New boutique hotel with pool opening at historic site in Fishtown
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The pool will open to guests only. Photo: Courtesy of Douglas Lyle Thompson
A stylish boutique hotel opening inside a historic Fishtown property later this summer promises a respite from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Why it matters: Hotel Anna & Bel — which will have a courtyard pool, Mediterranean restaurant and a bar — is already getting a ton of hype.
- The renovated property was named one of the most exciting hotel openings earlier this year by Condé Nast Traveler, and its restaurant Bastia was included on Bon Appétit's must-visit new restaurants list.
State of play: The 50-room hotel is slated to open Aug. 7, with rates starting around $300 a night.
- Bastia — a new restaurant from chef Tyler Akin, who's behind the popular brasserie Le Cavalier at Wilmington's Hotel Du Pont — will open for dinner a week earlier, on July 31. Expect seafood and vegetable-forward dishes, plus wines, aperitifs and nonalcoholic drinks.
- Cocktail piano lounge Caletta comes Sept. 5, serving spritzes, swizzles and small Italian bites like fried artichokes, arancini and zeppole Calabrese.
Context: The 18th-century property formerly housed the Penn Asylum for Indigent Widows and Single Women, also known as Penn Home. The site provided social services and later became a neighborhood retirement home. It received a historical designation in 2020.
- The following year, Foyer Project purchased the property. The developer worked with the Philadelphia Historical Commission to transform the site while maintaining much of its original character.
Zoom in: Rooms vary in size from studios to two-beds, and some include balconies. The pool will be open from late spring through early fall, but guests can enjoy the patio area year-round.
- There's also a fitness center, a sauna, a treatment room and an art collection highlighting local and women artists.
