grille at the Embassy Suites. The included continental breakfast was a little disappointing, but to be honest, we tried to eat at 5:00 am and it didn’t’ officially begin until 5:30 (this was a weekday; I’m not sure if weekend hours differ). There were packaged bagels and muffins, but no cold beverages. There was a juice machine with three kinds of juices, but it wasn’t turned on. I think there was also cereal, but no fresh fruit or healthy options. The hotel seems maintained, and there are pretty flowers surrounding the entrance. It’s what you would expect from a Microtel--no more and no less. We got a “park, sleep, and fly” rate here of just over $100, which included the room and 7 days parking--a good deal, since parking at PHL can’t be found (even offsite) for much less than $9 per day. I would stay here again if I could be sure the air-conditioning worked in any season--I like my room chilly.