An Inside Look at the Bellevue’s Stunning Transformation
The iconic hotel reclaims its title as the “Grande Dame of Broad Street.”
The Bellevue reclaims its grandeur. / Photography by Read McKendree
Enter the lobby of the newly renovated Bellevue and you’ll see that it looks remarkably similar to the one that welcomed guests when the hotel first opened in 1904 as the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel. The property has a fabled history: More than a dozen U.S. presidents and celebrities like Grace Kelly have been guests.
“Everyone has a story about the hotel,” says Tony Machado, head of design for LUCID, the global hospitality design firm behind the project. “We couldn’t erase those memories by completely changing it.” Instead, they preserved its past through its modern reinvigoration. “It’s rare that you work on a building of the historical importance that the Bellevue has with all the beautiful details that no one is installing these days,” says Christie Ward, co-principal of interior design firm Ward + Gray, which handled the transformation of the 184 guest rooms and public spaces.
Led by Dean Adler of real estate equity firm Lubert-Adler, the three-year effort brought together an elite team, with designer Anouska Hempel, North Philly metalsmith John Rais, and the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia. Lancaster County clock master Bob Desrochers repaired the ornate clocks above the reception desk, which hadn’t functioned in more than 25 years. The clocks may be working again, but time has stood still in all the best ways at the Bellevue.
The Lobby
The reception desk was moved to its original 1904 location opposite the elevators. A custom rug by Ward + Gray echoes the original mosaic floor. Oversized chandeliers, crafted by a glass master in Venice, nod to French modernist style. Germantown’s Birdstudio restored the plaster columns.
Presidential Suite Bedroom
Ward + Gray added warmth to the space with Benjamin Moore’s Narragansett Green paint and a four-poster bed with double-sided curtains lined with textiles from Carleton V and Lee Jofa.
Conservatory
A grand escape within the heart of the hotel, the atrium’s design was inspired by Parisian outdoor cafes. The floor, long hidden beneath wall-to-wall carpeting, was revealed and influenced the room’s paint hue, Farrow & Ball’s Green Smoke No. 47.
Presidential Suite Dining Room
Richly weathered vintage wall panels imported from France are a highlight. The Ward + Gray dining table has a stone top sourced from Norristown’s Adesso Stone.
Published as “Modern History” in the August 2025 issue of Philadelphia magazine.
