Stay Alfred at The Collins

We had a great city view from the 12th floor, and the apartment was spacious, clean, and had comfortable beds. A nearby hospital meant plenty of helicopter noise and sirens, probably typical for a downtown apartment. The pack n play had an issue, but they fixed it the next day. Since it was still usable for one night, that timing seemed reasonable. There were lots of clean towels, pillows, and toiletries, though the living room had sparse, uncomfortable furniture. My main complaint is the brightness: the bedrooms have white mini blinds but no blackout shades. We usually bring trash bags and duct tape for that, but forgot this time. Luckily, our toddler was worn out enough that the light didn't keep her up. It suited our needs perfectly, and we'd rent again.

We needed a place for six weeks in Philadelphia while my husband recovered from emergency surgery, and everything had to come together quickly. The hospital suggested extended-stay hotels, but six weeks felt like a long time, and he needed to be comfortable after leaving the hospital. Stay Alfred came to our rescue. I'd never heard of them, though their name kept showing up in searches. We rented a furnished 1,000-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment for less per night than a hotel room. It had a full kitchen with the essentials, a washer and dryer, and lobby security. The staff worked with us even though we couldn't settle our dates until we knew the outcome of the surgery. The location was fabulous, minutes from the world-famous Reading Terminal Market and a few blocks from the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and dozens of restaurants in Philadelphia's trendy Midtown Village area. I love that you can book just a few nights or extend your stay, as we did. We live in Florida, but now I'll look for Stay Alfred whenever we visit a major city. I can't imagine choosing a hotel if there's a Stay Alfred in the next city we visit.

It was a safe, convenient location, with a nice valet parking garage nearby. The apartment was clean, comfortable, and spacious. In the evening it was too dim, so more lights would help. The dryer also didn't work very well.

The building felt secure, and we enjoyed the space and were very comfortable. The location made it easy to walk to most sights, restaurants, and shops. There was a lot of street noise because the windows hadn't been upgraded, so be ready for that downtown experience. A few small annoyances: only one ice tray and no ice maker, nowhere in the main bathroom to put shower supplies except on the floor, and an awkward second bedroom where you had to climb onto the bed to get around because its foot nearly touched the wall. None of those were deal breakers. We'd recommend the location to friends and family.