The Latham Hotel at 17th and Walnut is closing for a six-month makeover, the Inquirer reports. Once prized as the city’s most prestigious place to stay, the boutique hotel will be shuttered while undergoing major renovations to make it more appealing to today’s travelers. The article states — and a quick peek at online reviews from previous guests corroborates — that in recent years the Latham’s “style and comfort are increasingly scrutinized.” What’s strange is the hotel’s owners dodged questions from the Inquirer. Even stranger is the fact that the Latham’s semi-subterranean restaurant and lounge spaces have been vacant for what seems like an eternity. Foobooz reported back in 2008 that the last known tenants were Jolly’s Piano Bar and Redhead Lounge, which at that point had already pulled out. How is that in all this time Stephen Starr, Jose Garces or some other muti-concept operator hasn’t swooped in and transformed these two centrally located spaces into a killer money-making restaurant and trendy cocktail lounge?
Latham Hotel closes for renovation [Inquirer]
The Not-So-Jolly Latham Situation [Foobooz]
