Pod Hotel development begins in Philadelphia

Modus Hotels and Parkway Corporation began development on Pod Philly, Philadelphia’s first micro-hotel, together with Philadelphia Commerce Director, Harold Epps. Modus Hotels, a developer, owner and operator of a collection of lifestyle hotels in Washington, D.C.; Baltimore; Chicago; and Philadelphia, partnered with Parkway Corporation, a Philadelphia-based family-owned and operated parking, real estate development and airport services company, to develop the hotel. Parkway acquired, developed and managed commercial parking facilities across the US and Canada since 1930.

The 252-room Pod Philly will be an 11-story micro-hotel spread across 100,000 square feet of space. Pod Hotels operates four hotels in New York City consisting of 1,400 rooms. In 2017, Modus developed and now owns and operates Pod DC, a 245-room hotel, in the Chinatown/Penn Quarter neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

Located at 31 South 19th Street at the intersection of 19th and Ludlow Street, Pod Philly will offer guests quick and easy access to public transportation and access to Center City’s entertainment, shops and restaurants–all within two blocks of Rittenhouse Square and the new Comcast Tower of Innovation and Technology. Pod Philly will include guestrooms and communal spaces where travelers are encouraged to socialize and connect.

The property is being designed by New York firm Stonehill Taylor, and will offer 252 space-efficient queen and bunk bed rooms averaging 170 square feet, complemented by tiled bathrooms with barn doors, rain showerheads and eco-friendly bath products. Rooms will also include built-in storage and high-tech amenities that allow guests to stream their own media, all designed to maximize space while providing travelers everything they need to stay plugged in and engaged.

Similar to Pod’s New York properties, the communal space and food and beverage venues at Pod Philly will be designed to attract visitors and local Philadelphians. Operated by Greg Root and Nick Kennedy of Defined Hospitality, the experience will include a first-floor restaurant and a coffee bar, serving as a pick-me-up for guests in the lobby’s communal work space. Pod Philly’s rooftop avails a greenhouse-styled bar with panoramic city views and a fully retractable glass roof open during good weather for patrons to mingle over cocktails and light bites.

“Pod Philly will be a trendsetter in Center City—a combination of value, community and sheer fun,” Conrad Cafritz, chairman of Modus Hotels, said in a statement.