New boutique hotel with pool opening in Fishtown

A stylish boutique hotel opening inside a historic Fishtown property later this summer promises a respite from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Why it matters: Hotel Anna & Bel — which will have a courtyard pool , Mediterranean restaurant and a bar — is already getting a ton of hype.

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• The renovated property was named one of the most exciting hotel openings earlier this year by Condé Nast Traveler , and its restaurant Bastia was included on Bon Appétit 's must-visit new restaurants list.

State of play: The 50-room hotel is slated to open Aug. 7, with rates starting around $300 a night.

• Bastia — a new restaurant from chef Tyler Atkin, who's behind the popular brasserie Le Cavalier at Wilmington's Hotel Du Pont — will open for dinner a week earlier, on July 31. Expect seafood and vegetable-forward dishes, plus wines, aperitifs and nonalcoholic drinks.
• Cocktail piano lounge Caletta comes Sept. 5, serving spritzes, swizzles and small Italian bites like fried artichokes, arancini and zeppole Calabrese.

The courtyard area will be open year-round. Photo: Courtesy of Douglas Lyle Thompson

Context: The 18th-century property formerly housed the Penn Asylum for Indigent Widows and Single Women, also known as Penn Home. The site provided social services and later became a neighborhood retirement home. It received a historical designation in 2020.

• The following year, Foyer Project purchased the property. The developer worked with the Philadelphia Historical Commission to transform the site while maintaining much of its original character.

Zoom in: Rooms vary in size from studios to two-beds, and some include balconies. The pool will be open from late spring through early fall, but guests can enjoy the patio area year-round.

• There's also a fitness center, a sauna, a treatment room and an art collection highlighting local and women artists.

Local artists featured in the hotel's art collection include Katherine Fraser, Kate VanVliet and Shawn Theodore. Photo: Courtesy of Douglas Lyle Thompson Second-floor rooms overlook a balcony area. Photo: Courtesy of Douglas Lyle Thompson