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Enjoy Old-Timey Train Fun at the Hotel Monaco Baltimore this Thanksgiving
When the Hotel Monaco Baltimore opened this summer in the 1906-built former Baltimore & Ohio Railroad headquarters, we had no qualms using as many railroad-related puns as humanly possible. From the looks of the hotel’s latest press release, it seems we’re not the only ones who love a good train pun.
“Keep family ‘chugging along’ over long Thanksgiving weekend,” the subject line reads. From there, they pretty much dive head first into a Thesaurus entry of train terms. Once we stopped groaning, though, we found the “Ticket to Ride” family package to sound pretty fun.
With deluxe accommodations in family friendly rooms, the package also includes two tickets to the B&O Railroad Museum (which will be kicking off the holiday season Thanksgiving weekend with the Festival of Trains and a Santa train ride), “a train whistle and conductor’s hat for each of the ‘young engineers,’” plus something called — wait for it — Chugga-Chews cookie snacks.
We’re not really sure what that all has to do with Thanksgiving — except the press release’s line about how it will be “time to get moving” after indulging in your Turkey Day feast — but the special is only available Friday, Nov. 27, through Monday, Nov. 30. Rates start at $169; enter promo code PBOR.
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Careful On The Stairs At The Hotel Monaco Baltimore
Wot, no fugly carpeting?
Normally, the only time we really notice a hotel staircase is when we’re peeved that the lift has broken down on us, but things are a bit different at the Hotel Monaco Baltimore. Because it’s stationed in the old Baltimore & Ohio Railroad HQ the whole building is pretty splendiferous, and the staircase up to the lobby on the second floor is no exception. In fact, it’s probably the only time we’ve seen a sign like this on a hotel staircase.
Be careful going up and down though – important monuments have no need of adornment in the way of carpeting, so they’re not only steep, but slippery as well. We’d recommend holding on as you pause to look at the pretty stained glass roof:
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Inside The Hotel Monaco Baltimore
[UPDATE: A hotel rep has emailed us to say that the matter has been resolved and the hotel will not be up for auction. Also, the hotel was never in danger of closing as it is only "a tenant and the dispute was between ownership and a contractor." So go ahead, book your rooms.
When we read last week that the Hotel Monaco Baltimore might be facing an uncertain future, we thought we’d better pop along and see it sharpish. So when we needed to make an unforeseen stop in Baltimore, and the room rates were still holding to the introductory rate of $159, we shacked straight up.
We asked as many staff as we met (sorry for bothering you, bellmen, valets and cleaning ladies) about the lawsuit that could see the hotel up for auction. All of them told us flatly that it wasn’t true – except for the manager, who said he wasn’t at liberty to talk about it. After spending the night there, we’re crossing our fingers it’s not true too.
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Baltimore's New Hotel Monaco Already Going to Auction?
Uh oh. Kimpton’s brand-new Hotel Monaco in Baltimore is facing, like, a serious problem. Opened less than a month ago, on July 30th, the $65 million hotel in the old Baltimore & Ohio Railroad headquarters could be put up for auction as early as next month (!!). Bet Charm City seems a little less, er, charming to Kimpton right about now.
According to the Baltimore Sun, it seems the building owner — not Kimpton — has been accused of not paying a local lumber supplier $184,000 for doors, wood trim, and other materials used in the project.
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Baltimore's Belvedere Hotel Lives On in 'Mad Men'
If you’re still sad that the Mad Men package at the St. Regis was canceled, here’s an ever-so-tiny piece of Mad Men hotel news that might brighten your day, at least a bit. The season three premiere features….a trip to the classic Belvedere Hotel in Baltimore!
(Yes, like the rest of America, we've gone Mad Men mad.)Since the Beaux-Arts Belvedere was converted to luxury condos way back in 1991, this is about the easiest way to see the hotel in its carefully researched, 1960s-era glory (unless, of course, you’ve got a thing for old archives).
At the heart of the episode is a business trip Don Draper ( Jon Hamm) and Salvatore Romano (Bryan Batt) take to Baltimore to do a little hand holding with one of their agency's clients, the father and son team running the company making London Fog raincoats.
The episode is titled "Out of Town," and it is written by series creator Matthew Weiner, who was born in Baltimore and attended Park School before his family moved to Los Angeles.
The Baltimore trip dominates the episode, with Don and Salvatore shacking up (no, not together! er, at least not that we’re aware of) at the Belvedere Hotel and dining at now-shuttered Baltimore institution Haussner’s.
Sigh. Just another reason we can’t wait for our Draper-and-friends fix come Aug. 16.
Photo: AMC
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Hotel Monaco Baltimore Opens Today, Sold Out For the Weekend
The Hotel Monaco Baltimore, the $65 million Kimpton property Baltimore & Ohio Railroad headquarters, is opening up its doors today — on time, it looks like — and marks the debut of the very first Kimpton property to hit the Baltimore scene.
According to the Baltimore Sun, we've already been missin' quite a bit of goings-on at the hotel as its been getting closer to today's opening:
The Monaco is competing with an aggressive marketing campaign. It has been holding preview dinners this week in its first-level restaurant, the B&O American Brasserie. It's giving a free night's stay to meeting planners who take a tour. It's offering a rate of $129 per night for rooms that will cost $329 or more after October. The first guest today will be upgraded to the Majestic Suite and treated to champagne, strawberries and an in-room massage.
Look out for original Tiffany windows, original sculptures and green glass-flecked skylights, aswell as your standard Kimpton-y goodies like the option of a “companion goldfish," noon check-out times, pet-friendliness and green practices.
Opening special weekend rates start from $129, with weekday rates up to $159 — but the hotel is sold out this weekend, according to the Sun (which may have something to do with the Red Sox playing the Orioles at Camden Yards).
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The Hotel Monaco Baltimore Will Chug Into Charm City Next Week
The Hotel Monaco Baltimore seems to be on schedule to board passengers — er, guests — starting July 30th (whoa, that's next Thursday!). Stationed in the 1906-built former Baltimore & Ohio Railroad headquarters, the hotel will be Charm City’s first Kimpton property.
Like many Kimptons, the 202-room Hotel Monaco Baltimore will retain many of its historic features, from original Tiffany windows to original sculptures and green glass-flecked skylights. Kimptonesque qualities include the free room service option of a “companion goldfish” to keep you company during your stay, noon check-out times, and the use of sustainable products and green practices.
Overall, the photos on the hotel’s website suggest an aesthetic of contemporary but nostalgic glamour not often associated with Baltimore — which we think is pretty cool. Think understated elegance with a few fun Kimpton quirks thrown into the mix to keep things lively.
Opening special weekend rates start from $129, while weekday rates start at just $159.
[Photo by David Phelps, courtesy of Kimpton Hotels]
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Hotel Monaco Moves Into Former Baltimore Railroad Headquarters
Kimpton is choo-choo-choosing to make its first foray into Baltimore by moving into the former headquarters of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.
The opening of the Hotel Monaco Baltimore was just announced for "Summer 2009" and one of its most kickass features is the cool contrast between old and new: the dramatic and modern Kimpton-esque designs up against the historic building (built in 1906), with its Tiffany stained-glass windows and grand Beaux-Arts architectural elements.
The 202-room Monaco has some cool but subtle design stuff going on up in the guestrooms too:
[Rooms] feature subtle railroading elements in a classic color scheme of navy, blues and reds. Striking headboards with built-in sconces are the focal point of each room along with a stunning, red lacquer desk. Bedside tables that resemble streamer trunks, antique-style mirrors with scalloped edges and drawer knobs with a screen print of the B&O railroad map punctuate the room with a sense of old-world railroad history. Each luxurious guest bathroom features mosaic tiles and hand-crafted mirrors with tortoise shell scalloped edges designed to depict 1920’s glamour.
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Hilton Baltimore Is Such a Tease
You know the scene. You open the door to your brand new hotel room, run over to the window, open the blinds and bam, you are hit with the anti-view. Maybe you are looking down a dirty alley, witnessing a drug deal, staring at an air shaft in the face, or seeing a brick wall. Whatever you are viewing it is not extremely pleasurable. Help out your fellow hotel mavens by uploading your anti-views to the HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool, or by sending the photo along to us. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number with the not-so-easy-on-the-eyes view.
Ah, so close, yet so far. We think this view from the seventh floor of the Hilton Baltimore is most offensive not because of the tease factor here. See, from the seventh floor, you get a clear view of the HVAC equipment — a little bit of rooftop action, some moss, views into the window of what looks like the fitness center (and the people on the stationary bikes, it's worth noting, get a red hot view into your room). And you also get a kickass view of the stands inside Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
But from the seventh floor, you can see none of the field at all. Maybe you can snag an awesome view of the game action from the next floor up... but not from here. Nope. No sir.
No doubt this is a kickass hotel for baseball fans because of the location, but this room would just be a bit of a bummer (as we're sure it must have been for voteprime, who snapped this shot).
With 757 rooms, this is the largest hotel in downtown Baltimore and it's generally a convention hotel (there is skybridge access to the B-more Convention Center), but with so many rooms to choose from, try your best to get one with a good view if you hit this place up.
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Sweeping Views of a Cubicle Farm From Tremont Plaza
You know the scene. You open the door to your brand new hotel room, run over to the window, open the blinds and bam, you are hit with the anti-view. Maybe you are looking down a dirty alley, witnessing a drug deal, staring at an air shaft in the face, or seeing a brick wall. Whatever you are viewing it is not extremely pleasurable. Help out your fellow hotel mavens by uploading your anti-views to the HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool, or by sending the photo along to us. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number with the not-so-easy-on-the-eyes view.
Did you miss your office while you were on vacation in Baltimore enjoying some crabcakes and beer and whatnot? Yeah, because if you did, you could stay at The Tremont Plaza, where can see right into someone else's offices right out of your hotel room window! And they can see you! What a treat!
Must be a drag to see all those people shuffling papers and hitting up the Xerox machine, being reminded of all the work you're missing when you're on your Maryland vacay (and, hopefully, you're being reminded to close your curtains) ... but, to be honest, it's probably a bigger drag for the people in that office to watch you get a roomservice breakfast at 10 a.m. when they've been in their cubicle drinking burnt coffee since 8:00.
Sciurus snapped this shot from the 31st floor of the hotel earlier this month. Yum.
Well, on the plus side, the website boasts the Tremont Plaza's location as "blocks from the Inner Harbor, National Aquarium, and Science Center" — at least they're not pretending to offer views of anything spectacular.
[Photo: Sciurus]
Tags: Anti-View / Baltimore Hotels / Hotel Construction / → All Tags
New Four Seasons Kinda Taints the Marriott Baltimore Waterfront's View
You know the scene. You open the door to your brand new hotel room, run over to the window, open the blinds and bam, you are hit with the anti-view. Maybe you are looking down a dirty alley, witnessing a drug deal, staring at an air shaft in the face, or seeing a brick wall. Whatever you are viewing it is not extremely pleasurable. Help out your fellow hotel mavens by uploading your anti-views to the HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool, or by sending the photo along to us. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number with the not-so-easy-on-the-eyes view.
Well, the scene outside the window of the Marriott Baltimore Waterfront would have been worthy of the coveted HotelChatter Killer View honor (and one if its views actually was worthy), but unfortunately the hoity-toity Four Seasons has to come to the party and ruin it for everyone.
The previously not-so-bad view of the Inner Harbor now has a big ol' Four Seasons Residences in the works (the building has no hotel rooms -- just private residential living). The construction is slated for completion in Spring 2009, but as a lovely Four Seasons staffer said on the phone, "that's not guaranteed."
Whether construction is finished or not, the structure will still be there -- which we suppose is not so bad, considering you can still see the water and the boats and such. At least the cranes and noise won't be there forever.
[Photo: TomBarnes]
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The Brand New Hilton Baltimore for $99 a Night
Thanksgiving in Baltimore's Inner Harbor
$99 a night
We have a love-hate relationship with hotels near convention centers. They are usually boring and old. They also tend to jack up the room rates when a convention is in town. But on the flip side, when conventions aren't in town, the room rates drop drastically.
The Hilton Baltimore, which is connected via skybridge to the Baltimore Convention Center, has room rates of $99 on TravelZoo from Nov. 24-27 (Thanksgiving y'all!) and from Dec. 15-Jan. 5, including New Year's Eve.
While this is a big-box hotel chain property, the Hilton is only a few months old, having opened in August. This means it's new! And back in August rates were at $299 a night. A deal indeed.
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