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When booking a hotel or bed-and-breakfast in Baltimore, focus on the Inner Harbor, where you're likely to spend a good deal of time. The downside to staying in hotels near downtown is the noise level, which can rise early in the morning and stay up late into the night—especially if there's a baseball or football game. For quieter options, head to neighborhoods like Fells Point and Canton. All of the hotels listed are within a half-hour drive of the harbor. If you're coming to Baltimore in summer or near Preakness (the third weekend in May), reserve your rooms well in advance. Hunt Valley, a suburb about a 25-minute drive north of Baltimore on I–83, has several convenient budget options.
One of Baltimore's largest hotels, the Baltimore Harbor divides its rooms between two towers and also houses the largest ballroom in the city, which makes it especially popular with conventioneers. Rooms, decorated in light colors, have a contemporary flair and marble-floor bathrooms. Amenities include Wi-Fi, free breakfast, and 40-inch HDTVs.
This inn is an upright anchor at the center of the action in funky Fells Point. By joining together buildings constructed between the late 1770s and the 1920s, the owners created a structure that resembles a small, European-style hotel, with lots of character and quirks. The rooms, which vary in shape, all have four-poster canopy beds. Three suites and eight rooms have whirlpool baths. Some hallways have a few stairs, and some rooms face a quiet, interior courtyard; if steps or street noise bother you, let the reservation agent know.
The 18-story glass tower rises above the harbor, commanding prime views from each plush and comfortable (albeit minimalist) guest room. Each of the large rooms (over 500 square feet) offers down duvets on beds and marble bathrooms with soaking tubs; some have jaw-dropping harbor views and even balconies. A magnificent outdoor infinity-edge pool sits on a secluded terrace. The spa highlights ancient healing techniques as well as more traditional massage treatments. The on-site restaurants, The Bygone, Loch Bar, and Azumi, are some of the best in the city.
The entrance to this prestigious hotel is set back from the street by a brick courtyard that provides an immediate sense of tranquillity. A grand spiral staircase dominates the lobby, which is decorated in English country opulence. All guest rooms include such deluxe touches as twice-daily maid service, plush bathrobes, and TVs in the bathrooms; upscale suite amenities also include 6-foot marble tubs, canopied four-poster beds, and CD players. Waterside rooms have a commanding view of the harbor, but courtyard rooms are quietest.
This 10-story hotel is a block away from Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Harborplace, and the convention center. The public areas are nondescript but surprisingly tranquil, as are the rooms, decorated in teal, mauve, and gray. The best views are from rooms facing the Inner Harbor and the ballpark. Rooms on the 10th floor come with concierge-level privileges. Staff is generally friendly and eager to please, and some of the views are top-notch.
Proprietors Nancy and Kevin Kupec oversee every detail of this small inn in the heart of Fells Point. Guest rooms, all with private bath, are furnished in Early American style; two suites accommodate large groups. Upscale amenities include down comforters, terry robes, fireplaces, and whirlpool baths. Continental breakfast is served in the cozy dining room. The rooftop deck provides a wonderful view of Baltimore's skyline and harbor.
Directly across the street from Johns Hopkins and within walking distance of the Baltimore Museum of Art and the charming Charles Village neighborhood, this hotel is 15 minutes north of downtown. Rooms are welcoming, with rich, warm furnishings, and there are extras such as a glass-dome swimming pool and whirlpool baths.
Close to the Inner Harbor waterfront and adjacent to Little Italy, this lodging is the farthest east of the Inner Harbor hotels. With sunny rooms in soothing neutral tones, the Courtyard Inner Harbor is a comfortable and attractive alternative to more central hotels with similar amenities and higher rates. Most downtown attractions are still within walking distance, though the stadiums and convention center are more comfortably reached by car or cab.
About 25 minutes from downtown, in an affluent suburb that's a growing corporate center, this motel is comfortable and affordable. Guest rooms are as standardized as Courtyard's signature white-stucco exterior; coffeemakers, ironing boards, and hair dryers are added conveniences. The neighbors are office buildings, which means rooms are quiet at night but have uninteresting views. The nearby York and Shawan road corridors have many restaurants, and there's public transportation to downtown via the light-rail Hunt Valley stop. The restaurant serves breakfast only.
Less than three blocks from the Inner Harbor, this nine-story redbrick building provides reliable and relatively economical accommodations in the center of town. The recently renovated rooms feature free WiFi, new curtains, flat screen TVs, new bedding and new mattresses. The hotel is close to the 1st Mariner Arena venue, which makes it an easy pick for concertgoers.
The Embassy Suites brand recently bought and updated the Tremont Hotel, adding a two-story lobby and creating a brand-new restaurant, B'More Bistro. There is also a Starbucks on-site. Once an apartment building, this 37-story all-suites hotel is located in the densest part of the business district. Upgrades to its suites include HDTV's, kitchenettes with refrigerators and microwaves, and Wi-Fi. The best views of the city and the small park in the center of St. Paul Place are from rooms with numbers ending in 06.
This Fairfield Inn lives up to its green designation, with energy-saving construction elements and a 30-foot grain silo located in the courtyard that captures rainwater and is used for landscaping. It’s quite attractive for a budget hotel, with a red brick façade and outdoor garden. Inside, each of the 154 rooms feature pillow-top mattresses, free Wi-Fi, and a complimentary hot breakfast. The Tavern 101 restaurant serves lunch and dinner.
Just 15 minutes from downtown Baltimore is this intimate B&B in the 1902 home of Alexander J. Cassatt, owner of the Pennsylvania Railroad and brother of the American Impressionist painter Mary Cassatt. Staying in one of the 11 rooms here is like being a guest at Cassatt's country estate. Rooms are done in a range of styles, from Edwardian to Victorian, French, and 19th-century American. Wake up to a full breakfast of French toast, blueberry pancakes, and the house omelet (mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, and fresh herbs from the garden). Be sure to book in advance: it's a popular spot for weddings.
The free breakfast and the logo may be the same, but this Hampton Inn tries to be more urban and chic than others in the chain. In an early-1900s office building that lay vacant for many years, the hotel follows the historical direction of the structure, but keeps things contemporary. Rooms, done in warm mauve and beige and dark wood, have a clubby, streamlined look. The biggest and most expensive rooms, on the top floor, are studio suites in the former executive offices. There is a complimentary breakfast as well as an indoor pool.
The towering Hilton has an unparalleled view of Camden Yards and a skywalk that connects to the city's convention center. Inside, the hotel's lobby has a nautical feel, with wave-shaped fixtures hanging from the ceiling and pillars of dark wood and blue tiles. Ask for a room on the south side, where you can peer down into the ballpark. Or you can watch the games from the fitness center on the fourth floor. Hotel staff are friendly and accommodating.
Built in the 1960s as an apartment house, the 13-story Home2 Suites is now a modern and eco-friendly all-suites hotel located near Mount Vernon and the Inner Harbor. All of the hotel’s 100 rooms are studios or one-bedroom suites, complete with a kitchen, desk area, queen-sized bed, and 42" flat-screen TV. Other amenities include free Wi-Fi. The hotel is pet friendly. The Spin2Cycle area features a workout room and self-serve laundry, plus a small snack shop on the ground floor.
Guest rooms at this suburban hotel are brightly decorated with basic furnishings. The property is within walking distance of a light-rail station for transportation to downtown Baltimore; the city is an easy 25-minute drive directly down I–83. Although there's no restaurant in the hotel, a free breakfast bar is available every morning, and many restaurants are nearby. A note to outdoor enthusiasts: This hotel is only a short drive from Loch Raven Reservoir.
This stretch of Light Street is practically a highway, but the unenclosed skyways allow ready pedestrian access to both Inner Harbor attractions and the convention center. Most rooms have views of the harbor or the city. The lobby has glass elevators and the chain's trademark atrium. The 12th floor is the Club level, with complimentary breakfast, evening hors d'oeuvres, and a private concierge available. Atop the hotel, the Bistro 300 restaurant and lounge provides stunning city views, especially at night.
In the heart of one of the city's liveliest neighborhoods, this stylish B&B is dedicated to tranquil, luxurious living. Low-allergen surroundings (natural fiber carpeting, low-chemical cleaning products, purified air) and high-thread-count sheets are standard amenities, and each room has a Jacuzzi bathtub, satellite television, and CD player. Full-course breakfasts generally include fresh-fruit salad, omelets, and waffles or pancakes, but different dietary needs can be accommodated.
Built in the mid-1800s as a B&O Railroad tobacco warehouse, this richly decorated, warmly inviting B&B–style inn has harbor or garden views from all of its rooms. The inn is at the water's edge, on the very peninsula that gave Fells Point its name. Adjacent to the inn is a marina with slips to 150 feet; all possible amenities are available to visiting yachters. It's a short, scenic walk from the shops, bars, and restaurants of central Fells Point.
This boutique hotel is in the historic headquarters of the B&O Railroad—just 2½ blocks from the Inner Harbor and within easy walking distance of Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The grand two-story marble lobby with Tiffany stained glass may seem imposing, but the hotel is quite family-friendly. Enjoy a daily wine hour from 5 to 6 with juice boxes for the kids, Berger cookies, and other locally sourced treats. The on-site B&O Brasserie restaurant serves breakfast and dinner.
Baltimore's historic landmark hotel, the Lord Baltimore extends its Jazz Age elegance to the guest rooms. Built in 1928, this 23-story hotel is distinguished by an elegantly gilded art deco lobby with Murano glass chandelier and contemporary artwork. Upstairs, each of the recently updated 440 rooms feature dark wood accents and a gray color palette. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, 40" flat-screen TV, pillow-top mattress, and down comforter. Rooms on the south side have the best view, and from the top three floors you can see the harbor. The hotel is quiet and comfortable, and the location is central, three blocks from the Baltimore Convention Center or Harborplace. The on-site restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The city's tallest hotel and one of a handful directly on the Inner Harbor, this 32-story Marriott has a neoclassical interior that uses multihued marble, rich jewel-toned walls, and photographs of Baltimore architectural landmarks. Although it's at the eastern end of the Inner Harbor, all downtown attractions are within walking distance. Most rooms offer unobstructed views of the city and harbor; ask for one that faces west toward downtown for a splendid panorama of the waterfront and skyscrapers.
The most conveniently located of the Inner Harbor hotels—across the street from the shopping pavilions—the Renaissance Harborplace meets the needs of tourists, business travelers, and conventioneers. Guest rooms are light and cheerful, with amenities that include Wi-Fi (for a fee), shoe-shine service, terry robes, hair dryers, and ironing boards. Rooms have a view of the harbor, the downtown landscape, or the indoor courtyard. The hotel adjoins the Gallery, a four-story shopping mall.
The cornerstone of Fells Point has long been the Rec Pier building, once an immigration hub, then later the setting for the TV series Homicide: Life on the Street, and now a 128-room boutique gem that has inspired a neighborhood-wide renaissance. Andrew Carmellini's Rec Pier Chop House has prime placement beneath the hallowed brick archway. Guest rooms are part of a new addition and feature harbor or courtyard views, wood floors, and lots of extras.
This house was built in 1886 from gray granite quarried at nearby Port Deposit—the same kind of granite was used to build the Brooklyn Bridge. Characteristic Victorian details include stained-glass windows, a wraparound porch, and a turret. The carriage house is a lovely two-story stone cottage with loft bedroom, Jacuzzi, and fireplace; it sleeps up to four but is ideal for couples seeking a romantic hideaway. All rooms are furnished with period antiques supplemented by select reproductions.
This three-story wood house, built in 1886 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is 1½ blocks from the bay. Green with dark green trim on the outside, the inn has a Victorian look, with antique beds and other period pieces. A porch extends the width of the house front, and the gazebo in the backyard is as old as the house itself.
