Hedonism and History

Phiadelphia made it to Time magazine's list of the world's 100 greatest places last year. What gives?

- PREETI VERMA LAL

Bumper stickers can hardly be considered a slam-dunk to sum up a city, but when it comes to Philadelphia, we can take the liberty of being cheesy: It is the land of "life, liberty and cheesesteaks". But Philly is so much more than a sum of its ingenious parts. So it was no surprise when Philadelphia, or Philly, made it to Time magazine's list of the world's 100 greatest places last year. The first US capital, the city is home to many firsts: nation's first library, hospital, medical school, stock exchange, zoo, business school, and of course the epic Philadelphia cheesesteaks; Rocky Balboa-connection and the US Declaration of Independence & Constitution.

The Guild House

It is not always that you can holler through a hole at a hotel's entrance door. Or, walk in with no concierge in sight. Not even an elevator. Just an old-fashioned dumbwaiter on which you load your bags for one of the 12 rooms in the historical The Guild House hotel which was listed by Travel & Leisure as one of the world's best new hotels in 2022. The walls speak history, the concierge is virtual. And there is a dash of old-world luxury everywhere.

The building, a designated National Historical Landmark, is seeped in feminist history dating back to 1882. It was a time in American history when women couldn't vote and were regularly refused service in hotels, clubs, restaurants and stores, unless they were accompanied by a man. But it was in this four-storied house - then the New Century Guild - that women got a moment of respite from a rather unkind outside world. They could come to have a cup of tea, learn skills, play the piano, rested in wood-panelled rooms, chatter, read books in the lounge and find sisterhood support in a rather unkind outside world.