LEED-certified boutique hotels in Philadelphia, plus a small B&B

Four of the five hotels here are design-led boutiques in Center City with LEED certification: the Kimpton Monaco, the Kimpton Palomar, the Hyatt Centric Rittenhouse Square and the Canopy by Hilton. They hold different levels of certification, so it helps to know what each level means before you choose. The fifth pick, a B&B on Baring Street in West Philadelphia, has no green certification, but it is the small independent option on this list.

Eco-friendly boutique hotels in Philadelphia: what the certifications actually mean

LEED certification comes from the US Green Building Council, which scores a building (or, for some hotels, just its interiors) on energy use, water efficiency, materials and indoor air quality. The levels run Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum, and every certified project is listed in the USGBC's public directory.

The two Kimpton hotels, at 433 Chestnut Street and 117 S 17th Street, both hold LEED Gold. The Hyatt Centric Rittenhouse Square at 1620 Chancellor Street holds LEED Silver. The Canopy by Hilton Philadelphia Center City at 1180 Ludlow Street is LEED Certified, the entry level. The B&B at 3300 Baring Street holds no green certification.

We couldn't confirm any Philadelphia hotel holding Green Key, EarthCheck, Green Globe or GSTC certification, so this page sticks to LEED.

Philadelphia eco boutique hotels: certification and star rating at a glance

Why boutique character matters alongside the eco credential

Here's where each one is and what the building is like.

The Kimpton Monaco is in a 1907 Beaux-Arts building at 433 Chestnut Street in Old City, steps from Independence Hall. The Kimpton Palomar at 117 S 17th Street is near Rittenhouse Square, with a design-forward interior. The Hyatt Centric on Chancellor Street is a smaller Rittenhouse hotel, and the Canopy by Hilton on Ludlow Street is in Midtown Village.

The Baring Street B&B, a three-star independent at 3300 Baring Street in West Philadelphia, is the smallest of the five and the only one outside Center City.

The hotels

Hyatt Centric Rittenhouse Square Philadelphia 1620 Chancellor St 8.81,382 reviews 5 min walk to Walnut-Locust (B, Broad Street Line)LEED Silver certified, a smaller Rittenhouse Square hotel on Chancellor Street. View hotel → Kimpton Hotel Monaco Philadelphia by IHG 433 Chestnut St. 9.21,287 reviews 2 min walk to 5th St/Independence Hall (L, Market-Frankford Line)LEED Gold, in a 1907 Beaux-Arts building on Chestnut Street, steps from Independence Hall. View hotel → Kimpton Hotel Palomar Philadelphia by IHG 117 S 17th St 9.0950 reviews 5 min walk to 15th St/City Hall (L, B and T lines)LEED Gold like the Monaco, with a design-forward interior near Rittenhouse Square. View hotel → Canopy By Hilton Philadelphia Center City 1180 Ludlow Street 9.0848 reviews 3 min walk to 13th St (L and T lines)LEED Certified, a design-led Hilton brand on Ludlow Street in Midtown Village. View hotel → Cornerstone Bed and Breakfast 3300 Baring Street 9.678 reviews 10 min walk to 34th St (L, Market-Frankford Line)An independent B&B with fewer than ten rooms in a Victorian rowhouse on Baring Street, with no green certification. View hotel →