Holiday Inn Baltimore-Inner Harbor

Modern amenities and updated decor make this Holiday Inn feel relatively new, but it actually opened in 1964, with the Beatles as some of its first guests that year. A rounded room at the top of the 13-story building was originally a rotating restaurant, and today it’s used as a non-rotating event venue. The property has been well maintained and the decor is contemporary, albeit generic and unmemorable.

Food-wise, the property features an American restaurant, lounge bar, and a coffee shop (Dottie’s), which was named after a Human Resources director that has worked at the hotel for over 50 years. The hotel also has an impressive pool (they claim that it’s the largest indoor pool in Baltimore), a spacious 24-hour fitness center, and a dry sauna. The Charm City Circulator bus, free to everyone in the city, picks up passengers just outside the hotel.

Guests run the gambit from Orioles baseball fans to convention-goers to business travelers. There are fewer families here than in a typical Holiday Inn, but it still has a family-friendly vibe and is a popular spot for reunions. A group of Vietnam veterans was having a reunion during our visit.

Located in the heart of downtown Baltimore, this Holiday Inn is within walking distance of all the main attractions. The Baltimore Convention Center, Camden Yards ballpark, and Hippodrome Theatre are a five-minute walk from the hotel, and the main shopping and dining strip on the waterfront is a 10- to 15-minute walk east. The Baltimore Airport (BWI) is about ten miles away, and a Light Rail train (which stops right outside the hotel) will take guests there in 35 minutes. Parts of the neighborhood may feel seedy at night (we witnessed two street fights during our weekday visit).

The Holiday Inn has 365 rooms, each with a microwave, basic coffeemaker, flat-screen TV, mini-fridge, stereo with iPod dock, and free Wi-Fi. Rooms sleep up to four, and guests can choose from one king bed with a sofa bed or two queen beds. Select rooms on higher floors offer views of the ballpark and surrounding city. The hotel also has 11 suites with separate bedrooms. The decor features earthy tones and errs on the safe side -- generic wooden furniture, white bedspreads, green and cream-colored walls, modern landscape paintings, and dark brown carpets.

An on-site American restaurant, Eden West, is open daily and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A coffee shop next to the lobby sells souvenirs, toiletries, and local Baltimore foods (such as beers and ice cream). Free water and snacks are available in the lobby every evening, and on select game days there’s free beer too. Wednesday evenings usually include a Manager’s Reception with free snacks, beer, and wine. There’s a 24-hour business center and fitness center, a large indoor pool, and a dry sauna. Room service is offered until midnight.