Penns View Hotel

This elegant medium-sized boutique hotel in the heart of Old City is family-owned and operated, and it shows in the level of service provided. Built in 1828, the building has been a shipping warehouse, hardware store, and a coffeehouse, and it’s on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Italian-born Sena family (who also owns a local favorite restaurant, La Famiglia [2]) purchased and renovated the hotel in 1989, and opened Ristorante Panorama and Il Bar on-site.

Rooms ($180–229) have a touch of European elegance with large mirrors and armoires, and 12 of them offer whirlpool tubs, marble fireplaces, and views of the Delaware River. Continental breakfast is included.