After a long decade, the World Trade Center is finally getting down to business, with the opening of the first new Ground Zero hotel – the Club Quarters World Center Hotel, with a full view of the Freedom Tower and 9/11 Memorial construction.

Ground Zero Cross

The 169 room hotel is located at the southern edge of the World Trade Center rectangle. Rooms are being offered at low opening rates starting from $99 for weekends.

The guest rooms offer floor-to-ceiling windows, wall mounted flat-screen television, eco-friendly bathroom fixtures and an electronic bedside touch screen temperature control device.

In-room high-speed Internet access and chilled, filtered, bottled water stations on every floor are complimentary.

Room choices include single, standard (for two), a studio with twin beds and a kitchenette, and 1 & 2 bedroom suites. They’re also offering the studios and suites as apartment rentals for extended stays.

World Center Hotel, NY

Common amenities include free high speed internet throughout the hotel, 24 hour concierge, beer & wine reception in the lobby, complimentary breakfast, dining options including the ‘View of the World’ Terrace Club on the 20th floor, and meeting and fitness facilities.

The hotel has implemented green practices good enough for them to be able to apply for LEED certification.

The Port Authority’s development plans for the zone include another hotel in WTC Tower 5, on the site of the former Deutsche Bank building at 130 Liberty Street.

Throw in the Millenium Hilton, which also offers the same view as the new World Center hotel, and there’s plenty of choice for Ground Zero tourists.

Room photo courtesy World Center Hotel; Ground Zero Cross photo by Hey Paul

Info: 144 Washington St (Between Albany and Cedar Streets) New York NY 10006; (212) 577-2933; www.worldcenterhotel.com/

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Philadelphia Pennyslvania

Ah, Philadelphia. Home to the best cheese steaks, the Rocky statue and oh yes – a little bit of history. My boyfriend and I took our first trip to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania this past summer, and we we really wanted a hotel that was close to all the action — which in Philly, means the historical sights and quirky shopping districts. (Thank goodness we did not choose a hotel close to either Geno’s or Pat’s, or I would still be eating cheese steaks there.) Like most big cities these days, Philly is not cheap near downtown, but we were able to find a great place called Club Quarters Philadelphia, conveniently located on the corner of 17th and Chesnut, only a few blocks away from Rittenhouse Square Park. The train station’s only two blocks away too, which was great since we had to hop on the train to New York City after our stay.

Club Quarters is one of those membership hotels, and if you belong to it you get extra good discounts on all of their hotels, but we got a great price nonetheless of about $105/night. Be forewarned – the rooms here are rather tiny…I might even go so far as to say teeny tiny. They are very clean and well-kept, but if your room is like ours, you will be sleeping on two single beds (kind of cute!), and showering in a bathroom which requires to you close the door to use the toilet. It almost felt like we were in a hostel, or camping as kids, but with much nicer furniture. The beds were so comfy though, I couldn’t believe it! Perhaps not the best choice for a romantic getaway, though if you both have long arms you can hold hands as you lie on your respective beds. In the end, the size of the room didn’t bother us at all because we like to be out and about when we travel, and Club Quarters was perfect for this, we walked to everything we wanted to see – even the Rocky Statue, which took about twenty minutes.

Now this might not tickle you like it did me, but in the lobby of the hotel, there is an automated check-in/check-out kiosk. All you need is your credit card and your keys for the door are printed out for you – you don’t even need to talk with the front desk clerk if you don’t want to. This was, as I like to say, just ducky, because I detest waiting in lines.

All in all, definitely check this hotel out. It’s a great home base for exploring Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Cheese Steak - Geno's