Funky Fabulous in Philly
Well this place isn’t going to be a secret for very long. I booked for my one year anniversary only to find out that Monaco was celebrating its one month anniversary—and it had that wonderful new, hotel feel. 
Allow me to digress for a moment and say, that if you are a pet lover you will LOVE this experience. We did not bring one of our six dogs to visit though we were told that they would have been welcomed (without a pet fee!). However many others did and as pet lovers there was just something cool about watching dogs of all shapes (and sizes!) being walked around this posh hotel liked they owned the place. It enabled those of us who did not bring our furry little friends a great ‘dog watching’ experience.
Back to business. We stayed in a corner unit King Spa room (302) and the corner rooms are fantastic with all the windows. Bright, cheery and amazing—the website pictures don’t do them justice. They are romantic but sophisticated—I loved that the furniture and décor felt more like an apartment versus a hotel room.
The other two things that I liked about Monaco were the Red Owl Tavern and the Status Lounge. We went on a Sunday night so both these spots were not crowded but they were comfortable and places that you would want to hang out at for a long time—great décor and good menus. We did not eat at the Tavern, only passed through but it seemed like a great spot for casual dining. We did spent time in the Lounge though and that was a very casual spot, reminded me of someplace in the Southwest.
Lastly the only thing that I would say that was a bit touch and go (but I attribute this to the newness of the hotel) was the service. It was either spot on or way off. The door men/valet—top notch. Front desk were nice at first but easily distracted by other co-workers or guests even when the lobby isn’t that busy, they could be more focused for sure. Housekeeping was way off. We checked in at 3pm and our room was not ready for 30 minutes. Then when we asked for a second bath robe for the room (because there were 2 people staying in the room) they brought us XXL with no tie to close it. Then they came at 9:45 in the morning the day we were checking out to clean the room knocking on the door to wake us up. 
Overall though, notwithstanding the service inconsistences which I am sure will be sorted out in the months to come, this property is a gem as most other hotels in Philadelphia leave a lot to be desired. News of this place is sure to spread quickly.