Radisson Hotel Philadelphia Northeast

“My wedding at the Radisson”

I had my wedding at this hotel. The staff especially Rochelle went above and beyond to make my wedding a beautiful experience. The staff are extremely nice and Rochelle was very helpful. The rooms were clean. My guests enjoyed their time here. The food provided by the hotel was delicious. I would … more

I had my wedding at this hotel. The staff especially Rochelle went above and beyond to make my wedding a beautiful experience. The staff are extremely nice and Rochelle was very helpful. The rooms were clean. My guests enjoyed their time here. The food provided by the hotel was delicious. I would recommend anyone to stay at this hotel.

less

“A weird, disappointing experience but with great staff”

We were here for three nights recently with many friends and family members for a wedding. The wedding venue recommended the hotel to the bride and groom. It must be the only game in town and/or the venue should pressure the hotel to up its game. Let's start off with the good stuff. The staff - … more

We were here for three nights recently with many friends and family members for a wedding. The wedding venue recommended the hotel to the bride and groom. It must be the only game in town and/or the venue should pressure the hotel to up its game. Let's start off with the good stuff. The staff - behind the desk, behind the bar, the room cleaners, even the guys doing construction (more on that later) - were all very nice, friendly, and accommodating. Our two rooms (we had made a second reservation to stay in the area an extra night and had to switch rooms - NOT the hotel's fault, and I don't hold it against them) were identical and recently renovated. Now, though, the bad. First, the rooms are spartan, and both had a chemical smell. The beds are comfortable enough, though the sheets are thin. They didn't seem worn; just cheap. There is a single desk chair and nowhere else to sit. There is a small closet without a door and with too few hangers. There is no safe, so be prepared to wear your good jewelry 24/7. There's no furniture with drawers, so be prepared to live out of your suitcases. There is an oversized desk and an otherwise useless ottoman-shaped thing that will hold those suitcases. This was just TOO minimalist for my tastes. I didn't try the TV in our first room, but I could not make the TV in our second room work. I could tell that the remote was connected, in part, but I couldn't find any channels that worked. My grandmother used to say that everyone should spend a night or two in their own guest rooms, and that they'd make changes if they did. General manager? Just sayin' ... Did I mention that the rooms were recently renovated? Well, apparently not the bathrooms. Both bathtubs (and those of our family members - we checked!) had rust (I hope it was rust - my daughter-in-law told me that she worried that a murder had been committed in her tub) coming through the surface finishes. It was more than a little disconcerting. The caulking around the tub could have been done by a five-year old. Again, both rooms, so this was no accident. A soft night-light would have been nice. On the other hand, the water pressure and temperature were good - so overall, okay so far. Then I realized that the bathrooms contained but a single hook for wet towels - not a towel bar in sight, so only the first to shower gets to dry his/her towel. Given that the hotel does not clean rooms or provide new linens except upon request), this was a problem. The "bistro" restaurant is closed for dinner because, as one hotel employee told us, "nobody was going there." It is open for breakfast, but the only option on weekends is an $18.50 buffet. My wife wanted a cup of oatmeal, but there was no a la carte option. Really?!? On the other hand, the lobby coffee was free and actually pretty good, even if I did have to ask them on two successive mornings to refill the carafe. The "library" bar off the lobby is comfortable and the bartenders are very nice. Drinks are inexpensive and the food menu is better and more expansive than you'd expect (was this the old bistro menu?). On the other hand, it doesn't open until 4:00 on weekdays, so there may be no place to eat lunch. (A worker behind the desk recommended a good diner close by - kudos and thanks to her.) There were three wedding parties in the hotel while we were there. I think this is likely to be typical, which isn't great in combination with the fact the walls are paper thin. The first night was really difficult; the second night better; the third (when most of the partiers had departed) fine. The hotel lobby was being renovated while we were there. That was unfortunate, but not a great inconvenience. The renovations forced the indoor pool to close, which didn't bother us, but I saw several disappointed families. Even if they didn't know these renovations would be happening when the bride and groom booked the rooms a year or more ago, there is nothing on the website to indicate the closure or the renovations. I can imagine that disappointing a lot of people. One afternoon over the weekend, I saw a line of guests ten-deep trying to check in. This didn't affect us personally, but it looked ugly. The one person behind the desk was trying hard, but he was overmatched. Changing rooms and the final checkout was easy, but I counted only two luggage carts, about 1/4 of what I estimate they needed. It seems like a few of the wedding parties left behind some of their flowers. But they were all bizarrely concentrated in one corner of the lobby. Other areas were unadorned. Had anyone cared enough to distribute those flowers around the lobby, it would have enhanced the experience for everyone. And so? I completely get that hotels need to renovate from time to time and that guests may have to work around construction. (Seems like everywhere I travel, the sites are covered in scaffolding.) But even allowing for that, this was a weird mixture of experiences - from a very good staff to bizarrely appointed rooms and unfriendly policies. Once again, I have nothing but kudos and respect for the staff. That said, I can't help but think that a good GM, who walks around, who pays attention, and who cares about guest experiences, would help turn a routine, if weird, suburban wedding hotel into a destination people would want to seek out. For the record, I have no interest in trashing a hotel or anything else for sport. And I certainly don't threaten bad reviews with the expectation of being bought off with a free night. If I have a real problem (and I rarely do), I will say so. Here, though, I feel like there was nothing that anyone could have done on the spot to make our stay more enjoyable (except, perhaps, sell my wife a $5 oatmeal bowl). The rooms are what they are. The renovations are what they are. Big picture, though? Someone doesn't care quite enough.

less