Guild House Hotel can be booked for small private events in Center City Philadelphia: weddings, rehearsal dinners, receptions and cocktail parties for up to 25 guests in its lounge. Organizers can also book the whole house, all 12 rooms and suites, as a base for out-of-town guests. The hotel occupies a restored 1855 rowhome at 1307 Locust Street, in the Washington Square West neighborhood.
Weddings and receptions
The hotel presents itself as a small wedding venue. A ceremony can take place in the lounge, in front of family and friends. A cocktail party can be held in one of the suites instead. The lounge also works for a rehearsal dinner or a reception. Packages are described as customizable, and a wedding brochure can be downloaded from the hotel's wedding page. The format suits micro-weddings and short guest lists rather than large receptions.
Rooms and capacities
The lounge seats up to 25 guests and can be arranged for a ceremony, a rehearsal dinner, a reception or a cocktail party. The Alice suite is the largest accommodation: a split-level space with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room and a kitchenette. The hotel proposes it as a bridal suite. The 12 guest rooms and suites together sleep up to 28 people.
Accommodation
The hotel has 12 rooms and suites. Each one is named after a woman connected to the New Century Guild, the club that used the building from 1882. When a group books the house, a custom portal lets each guest choose and reserve a preferred room. Rooms come with local snacks and drinks, daily housekeeping and a virtual concierge. Guests share the lounge. The house is run with what the hotel calls invisible service, which means a small team rather than a front desk.
Catering
The hotel does not run a restaurant. It welcomes outside caterers, bartenders and florists, either from its list of partner vendors or insured vendors the client chooses. On request, staff help arrange catering and bartending, and an on-site team can assist with event activities, cleaning and accepting deliveries.
History and setting
The building was the home of the New Century Guild, founded in 1882 by Eliza Sproat Turner, a writer, educator, abolitionist and suffragist. The organization supported working women in Philadelphia, and the hotel keeps that story in its room names. The hotel describes the 1855 rowhome as a National Historic Landmark. It sits near the Kimmel Cultural Campus, City Hall, the Academy of Music and the Convention Center, with parking garages, restaurants and shops within walking distance.
Getting there
Guild House Hotel is at 1307 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, in the heart of Center City. Most places in the neighborhood are reachable on foot, and parking garages are nearby. Philadelphia International Airport is the closest major airport.
