We recently had the opportunity to take a family trip to Philadelphia and were invited to stay as media at the Hotel Monaco. Maybe you noticed our pictures on Facebook or Instagram as we explored the city
Brian and I have visited Philadelphia several times on our own in recent years, but this time we wanted to make it a family trip. In order to make the trip a success, we knew that finding our “home”, as the kids called it, would be key to our time away. We were thrilled to stay the Hotel Monaco in Philadelphia and experience their Where the Wild Things Are package. The package includes complimentary valet parking, your choice of 2 tickets per night to the Philadelphia Zoo, Adventure Aquarium, or Ride the Ducks Land and Water Tour, and a goldfish friend for your room!
The check-in area was a wonderful welcome after a 6 hour drive from Virginia. We only had three stops … pretty good considering the three little ones and weekday traffic through Washington, D.C! The lobby was just beautiful. The colors were inviting and the seating area was a comfortable place to sit and relax before heading up to the room. Brian even ventured down later in the evening to step away from the kids, grab a drink from the hotel restaurant, and read a book for a few minutes.
We were able to check into our room before our first stop out in town. We stayed in the Parkview Queen Queen Room. I was concerned about there being enough space for a family of 5. Admittedly, it was a little tight and it was tough to find any personal space. With the addition of a cot, there was plenty of space for everyone in the 348 sq ft. We weren’t planning on spending the entire day in the room anyhow and there was more than enough room for everyone to recharge their batteries before heading out for the next day’s adventures. Most of all, the kids were excited at their very fancy digs! You can see Sophie was very happy to try out the big bed!
The girls shared one of the “big” beds and Matthew got to sleep in the cot, which worked out perfectly and gave everyone plenty of sleeping room. The hotel is located right next to the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. This was ideal for our little companions and their quickly tired feet! Grace has learned about the Liberty Bell at school so seeing the real bell with the crack was a must see for us! Matthew took claim of the souvenir Liberty Bell!
One of the great little gems at the Hotel Monaco was the Red Owl Tavern. It proved a great excuse for Brian and I to take turns grabbing a little break from the kids so that we could keep up with them. It is a full service restaurant and the meal we enjoyed at the Red Owl Tavern was simply incredible. House made charcuteries, incredible burgers, and desserts that will make you pound your fist. They are just that good. When eating with kids, you hope that places have dishes they will enjoy and we can say for sure that the kids loved every bite. I particularly appreciated that they didn’t bat an eye when Grace ordered a side for her meal. Be it for a lunch when you arrive, a cocktail later in the evening, or a dinner to keep from walking on your tired feet, the Red Owl Tavern is a wonderful addition to your stay at Hotel Monaco in Philadelphia.
As part of the Where the Wild Things Are package at Kimpton’s Hotel Monaco in Philadelphia, we received tickets to the Adventure Aquarium just over the state line in New Jersey. It was wonderful addition to our travel experience simply by staying with Kimpton. The stop at the aquarium was one less item to plan. Plus, because the front desk at the hotel handed us our tickets, we skipped the ticket line and went straight to the fun stuff!
It has been a few years since the kids have visited an aquarium, so we really wanted them to have another aquarium experience. The kids enjoyed seeing the Hippo Haven, petting the sting rays (they wouldn’t feed them so Brian did), seeing the penguins outside, and checking off seeing seahorses and star fish (Sophie’s must-do at the aquarium). We saw lots of them and she was super excited!
The Where the Wild Things Are package at Kimpton’s Hotel Monaco was perfect for our family thanks to the location, the space in the room and hotel, our exciting side adventure, and the overall comfort and fun that our kids had during the stay!
Have you stayed a Kimpton hotel? Have you had the opportunity to visit the Philadelphia area? Leave us a comment and let us know how you and your family travel!
Sounds like ya’ll had a wonderful time! The “where the wild things are” package sounded like it kept your family busy!
You all looked like you had an amazing time! What a great package! 🙂 I have never stayed at a Kimpton hotel… in fact, this is the first time I have heard of one. 🙂
Looks like you guys had a fantastic time!
Looks like an awesome place to stay. Never been to Philadelphia!
Looks like a really nice hotel! Last time I went to Philadelphia was in junior high and we went to a children’s museum, it was a lot of fun. So many great things to see in Philly!
What a great family weekend away! I have never been to Philadelphia. The hotel looks fantastic. Love the penguin pic
Sounds like a great time and package. It looks like you all had an amazing time too. The room along with everything else looks amazing. Thanks for sharing.
It looks like a fun place to visit! I’d like to head out to Pennsylvania with some solid plans. We passed through on our honeymoon road trip, but without solid plans we pretty much just passed through since we couldn’t find things open to do.
What a fun vacation. I think my family would love to try the same package. We just love any chance to go to the zoo!
Thank you for sharing. We don’t live terribly far from Philly yet we have never really visited anything but the zoo.
I haven’t been to Philadelphia, but it’s on my wish list! That hotel looks amazing!
What a fun time! I can’t remember how old I was when I visited Philadelphia but it was a great time! That hotel was not around then but it sounds like a fabulous place for families with young kids. Happy summer!
That sounds like such a fun hotel package! I’ll totally have to keep this in mind should we make it to Philadelphia anytime soon.
It looks like you had an amazing time on your trip! And it looks like your family did too. 🙂
I love Kimpton! We stayed at a Kimpton hotel in Chicago – they are phenomenal! A FISHY FRIEND?!?! How cool is that!?
Sounds like a fantastic place to stay, very family friendly!
I love hotels that make kids welcome. And I love hotel bars even more! 🙂 sounds like a great stay
Wow, that was the lobby?! Looks pretty cool.
What a fabulous little trip. That hotel looks so cute with it’s unique checkin desk.
Looks like a great place to stay!
It looks like you had a wonderful time. I’ve never been to Philadelphia before, but it’s on my list of places to visit.
Looks like a great place to visit… never been to Philadelphia before, but would love to take our son some day.
I’ve heard wonderful things about their properties and you just proved that it’s true!