Hotel Review: The Alexander Inn Philadelphia, PA

#alexanderinn

The Alexander Inn in Philadelphia was built as a luxury hotel in the 1890s. It was called the Flanders Hotel and was a home away from home for many famous people in its heyday. Reminiscent of the luxury cruise ships of the 1940s, the hotel has 48 recently renovated rooms.

There aren’t enough adjectives to describe how much we loved this hotel. We were welcomed with a smile at 11 a.m. People were in the midst of checking out as we were checking in. If our room wasn’t ready, we were told that they would be more than happy to store our luggage. This is where we met Stephan, who we saw every day thereafter. He is Belgian and always made helping seem like a pleasure. He called a cab for us on several occasions and stored our luggage for us on Sunday. What is most amazing is that every other employee that we met was just as amusing, helpful, and friendly. Everyone seemed to be proud of their hotel and happy to be working there.



We had a double/double room on the 7th floor. I would describe the room size as European. It was compact but very comfortable. There were two upholstered chairs and a table in front of the bay windows. We had an Art Deco dresser and a very pretty mirror. One night stand is between the beds. The closet is open, and it is outside the bathroom door.

The bathroom is also petite. It has a tub and shower combination and a pedestal sink with a mirror. The window is recessed, so it makes a shelf, and there is a glass shelf with amenities on the wall. There is no waste of space. The walls and the floor are tiled with a neutral color. Everything was immaculate.

Breakfast is included in the rate. It is a nice continental breakfast with coffee and tea, cereal, Danish, croissant, English muffins, waffles, fresh bagels, and whole fruit. It is served in the parlor off the lobby. Fruit is available all day if you need a snack.

A small gym and machines for ice, drinks, and snacks as well, as a big rack of travel brochures are located in the basement.

Architectural touches are evident throughout the building. From the fireplace in the lobby with stained-glass transoms to the beautiful brick exterior, it is visually pleasing. Every effort was made to preserve the original Art Deco beauty.

This is also a gay-friendly hotel in a gay-friendly neighborhood. Not that everyone here was gay - there were plenty of mature married couples and people from all over the world. One thing I didn’t see was any children but there was nothing child unfriendly about the hotel. I would come here again in a heartbeat and I highly recommend it.

Fairfield Inn Williamsburg, Virginia

Located on Richmond Road, the Fairfield Inn has an excellent location. Within about 5 minutes you can be in Colonial Williamsburg which is just a little over a mile away. It is equally convenient to Bypass Road and from there to the Colonial Parkway.

The hotel itself is big, it may be one of the biggest Fairfield Inns this writer has ever seen. It is two buildings that connect at the breakfast room and recreation area. One thing that is very good is that the breakfast room is appropriately sized for such a large hotel and can handle the number of customers it needs to even on the weekends.

The Fairfield Inn has regular rooms, studios and suites. The studio consists of two rooms, a parlor with a TV and a sleeper sofa and a bedroom with a TV and King bed but there is no door between so it may seem like dueling TVs at times. The suites include two bathrooms and two double beds and a sleeper sofa.

The room is spacious, in addition to the TV and sofa the living room has a desk, chair and coffee table. The bedroom is not as spacious but has a large closet and two nightstands. A bench serves as one suitcase holder and there is another suitcase rack in the closet which fits in the room on the window side of the TV stand.

Near the entrance to the room, are a small fridge, coffee pot and microwave.

The bathroom has a large granite counter top and a two-piece tub/shower. The shower pressure was very good and four large plush bath towels guarantee that you will not have a problem drying off.

The room was very clean and in good repair. Two large windows overlook the parking lot and the pizza restaurant across the way.

Breakfast is included and offers the usual items, yogurt, fruit juice, fresh fruit both cut up and whole, cold cereal and oatmeal, bread, bagels, muffins and Danish. Hot food is also offered scrambled eggs, bacon or sausage and make your own waffles. Cold boiled eggs are also offered. The coffee and tea bar is open 24/7 and has lots of good tea selections.

The gym is not large but offers several different machines. The pool area is quite nice as well. The pool is heated to 85 degrees and was very clean. The hot tub has no jets which are disappointing but it was pleasantly warm at 101 degrees.

The lobby has a new updated look and the staff, especially Kahlid, were so friendly and welcomed us as we came and went. We had a great 5-day stay and I feel very confidently highly recommending this location. The General Manager was very hands on and we got to know her long before we knew she was the general manager.

If you are going to Williamsburg, I highly recommend the Fairfield Inn for location, price and amenities.

Touring Yorktown Battlefield

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Yorktown Battlefield is operated by the National Park Service. Entrance is free if you have a Golden Pass or an active military pass. As you enter the Visitor Center, check the wall to the right, it has which houses are open and the times for the ranger tours of the battlefield. It makes planning a visit easier.

After getting a ticket, head to the theater to see the 16-minute film. Knowing that the film is a minute too long, rangers wait to begin the tour of the battlefield until the film ends. In order to enjoy the tour outside visitors need to be able to stand for long periods and walk over uneven ground.

The tour begins in an area where benches are provided and also shade if it is a particularly sunny warm day. Our ranger Jenny was very knowledgeable about the subject of the battle and what happened both before and after. The first thing that needs to be understood is that Yorktown was a siege, not a regular battle. The British were trapped here and pounded with artillery for eight days and nights without ceasing.

To save his men, General Cornwallis has no option other than surrender. The British were outmanned two to one and in a hopeless position. The terms were negotiated by a team from both sides at which neither Washington nor Cornwallis was present. The house where the agreement was reached still exists but was closed when we visited in November.

While Yorktown was the last significant battle of the war, it was another two years before the Peace Treaty of Paris was signed and the United States became a free nation.

Back inside the Visitor Center, there is a small museum to visit. While it is not large, it does hold some real treasures. There are two tents that belonged to and were used by George Washington. The condition of these tents is outstanding considering their age. They were purchased at auction after Martha Washington’s death by her grandson and came into the possession of Robert E Lee and his wife since she is a descendant. 

The tents were stored in the Custis Lee Mansion at Arlington during the Civil War. One of the servants there knew their value and informed the Union Army who was occupying the house thus guaranteeing their safety and preservation. Today, they are on display for visitors to see and appreciate.

Visitors can also walk inside a boat that has been built into the visitor center. The battle which took place in the Chesapeake Bay was crucial to the success of the Battle of Yorktown.

A driving tour is offered that you can take around the battlefield site. The monument to the Battle of Yorktown is nearby as well just outside of downtown.

While not nearly as showy as the Yorktown Victory Center, what Yorktown Battlefield has is the authentic location and that makes for a very enjoyable visit.

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Quail's Covey B&B Hartville, Ohio

Quail's Covey can best be described as an oasis of tranquility. You feel the peace as soon as you enter the long driveway and pass the pond with ducks and the pair of swans. You can almost feel your cares ebbing away. The house is hard to miss; it is quite magnificent. The dark beams of a Tudor beauty with an Alpine feel.



Charlotte, call her Charlie, and husband John (who built the house himself) will welcome you at the front door and you will definitely feel more like a guest than a visitor. Many places claim that you arrive as strangers and leave as friends; at Quail’s Covey it is true. The warmth is genuine and the welcome sincere. Your comfort is the main concern.



We had the Dogwood Suite and to say it is lovely does not do it justice. It is a two room suite with a balcony that overlooks the front lawn and the pond. The king bed is a four poster with cozy bedding that will make you want to stay in bed all day. The good news is if that is what you want, go right ahead.

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A comfortable leather chair sits next to the bed with an ottoman which became my workspace. Plenty of electric plugs guarantee that charging electronics will never be an issue. There is plenty of drawer space as well as a closet. The smaller room has a chaise lounge as well as a wicker chair. The Internet connection is strong and there are plenty of channels on the TV. Magazines and books are available in all of the rooms including the bathroom.

The bathroom has a separate room for the toilet, a huge jetted tub and a shower for two. The vanity has double sinks. It is a truly luxurious bathroom.




In the evening, Charlie will deliver dessert to your room. Oh my, can you say apple dumpling? It is amazing served with a cup of coffee and a scoop of ice cream. The second night it was peach cobbler, just as amazing. If you still are looking for a little something sweet, check your nightstand, there should be two chocolates from Hartville Chocolates.

In the morning, an hour before your designated breakfast time, a tray will appear outside your room with a carafe of coffee, freshly squeezed juice and a warm scone, a really delicious moist scone. Listen for the bell ringing, which is the signal that your tray has arrived.




Breakfast is served when you prefer and there are several different places where it can be served. You may choose the more formal dining room, the sunroom or out on the deck under the gazebo. Where ever you choose, rest assured, you will enjoy it. Not only is the food delicious, but it is also plentiful and Charlie will certainly cater to your likes. We expressed a preference for steel cut oatmeal and that is what we had on the second morning with brown sugar, walnuts, and dried cranberries.

The meal begins with a bowl of fresh fruit and yogurt and finishes with toast, bacon and garden tomatoes. The first morning we had the fruit, a perfect omelet with veggies in it and of course, bacon, toast, and tomatoes. In addition, a delicious bread pudding was served that my husband adored. Needless to say, we didn’t eat an early lunch.

Quail’s Covey has 3 rooms on the second floor. There is an additional first-floor room for overflow or for guests who would be challenged by the stairs. Call Charlie for details.

We fell in love with not only this bed and breakfast but with Charlie. She will join you at breakfast if you want or if you are looking for privacy, she will respect that. The property borders on Quail Hollow State Park and you can access the trails right from the backyard.

Hartville is a wonderful small town to visit with great shopping. It is the perfect place for a relaxing getaway and Quail’s Covey is the perfect place to stay.

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