"Philly’s French predilections are long-standing, dating back to Ben Franklin’s sojourn in Paris during the Revolutionary War. At the turn of the 20th century, French-born architect Paul Cret redesigned Rittenhouse Square with Paris in mind, and today it hosts a thriving café culture. Philly’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway connects Center City to a corridor of museums including the Rodin Museum, the largest collection of the French sculptor’s work outside of Paris. Le Meridien Philadelphia fits the city to a T. Set across from JFK Plaza, this stylish stay puts guests steps from Philly’s acclaimed art museums and lauded bistros. The hotel is housed in a 10-story Georgian-revival building that started life in 1912 as a YMCA by famed architect Horace Trumbauer. Collegiate details include a gorgeous wood-paneled library, soaring ceilings, and stone fireplace living rooms. After a four-year, multimillion-dollar renovation, the building was reborn as Le Meridien Philadelphia in 2010, incorporating Trumbauer’s original details with a rotating roster of modern art and urban musts such as a hip lobby bar that’s the first thing guests see when entering (hang a left into the parlor for personalized check-in). Each of the 202 guestrooms and suites is unique in layout, and all accommodations are set around a 75-foot atrium at the center of the building. As such, some rooms have internal atrium views while others peer out over the bustling city below."
