If you find yourself in Philadelphia and needing a place to stay, it's worth your time to drive over the bridge and stay outside the city (your wallet will thank you). Maybe about a 20 minute or so drive from Philly, Mount Laurel, New Jersey is a business / residential area with hotels at about half the price that you'll find in city center. Both the people at Easter State Pen and our friends in South Jersey recommended the area and we found Towne Place Suites on hotels.com.
The Towne Place Suites was very inexpensive and what you'd expect from this class of hotel. The rooms all have a kitchenette and a nice bathroom. The rooms were clean and the staff helpful. The only thing I'd ding them on was the breakfast. Labeled a "grab and go" breakfast, it was basically some cereals and muffins, but… not horrible, or missing altogether.
I'd stay here again.
–Dan Thompson