On August 31, 2017, after more than a year of renovations, Philadelphia’s historic Liberty Title Building reopened after being repurposed and restored as a 179-room Aloft Hotel.
1929 photo: James Dillon Collection, Athenaeum of Philadelphia.
“We’re thrilled to be able to rescue a building as beautiful as this,” said general manager Evan Glenn Evans. “There’s just soul and character here that you can’t always get in a new build.” Evans was instrumental in opening the new hotel, and will be in charge of directing all aspects of hotel operations.
HRI Properties, LLC redeveloped the iconic Liberty Title Building in partnership with Realen Properties.
Located one block from historic Philadelphia City Hall Square, the hotel is adjacent to and has a direct connection to the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
Originally constructed in 1925 as the headquarters for the Liberty Title and Trust Company, many historic features will remain in the design of the hotel.
This especially true of the former bank lobby, which will become the new hotel lobby, and a signature WXYZ bar.
The converted building will also offer guests an outdoor rooftop bar and patio, 990 sq. ft. of meeting space and modern loft-inspired guest rooms.
“We are very excited that Aloft Philadelphia Downtown will be HRI’s first property in the Philadelphia market. Our company prides itself on transforming architecturally significant buildings in urban areas and elevating them into vibrant new properties. We certainly feel we have done that with the Liberty Title Building and are eager for visitors to downtown Philadelphia to engage with the Aloft brand,” said Tom Leonhard, President and CEO of HRI.
The Aloft Philadelphia Downtown hopes to offer an alternative to the traditional business hotel.
Guest rooms, meeting rooms, and public spaces are all equipped with fast & free Wi-Fi, and the sleek and stylish meeting space features state-of-the art audio visual equipment and full catering options.
The hotel’s WXYZ bar serves as a hot spot where guests can unwind over signature cocktails, live music, and a full menu of tasty bites. The bar will offer free access to local, live events featuring emerging artists as part of Aloft’s signature Live at Aloft Hotel events that take place around the world.
Inspired by the vibrant public mural program in Philadelphia, the hotel will also feature large-scale art installations and a rotating art wall featuring local artists.
All renderings courtesy of Realen Properties.
See Curbed Philadelphia article by Melissa Romero.
See Aloft Philadelphia Downtown website.
See Realen website.
See HRI website.