It’d been close to a century since Wm. Mulherin’s Sons transacted any business from their whiskey-bottling plant in Philadelphia’s Fishtown before the building reopened as a fantastically successful wood-fired Italian restaurant. Wm Mulherin’s Sons is a phenomenon that’s famous far beyond Fishtown, and before long it became clear that a few bedrooms, to accommodate far-flung travelers, wouldn’t go amiss.

The Lokal Hotel Old City, on the city’s deeply historic North 3rd Street, pays tribute to the neighborhood with room names like Ben (Franklin) and Betsy (Ross), even as its interiors exhibit 21st-century urban-loft living at its finest — this means upscale details, contemporary design furniture, and an iPad loaded with intelligence on this uniquely interesting neighborhood.

Lokal Fishtown fits perfectly into the eponymous Philadelphia neighborhood, known for its nightlife and youthful appeal; its loft-style apartments look sharp, modernist-inspired but unpretentious, and full of functional comforts, with hotel-style bathrooms and apartment-style kitchens — splitting the difference between boutique hotel and vacation rental.

A landmark 1855 rowhome in Philadelphia’s Midtown Village is the setting for the Guild House Hotel, a boutique hotel whose 12 rooms and suites are named for 12 notable women from the house’s earlier incarnation as the proto-feminist New Century Guild. The rooms and suites are notable not only for their eclectic, photogenic interiors, but for their comforts as well.

And why not give it another whirl if it worked the first time? The second Roost is a pitch-perfect duet between turn-of-the-century architecture and clean modernism, continuing a very gratifying tradition with 27 spectacularly appointed apartments and an enviable location right on Chestnut Street.

Overlooking Rittenhouse Square, this very modern 33-story high-rise gives away little about the luxurious small hotel that lies within. An elegant and charming classic, the Rittenhouse is one of the city’s most exclusive lodgings, offering not only the largest rooms in Philadelphia, but some of the most lavish as well.

Despite a modern design, there’s little danger of losing sight of history at the Monaco. Some rooms provide views of the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. While well-preserved period details of this 1906 Greek Revival building — original marble elevator banks, coffered ceilings — add to the effect without dragging the overall look too far back in time.

Philadelphia’s hip Fishtown neighborhood is the setting for this substantial red brick structure, which was first a women’s asylum and later a retirement community. It seems the third time’s the charm — Anna & Bel sees this institution (and the neighboring buildings) turned into a stylish and modern boutique hotel.

It wasn’t long before Shannon Maldonado’s homewares boutique expanded into a larger corner space complete with a stylish café and a 13-room hotel. Yowie Hotel, occupying a pair of former rowhouses on South Street, has a classic-looking brick exterior, but inside, it exudes the native Philadelphian’s signature style: minimalist, eclectic, and colorful.