Best Hotels in Pittsburgh (Penn: school, restaurant, price)

[stevo6]

Has the Fairmont taken its place as the best hotel in downtown Pittsburgh?
There has been quite a lot of development of the hotel options in town over the last few years. The William Penn hotel, for a long time the front runner in my opinion, may not now hold that position. Yes, the location is hard to beat- right on Mellon square and off of Grant St.- but it now seems like a stodgy old place compared to some of the new and newly renovated options. The old Hilton, the Rennaissance, and even the Doubletree (at Bigelow) have made their mark with recent renovations, and of course the Fairmont is brand new in the most recent new large structure downtown.
What do you think?

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by stevo6

Has the Fairmont taken its place as the best hotel in downtown Pittsburgh?
There has been quite a lot of development of the hotel options in town over the last few years.?

Of course, being a lifelong resident of Pittsburgh, I never stay in Pittsburgh hotels. I have my own house, and if I had to find a temporary place to stay for a few nights I'd look to stay temporarily with one of the broads I know or go over to my mum's if it came to that.


But I'm sort of partial to the Greentree Doubletree, formerly the Marriott. I used to work there, and I think its a decent property. Indoor pool, pretty decent cuisine, a neat lobby, a safe place to park.

If I had no other options, I'd check in at the Doubletree.

[gg]

Pittsburgh Hotels | Downtown Pittsburgh Hotel | Omni William Penn

Still top dog in Pittsburgh by a bit of a margin.

[Pitt Chick]

I know I always ask this... but what do you mean by best?

We never stay at the Omni as it is not best for us.
For us, the best is the least expensive one that allows us to walk to where we need to be

We like the Residence Inn on the North Shore for sporting events.
We like the Marriott Courtyard (or the Fairmont if we can catch a special) for cultural events. We used to favor the Renaissance, but it is not even a contender anymore.
Cambria Suites when at the Consol.

For us, the best is the least expensive one that allows us to walk to where we need to be.

[DaisyDaisy]

Friends from NYC have stayed at Fairmont and Renaissance in the past year. They loved the Fairmont. It was a short walk to Market Square and they also walked to Heinz Field for a game. They said the room, restaurant and service were top notch. Of course, rate was high end. It's likely the fanciest in the city now. I think the Omni does have a great location but I agree it does seem more traditional.

Fairmont is currently #2 on tripadvisor ratings, which is based upon several categories including value.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g5...ia-Hotels.html
Omni is #1.

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by stevo6

Has the Fairmont taken its place as the best hotel in downtown Pittsburgh?
There has been quite a lot of development of the hotel options in town over the last few years. The William Penn hotel, for a long time the front runner in my opinion, may not now hold that position. Yes, the location is hard to beat- right on Mellon square and off of Grant St.- but it now seems like a stodgy old place compared to some of the new and newly renovated options. The old Hilton, the Rennaissance, and even the Doubletree (at Bigelow) have made their mark with recent renovations, and of course the Fairmont is brand new in the most recent new large structure downtown.
What do you think?

As per the many clients for business that I deal with who come into town, yes, universally the Fairmont is their pick for top hotel.
I think the problem with the William Penn is that while it has the old school grandeur going for it in the lobby area/ ballrooms, its is pretty dated in the rooms itself & lacks some of the amenities of modern hotels.

I'd compare it to the Waldorf Astoria in NYC, historied & a very nice hotel, but a bit dated in spite of all of that compared to some of the newer offerings

[stevo6]

Originally Posted by Pitt Chick

I know I always ask this... but what do you mean by best?

We never stay at the Omni as it is not best for us.
For us, the best is the least expensive one that allows us to walk to where we need to be

We like the Residence Inn on the North Shore for sporting events.
We like the Marriott Courtyard (or the Fairmont if we can catch a special) for cultural events. We used to favor the Renaissance, but it is not even a contender anymore.
Cambria Suites when at the Consol.

For us, the best is the least expensive one that allows us to walk to where we need to be.

Yes, good points. Convenience and of course price are important to me.

I guess I was thinking that if I wanted to impress an out of towner who might come to Pittsburgh to stay for general sightseeing for a few days- what would be the top choice? Price would not be an issue.

[Pitt Chick]

Originally Posted by stevo6

I guess I was thinking that if I wanted to impress an out of towner who might come to Pittsburgh to stay for general sightseeing for a few days- what would be the top choice? Price would not be an issue.

Fairmont.

[SlurmsMcKenzie]

You may be able to add Hotel Monaco into the discussion here shortly. I agree in regards to the William Penn, the rooms are nothing special, certainly not for the price.

[AaronPGH]

William Penn definitely needs a major update as far as furnishings/decor go. The Renaissance did a fantastic job of mixing classic & contemporary.