Best Place to Make Friends: Bank Street Hostel offers dorm-style accommodations, a shared kitchen, and common spaces for its mostly international clientele. It’s the closest thing Philly has to a European-style hostel for budget travelers.

Most Colonial Digs: Two of Benjamin Franklin’s contemporaries owned impressive homes in late 18th-century Philadelphia that have since been converted to bed-and-breakfasts named in their honor. Immerse yourself in colonial history at the Thomas Bond House in Old City or the Morris House Hotel in Society Hill.

Most Remarkable Bed-and-Breakfast: At Madame Saito Bed & Breakfast, your talented innkeeper cooks Japanese, Thai, and French cuisine, and teaches sushi-making and ballroom dancing classes in her studio. Come for the affordable digs, but don’t leave without trying Madame’s sushi.

Most Gay-Friendly: Uncle’s Upstairs Inn is an affordable, independent hotel in the heart of the Gayborhood, located above a bar.

Best Hotel Lobby: Even if you can’t afford to blow a week’s salary to stay at The Ritz-Carlton of Philadelphia, be sure to stop in to see the elegant domed lobby. Enjoy tea, lunch, or drinks in the grand space, or just sneak a peek.

Best Place to See Stars: The ultra-elegant, independent Rittenhouse Hotel is popular with celebs who visit Philly or stay long-term while filming movies. It’s easy to see why, considering its plush amenities and prime location overlooking Rittenhouse Square.

Most Original Hotel Room: Room 414 at the Westin, also called the “uwishunu” room, is the result of an impressive collaboration of local artists and designers who set out to create the “Hippest Hotel Room” in Philadelphia. Everything from the funky furniture to the bronze human-hand-like bathroom fixtures was designed to express the unique character of the city.

Cheapest Way to Sleep in a Historic Mansion: Just because you’re traveling on a budget doesn’t mean you can’t do it in style. The Chamounix Mansion hostel, a converted 18th-century mansion in Fairmount Park, offers private and dorm-style accommodations at the lowest rates in town.