Hotel Bethlehem: Classic Accommodations in a Charming Town
Written: Sep 21 '09
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great location, beautiful decor, excellent restaurants, comfortable room, helpful staff, reasonably priced
Cons: Hot water takes a while to come up, could use more elevators
The Bottom Line: If you're visiting Bethlehem, you can't go wrong with choosing Hotel Bethlehem. You'll be sure to leave well-rested and well-fed.
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| noangels's Full Review: Hotel Bethlehem, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania |
My husband and I decided to save money this year by taking a few small weekend trips rather than spending money on one longer vacation. We booked a weekend at the Historic Hotel Bethlehem in July and very much enjoyed our stay.
Location
As the name would suggest, the historic Hotel Bethlehem is located in the historic city of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The second most populated city in Lehigh Valley, Bethlehem is home to many historic sites dating to the mid-1700's. The Las Vegas Sands Corp recently opened the Pennsylvania Sands Casino in the city, which, along with various seasonal events, geological points of interest, and attractions like the Crayola factory, make the area a great place for a weekend getaway. The city is within an hour's driving distance of Philadelphia and an hour and a half away from New York City.
Hotel Bethlehem is located in the heart of the historic town, at 437 Main Street. It is directly across from the Moravian Book Shop, in a row of adorable shops and sidewalk cafes. When I was a child, I attended a summer program at Moravian College, which is just down the street. It is America's sixth oldest college and visiting its beautiful campus was part of our reason for visiting Bethlehem. My husband and I spent a whole afternoon window-shopping to and from the campus. The Sands is within a fifteen minute drive and served as a nice evening diversion.
Parking is provided at no additional cost in a lot adjacent to the hotel. The hotel also provides a complimentary shuttle to Lehigh Valley Airport.
Hotel and Amenities
Hotel Bethlehem is listed as a Historic Hotel of America. The hotel has a very classic feel, having been kept up in 1920's style. The lobby gives off a sense of elegance and grandeur. The entire hotel features rich, dark wood accents and tall grated windows. My husband and I far prefer an old world atmosphere to more modern establishments, so it was the perfect place for us. The hotel is an "official haunted hotel" with many claims of paranormal events. One room in particular is said to be very active, and enthusiasts may request a stay in the so-called "Room with a Boo." My husband and I are interested in the paranormal so this was an added bonus for us!
The hotel has a large number of amenities available. There is a full service fitness room with training and cardiovascular equipment. There is a business center for computing and printing on-site. For guests that bring their laptops, the hotel provides complimentary Wi-Fi in several areas of the hotel. An automated teller machine is also provided in the business center. The hotel has banquet and catering facilities. For guests travelling with furry companions, the hotel is pet-friendly with an additional surcharge.
Hotel Bethlehem also offers a number of dining options. For a fine dining experience, 1741 on the Terrace serves gourmet American cuisine in a beautiful high-ceilinged dining room. The food was outrageously delicious! (Try the apple-glazed pork!) The Tap Room offers more casual dining. Room service is also available 24 hours per day, with a menu that blends the offerings of both restaurants.
Reservations for Hotel Bethlehem can be made by telephone (800-607-2384) or online. We reserved our room online and received a confirmation email immediately after submitting the reservation. Check in was very efficient and took only a few minutes with the credit card we used to book the room. Our checkout experience was similar. Express checkout is available. The hotel staff was very polite and helpful during these encounters and the duration of our stay.
My only complaint about the layout of the hotel is the lack of elevators. There are only two elevators servicing the entire hotel and they're quite slow. During peak times, there was a bit of a wait to get to and from our floor.
Accommodations
We stayed in a King Executive suite which echoed the style of the rest of the hotel. The room featured a king size bed and large sitting area. There was a desk area where an Ethernet cable provided high-speed internet access. There were sufficient outlets in the room to accommodate my laptop, two cell phone chargers, and chargers for my two cameras. All of the lights were on dimmer switches, which conveniently allowed us to control the lighting levels. The lighting in the room was more than sufficient. The room also features a television which has cable and HBO. Pay-per-view movies are available, though we didn't take advantage of the service. There are Nintendo 64 games available as well.
The bathroom was larger than average and uniquely designed in an L-shape. The shower was quite roomy as well. I had two minor complaints about the bathroom. Firstly, the hot water takes some time to come up. The second (possibly odd) complaint was that the toilet flushed so forcefully that water actually splashed upwards onto the closed lid. I've never seen a toilet do that before, but it's something to be aware of ... It took us a whole day to figure out why the toilet seat was always wet.
The room also provides the standard amenities such as a closet, iron, ironing board, and hair dryer. We were very happy that a "k-cup" coffee maker was provided with both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee options. Ice and soda machines are provided on alternating floors. A complimentary copy of USA Today is provided daily, Monday through Friday.
Our suite was extremely clean and well kept. The bed was very comfortable. Our floor was quiet and we left the trip feeling well-rested. The couch and chair in the seating area were very inviting. I spent quite a few hours curled up on the former writing reviews on my laptop. The room was perfect for our romantic weekend, but it would also be fitting for business travel or family vacations.
The room was priced at $159 per night. I felt the price was very reasonable for the location and accommodations.
Recommended:
Yes
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noangels
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