Hotel for an overnight in Philly

[MargaretMessler]

Headed down to Philly for a rock show with two friends, need to find a fairly inexpensive hotel for one night not too far from downtown. Would prefer one that included parking, any ideas?

[NJGIRL]

were is the show at?

[DisneyDog]

Yes, is the show in the city (Electric Factory, maybe?) or is the show at the sports complex? Two very different areas.

[BigB]

Depending on where the event is at, you may be able to stay outside Philly. I live in South Jersey and frequently take the PATCO train into the city. There are hotels in Deptford, NJ that are easily accessible to the city if you choose to drive. But this all predicated on the location of the concert.

[MargaretMessler]

The show is at the Mann Center which is near Fairmount Park area. Would prefer to stay in the city or on the outskirts only because we plan on spending a day touring around in the city before heading home.

[PirateLover]

Parking is a toughie. The Holiday Inn by the stadium has free parking, and was recently refurbished (meaning within the past 2-3 years I believe. I haven't stayed there since, though).
The biggest negative to that is if the Phillies are in town the area can get really congested. There is a Holiday Inn express on Columbus Blvd (Penns Landing) that also has parking. Those are the only inexpensive options with free parking in the City that I can think of off the top of my head. Both are convenient to the highway.

A tip about the Mann Center... expect some bad traffic backups. I haven't been there in 2 years so it may have improved but the last few concerts I've gone to have just been awful in terms of parking. Don't get there at last minute! Enjoy your stay and let us know where you end up and how it goes.

[DisneyDog]

You might want to consider a hotel on City Avenue. For example, there is the Hilton at 4200 City Ave. This is the road that runs between Philadelphia and Montgomery County, is right off of the I-76 expressway, and about 5 minutes from the Mann. You would have to drive into the city, but you should get free parking at the hotel and it is in a safe area with restaurants.

[MargaretMessler]

Parking is a toughie. The Holiday Inn by the stadium has free parking, and was recently refurbished (meaning within the past 2-3 years I believe. I haven't stayed there since, though).
The biggest negative to that is if the Phillies are in town the area can get really congested. There is a Holiday Inn express on Columbus Blvd (Penns Landing) that also has parking. Those are the only inexpensive options with free parking in the City that I can think of off the top of my head. Both are convenient to the highway.

A tip about the Mann Center... expect some bad traffic backups. I haven't been there in 2 years so it may have improved but the last few concerts I've gone to have just been awful in terms of parking. Don't get there at last minute! Enjoy your stay and let us know where you end up and how it goes.

Yeah, I know I'm asking for a lot on the parking, but one can hope, right? Thanks for the traffic tip, I plan on getting there early. There's a similar venue at home that gets REALLY backed up. It's a five band show, and since the opener is one of the ones I definitely don't want to miss, we'll be there before gates open for sure.

[MargaretMessler]

You might want to consider a hotel on City Avenue. For example, there is the Hilton at 4200 City Ave. This is the road that runs between Philadelphia and Montgomery County, is right off of the I-76 expressway, and about 5 minutes from the Mann. You would have to drive into the city, but you should get free parking at the hotel and it is in a safe area with restaurants.

I will check that out, thanks. I just want to avoid tacking $30-35 onto the hotel bill just to park. Don't mind so much paying to park for a few hours in town the next day.