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.
