The Merion

My family recently enjoyed Mother’s Day brunch here with my grandma that lives here. What a special treat it was! The food was delicious (see pic), room was so pretty and most importantly the staff made us feel so welcome with their friendly attitudes. I was glad to learn that their restaurant is open to the public, I will definitely be back! You can tell the entire place was just renovated, her apartment is unlike what I had envisioned of a retirement community! The public spaces are fresh, well-​designed and clean. Thanks for making it a great place for my grandma to call home!

Keep in mind that I lived here as a 22-​year-​old college student, not as a retiree.
My room was comfortably furnished with a large dresser and mirror, a fluffy chair, a side table, a small bed, and a dining table (which was really just a fancy card table). It had a balcony, but sadly the balcony only had a view of the other apartment balconies and the building next door — maybe the building next door was built after the hotel, otherwise I“m pretty sure I would have had a view of the lake, which is only a few blocks away
The kitchen was small, and could be hidden behind doors if it were ever messy, but as a college student who frequently ate out/​frequently feasted on pasta, it wasn’t a big problem. I got to see other rooms, though, and not all of the rooms had the partial kitchen that mine did. Maid service is friendly and reliable — trash is taken out daily, and once a week they give the room a more thorough cleaning. All utilities included: they keep the heat warm in winter, but if it gets too cold, you can always crank up the A/​C. Internet is the only utility not included, but there’s a computer room with free printing in the basement.
Amenities: where do I begin?! There’s a pool, a nice garden, a library, a small workout area with a bike, some weights and a few treadmills, a home theatre with chairs and booth-​style seating, a large game room, a gorgeous ball room (with weekly classical concerts, swoon), and a fabulous dining hall. There was also a private dining room that you could reserve for private family dinners. They offer plenty of classes — workout classes, craft workshops, and computer tutorials.
Since I’m not a retiree, I was not entitled to the full meal plan, but I did get free breakfast, which, if I were capable of waking up before 9am, I surely would have gone to more often. The times I did get breakfast, I got to pick from basic but yummy food options, and the service was nice. And let me not forget the ice cream parlor… twice a day, you can bring family and friends to the quaint ice cream parlor in the basement.
Note that this is a retirement home, not a nursing home: there is a health service office in the basement, but the building is not meant for people with advanced health care needs. Each room does, however, have at least 2 cords that, if pulled, alert the front desk if you have an emergency and can’t get to the phone. There’s someone at the desk every 24 hrs, and I’ve always found them to be helpful and quick to respond. Moving in was a breeze, and moving out was depressing, since I wanted to stay longer.

I went here to talk with the older adults about their stories. Their lobby was a fairly large and ornate ballroom with a piano and stage. It doesn’t seem like their aids are taking their job as seriously as they should. Not sure if I would want to retire here specifically, but I was glad to hear that some people were either content or happy living there.

I would love to retire here! This retirement hotel is perfect. It’s location is convenient; there is a bus stop right across the street and the El is only a couple of blocks away. It’s also very large with every amenity you could imagine — including a big lounge with cable TV.