The Study at University City

Character and identity

A 10-storey, 212-room property on the corner of 33rd and Chestnut in West Philadelphia, designed by local firm Digsau with a Scandinavian-mod sensibility: light wood, muted tones, clean lines, and leather wingbacks in the lobby. It's the second in Paul McGowan's Study Hotel series after the Yale original, conceived as boutique lodging plumbed directly into a university setting. Co-op, off the lobby, handles breakfast through dinner with toasts, pressed sandwiches, salads and charcuterie. There's a library-style cafe, a gym, and a complimentary coffee bar in the lobby. Service is polished and concierge recommendations are genuinely useful.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The pitch is location and design intelligence: a well-conceived modern hotel sitting essentially on the UPenn and Drexel doorstep, run with the service polish a parent-and-alum clientele expects. Book it if you're here for campus reasons and want something more considered than a chain. Families should size up to a University Suite, and park at the Drexel garage a block away for $20 to skip the valet.