By Kitty Bean Yancey, USA TODAY

Updated

Today is Bastille Day, when French celebrate their independence from royalty.

The Sofitel Philadelphia, right downtown, is marking its French heritage and the occasion with a room promotion that’s bookable only today. So if you’re heading to Philly between now and Sept. 9, you have the chance to get a room at the luxury hotel for two nights for a total of $222, plus state and local taxes. That would bring your total to $255.74.

Yes, it’s not cheap, but this is a luxury brand (the one where former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was staying in Manhattan when he made headlines, but that’s another story). The Philly Sofitel is No. 4 in popularity on TripAdvisor.

All you have to do is call 215-569-8300 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., ask for reservations and say “Vive Le Sofitel” to get the rate, which is far below the $165 and up nightly you might normally pay. It’s not applicable for existing reservations. You also get free Wi-Fi.

Warning: Don’t bring your car.

Parking in Philly in notoriously tight, and the hotel charges $41 a night. Is it just me, or does this seem high? My colleague Laura Bly paid $44 at the Westin Copley Place in Boston July 3, which partially negated the joy she felt getting a $144 Hotwire rate over the July Fourth holiday weekend. New York, where space also is at a premium, is famed for skyscraper-high parking rates: Hotel Check-In’s Barbara De Lollis found $50 parking (plus a $10 surcharge for SUVs) at the Gansevoort Park Avenue in NYC. What’s the highest per-night parking rate you’ve seen?

P.S.: Just heard from the Philadelphia tourist board and was told of a “Philly Overnight Hotel Package” that involves more than two dozen properties — including the Sofitel. You get reduced rates on a two-night stay, a teddy bear, and — more to the point — free parking. So if you’re headed to Philadelphia sometime, and see what you can get.

Similar Posts:

• Los Angeles area hotels offer deals for I-405 shutdown
• New York: The Nolitan is Now Opening May 11, Do We Still Care?
• Would you Zumba on an 18th-floor hotel helipad in L.A.?
• Caribbean resort pitches for gay honeymoons with ‘queen’ freebie
• Top 10 U.S. cities for new hotel rooms