Breathing New Life Into A Historic 18th Century Building In Fishtown, Hotel Anna & Bel Restores the Penn Asylum as the Neighborhood’s First Full Service Boutique Hotel
PHILADELPHIA, PA (June 26, 2024) – Opening August 7, Philadelphia will welcome its first full-service boutique hotel to its artistic and eclectic Fishtown neighborhood, Hotel Anna & Bel. Helmed by Philadelphia-based real estate development firm Foyer Project and operated by Life House, the hotel marks the company’s first foray into hospitality, shining a spotlight on their passion for breathing new life into historic buildings.
At an intimate 50 keys, Hotel Anna & Bel is boutique through and through. With 45 rooms in the original main building and five in the annexed adjoining townhouse, the space is inclusive of a coastal Mediterranean restaurant, Bastia, from award-winning chef and restaurateur Tyler Akin of Form-Function Hospitality, a secluded pool courtyard lined with lush greenery and exclusive poolside cocktails and bites, and wellness amenities including a private treatment room and fitness center with an infrared sauna. Caletta, a cocktail bar also in partnership with Akin, will debut in late summer 2024.
Making its home in the storied neighborhood that was originally believed to have been named by Charles Dickens, the bones of the hotel had grand beginnings as a mansion house in the 18th century. In 1858, the building was converted into the Penn Asylum for Indigent Widows and Single Women, a shared home managed entirely by fellow women to provide a new communal living opportunity to the widows of Philadelphia, and finally made co-ed in the 1900s as the Penn Home, the “Friendly Neighborhood Retirement Home.” Following closure during the pandemic, the historic structure has been lovingly restored and reimagined by Foyer Project to once again welcome in guests as Hotel Anna & Bel, named as a nod to the celebrated female foundations of the property and the cross streets of Susquehanna and Belgrade on which it sits.
“Hotel Anna & Bel is a cohesive representation of all that Fishtown has to offer, bringing together traditions of the past with the realized creativity of the area,” said Dor Berkovitz, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Foyer Project. “As our inaugural project, we wanted to create an urban retreat that sets the tone for the neighborhood for any guests who are traveling in.”
An homage to the women that once lived within its walls, the hotel was designed and concepted by Foyer Project in partnership with design and architecture house, B March. Comprised of a collection of existing structures connected through an intricate maze of hallways and bridges that tie together each piece of the property’s past lives, the hotel’s recognizable exterior displays much of its original character, remaining mostly unchanged in respect to its historical status. The original window trim complements the refurbished front entrance, with anthracite colored accents flowing from the hotel’s exterior through the interior.
Upon entry to Hotel Anna & Bel, guests are greeted by the original grand staircase, honoring the past with ornate detailing and hand-selected faded black and white checkered floor tiles that play into the hotel’s vintage aesthetic. Once passing through the foyer, guests are guided towards check in, which offers an intimate freestanding space lending itself to personalized service, coupled with a carefully curated boutique featuring inspired brands that they can enjoy during their stay or take home as a souvenir. Throughout the entryway and the entirety of the hotel, works curated by the Philadelphia-based firm, Paradigm Art Advisory, can be found, blurring the boundaries between traditional fine art and craft juxtaposed with found objects. Marrying vintage with modern, Paradigm specifically highlighted both local and female artists. The program is complimented by works by international artists to create a global atmosphere throughout the property.
Following the flow of the playful checkered tiles through the lobby and outdoors, the guest-exclusive courtyard is nestled at the heart of the property, transporting guests from the city to a peaceful urban oasis. Reminiscent of the French Quarter in New Orleans, the courtyard combines classic French influence with chic Mediterranean inspiration evocative of a coastal European hotel. Anchored by a heated outdoor plunge pool and lined by flowering crape myrtle trees and umbrella-shaded loungers, the garden-like feel of the space is ideal for lounging with a cocktail or socializing with other guests in the midsummer sun. Caletta, Bastia’s intimate sister lounge looking out onto the courtyard and featuring live music, will serve bright signature cocktails like spritzes and swizzles complemented by small Italian bites ranging from fried artichokes to arancini and zeppole Calabrese. A dedicated poolside menu completes the lush courtyard experience, offering Mediterranean snacks like colorful crudité with dips, fritto misto and shrimp cocktail alongside drinks that evoke sun-kissed afternoons along the coast.
Guests are also welcome to make themselves at home in the hotel’s private extended lobby, a living room-like space intentionally created to foster community among guests, whether they’re convening to imbibe at the bar, catch up on work or catch up with friends. Featuring curated art, intimate seating and a cozy fireplace, the living room also provides a creative and functional space for guests, offering options to host gatherings, photoshoots or meetings in the adjoining boardroom. Just off the living room, guests can also find Hotel Anna & Bel’s wellness room, tucked away in what was once the barbershop of the Penn Home. Still a space intended for self care today, the room can be booked by guests for private wellness treatments, selected from a curated list of local practitioners in the neighborhood. Additional wellness offerings include a lower level fitness center featuring an infrared sauna and a yoga and meditation deck on the second floor. An amenity closet located on each guest floor will serve as an additional offering for guests carrying personal essentials one might need during their stay.
With guest accommodations varying in size from studios to two-bedroom living spaces, each room and suite boasts a unique layout, offering even repeat guests unrepeated experiences. Designed with home-like comforts in mind, whether enjoying in-room dining from Bastia or making a morning cup of coffee, each room features either a sleek kitchenette hidden within a locally-crafted wooden pantry or a well-stocked minibar with both Nespresso espresso machines and electric kettles by Fellow.
The hotel has also customized their sleep experience with optimal rest in mind, adorning their custom 100% Eco-Friendly Natural Talalay latex Natural Dreams mattresses with luxe Bellino linens and NorviGroup Norsk duvet and pillows. Guests can also enjoy custom designed 100% organic cotton robes from women-owned local loungewear brand, Printfresh, as well as Frette terry towels and Le Labo bath amenities in the modern guest bathrooms, each uniquely designed to the layout of the room with custom tiles and marble vanities with stone sourced from Turkey.
Inspired by the materials and motifs found throughout the restoration process, the design of the guest rooms again finds balance among contrasting design elements, with a chic, traditional background holding unexpected frames, rugs, and light fixtures from Hudson Valley Lighting. Varying textures from velvet and linen furnishings, inclusive of plush sofas from Interior Define and custom-made wooden beds frames, nightstands and wardrobes, plays further into the eclectic, vintage-inspired decor. Honoring original materials excavated during renovations, exposed brick can be found throughout on the walls or in one of the four re-discovered decorative fireplaces in select rooms, alongside wood beams lining the ceilings lending a modern and loft-like feel. On the second floor, inner-facing guest rooms feature french doors that access a wrap-around balcony overlooking the secluded interior courtyard.
The crown jewel of Hotel Anna & Bel is the secluded fourth floor two bedroom Master Suite, which boasts 360-degree windows with views of Center City throughout its expansive layout at over 950 square feet. Featuring two bedrooms and two bathrooms, the space is washed in an unparalleled amount of natural light from each unobstructed window as well as the four separate skylights that feature original hardware. The only room on the floor and accessible through a private staircase, the space lends itself perfectly to a honeymoon or romantic getaway.
“We wanted to elevate the beauty of the rediscovered interiors of the building with contemporary touches that further feminize the space in subtle ways,” said Galli Arbel, Director of Brand at Foyer Project. “As guests explore the hotel, we hope they discover small touches, like the original window seats and treatments on the landing of the staircase, or the light-filled nook just off the second floor elevators that evoke a sense of whimsy.”
Open to guests and locals alike, on the ground floor of the hotel is Bastia, a leisurely café-by-day that transforms into a Mediterranean restaurant-by-night from Chef-Partner Tyler Akin of Form-Function Hospitality. Bastia draws culinary inspiration from the sun-drenched shores of the Mediterranean, anchored by the coastal cuisines of Corsica and Sardinia. The vegetable-forward and seafood-driven menu will also feature a selection of low-intervention wines, spritzes and aperitifs with a robust N/A offering.
Akin is also the Chef-Partner of celebrated French brasserie Le Cavalier at the historic HOTEL DU PONT, which was featured on Food & Wine’s inaugural “Global Tastemakers” list, and was Chef and Owner of now closed Res Ipsa in Philadelphia, which was named one of Bon Appetit’s “Best New Restaurants in America.”
Hotel Anna & Bel is located at 1401 E. Susquehanna Avenue, a short walk to the lively mainstreet of Fishtown, Frankford Avenue. Rates start at $300.
For more information or to book a reservation, visit annaandbel.com. Imagery can be found here.
