Baltimore, part 1: Lodging

So, we just spent the night in Baltimore and, I've got to say, it's a nice place. We stayed at Henderson's Wharf Inn at Fell's Point on the harbor. This Inn ranks a very close second to Hotel Metropole in Venice as my favorite place I have ever stayed. There are only 2 reasons that Hotel Metropole outranks Henderson's Wharf Inn in my book. The first is that Hotel Metropole was on the Grand Canal in Venice. That's pretty hard to beat. The second reason is that in Venice we were able to open the windows in our room and have the sea air blow into the room. The windows at Henderson's do not open, but the setting and view are still fantastic. Excluding those two factors, though, Henderson's Wharf Inn was a nicer hotel overall.

There are very few places I have stayed when I have traveled that made me want to stay in the hotel rather than explore the city. Henderson's is one of those places: quiet, peaceful, and beautiful, inside and out. The staff was very helpful and the hotel provided several nice touches which I will describe shortly. Let me preface those comments with one thing that has always annoyed me about nice hotels. Nice hotels, while charging you an arm and a leg to stay there, then proceed to nickel and dime you to death: 25 cents per call, 10 dollars a day for internet access, 3 dollars for a can of Coke from the fridge, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

Henderson's, in contrast, provides a complimentary bottle of wine at check-in, complimentary internet access, complimentary coffee and tea (available 24 hours), complimentary business center with complimentary printing, and the best continental breakfast I have ever had. They had fresh blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, and pineapple. There was an array of fresh breads, pastries, and cheeses, as well. A beautiful inner courtyard provided a very attractive and serene place to enjoy our breakfast. The rooms were spacious and well-appointed. The feather bed provided one of the most comfortable nights of sleep I have had.

If you ever find yourself spending a night in Baltimore, I highly recommend Henderson's Wharf Inn to you. You will not be disappointed. You should, however, book in advance, as there are only 38 rooms in the Inn.