HELLO CHARM CITY – BALTIMORE , MARYLAND – HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS – DOWNTOWN BALTIMORE

In an earlier  post ,  I  mentioned  the Hampton  Inn  Downtown  Convention  Center  as a hotel  option  if you’re  visiting  the  city  of  Baltimore .

(See sportsandtravelblog.wordpress.com/2017/08-09-Hello-Charm-City-Baltimore-Hampton-Inn-Downtown-Convention-Center  )

There’s  another  hotel  that I  would  recommend  if you  happen  to  be  staying  in  town .

It’s  located  on North  Gay Street  and it’s  not really  that far from the  Hampton  Inn .

It’s  the  Holiday  Inn  Express  Downtown .

When  you  walk  into  the  lobby ,  you look  around  and  you  get  the  feeling  that  you’re  in your  local  bank.

You aren’t  that  far  from  the  truth .

This used to  be  the  Old Town  Bank of  Baltimore  and the  hotel  has  kept  many  of  the bank’s  features ,  like the interior .

As with  many  hotels ,  check in time  is 3pm and check out  time is Noon.

The hotel  isn’t  only  close  to  the  major  Baltimore  attractions  like  the  Inner  Harbor  and  the  Convention  Center ,  but it’s  also  close  to  one  of  the  major  hospitals  in  the  country ,  John Hopkins  Medical  Center .

You could  walk  to  the  Inner  Harbor  from  the  hotel ,  but they  make  it  so easy for  you  not to  do  that .

There’s  a  complimentary  hotel  shuttle  that  not only  brings you  to  the  Inner  Harbor ,  but John  Hopkins  as well  as  the  Convention  Center .

Are you  going  to  Orioles  Park  at  Camden  Yards  to  see a game?

(Of course  you are .  This  is  a  30 Plus  Teams  Tour, after all . )

They’ll drop you off  as close to  the  stadium  as possible  as well as  the  Baltimore  Basilica and the restaurants  in Little  Italy  as well .

The  shuttle  runs until  midnight .

They won’t  pick  you  up  at the  Baltimore  Thurgood  Marshall  Airport  or Greyhound  Terminal ,  but if you’re  coming on an Amtrak, the shuttle  will pick you up at Baltimore’s  Penn Station .

Just give them a call .

The  hotel  does offer  a breakfast  buffet  as well as  a  fitness  center .

Don’t  look for  a  pool  though .

There isn’t  one.

Like  the  Hampton  Inn ,  the rooms  are  spacious ,  with  a  microwave ,  refrigerator ,  coffee  makers ,  and big mirrors .

You don’t  have  any fantastic  views of the two  stadiums ,  but with the  shuttle ,  you’ll  be  watching  baseball  and football  in no time .

There aren’t  any  restaurants  next door or across  the  street  from  the  hotel ,  but there’s  a  24 hour 7-Eleven ,  which is okay in my book.

Perfect  for  those  late night  munchies .

The  hotel  isn’t  close to  public  transportation ,  but  the  shuttle is your best friend , just make sure to  check  the  times that  the shuttle  runs.

Holiday  Inn Express  Downtown  is another option for you if you happen  to  be  staying  in town .

 

Holiday  Inn Express

221 North Gay  Street

Baltimore ,  Maryland

410-400-8045

 

HELLO CHARM CITY – BALTIMORE , MARYLAND – HAMPTON INN DOWNTOWN CONVENTION CENTER

If your 30  Plus  Teams  Tour  brings  you  to  Baltimore ,  aka  “Charm  City  “, you  have  so  many  hotel  options  to stay  at.

You  all are  going  to  see  either  a Baltimore  Ravens  football  game  at M  and  T Stadium  or you’re  going  to  an  Orioles  baseball  game  at Camden  Yards .

You want  a hotel  Downtown ,  correct?

You don’t  want  one that’s  in the next town over.

My suggestion  is to  stay  at the  Hampton  Inn  Downtown  Convention  Center .

How close  is this  hotel  to both  stadiums ?

You couldn’t  get  any closer  if you  tried .

As you  get out of your cab or rental  car  that brought  you here, look behind  you.

That’s  Camden  Yards  in front  of  you  and right  behind  that  is the home  of  the  Ravens .

You really  can’t  get  any closer  than  that .

As you enter  the  lobby  and look  to your  left, the first  piece  of  sculpture  that  you  see  just  happens  to  be  a  baseball  glove.

A HUGE  baseball  glove at that .

This  isn’t  a  piece  of  art work ,  though .

It happens  to  be  a  chair  and the  little  ones  could  fit  into  it comfort

I wouldn’t  advise  two  grownups  to try sitting  in  the chair  though .

Like the  other  Hampton  Inns,  this one  also  offers  free breakfast, including  waffles and pancakes .

If it’s  one of  those  nice, but  hot  and  humid  Baltimore  days ,  you can sit on the patio  and have breakfast  at one of  the  tables .

The hotel  happens  to  have a pool  in case  you  want  to  channel  your  inner  Michael  Phelps ,  who just  happens  to  be  a native  of  the  city .

The rooms  themselves  are spacious  with microwaves ,  refrigerators ,  and coffeemakers  for those  guests  like me who need  that  cup of  Joe  in the  morning .

Some rooms  even  have a bird’s  eye view, ( pardon  the  pun, this is Birdland)  of both  stadiums .

That  coffee  and the free breakfast   gets you going  in the morning ,  ready  to  explore  the Inner  Harbor ,  Little  Italy ,  and Lexington  Market ,  all of  which  are  close  by.

You can take public  transportation  to  get  there  as well .

If you  happen  to  be  arriving  by Greyhound ,  the terminal is roughly  30 minutes  away, if that .

If you’re  looking  for  a  place to  eat  before  and  after  the  game, just a few steps  away  from  the  hotel  is Pickles  Pub, which  has some of  the  largest pizza  pies  that I’ve  ever  seen .

You  do  have  a  lot  of  choices  on where  to  stay  when  you  come  to  Baltimore ,  but one of  the  hotels  that  I  would  strongly  recommend  is  the  Hampton  Inn  Downtown  Convention  Center  .

If you’re  coming  to  Charm  City  for a  game ,  or as the  name  suggests ,  in town  for something  going  on  at the  Baltimore  Convention  Center .

The Baltimore  Convention  Center  is also  across  the  street  from  Camden  Yards .

Hampton  Inn  Downtown  Convention  Center

550  Washington  Boulevard

Baltimore ,  MD

410-685-5000  

YOU’RE AN MVP WHEN YOU ATTEND YOUR FIRST BASEBALL GAME AT ORIOLES PARK IN BALTIMORE .

Somebody  told you that while  you’re  on your  30  Plus  Teams  Tour  of  Baltimore ,  one of  the  things you should  do besides  eating some crab cakes ,  is attend  a  Baltimore  Orioles  baseball  game  at Orioles  Park  at  Camden  Yards .

You  might  not be a fan of  the  team, or not even know anything  about  the  game of baseball .

But after the game is over, get yourself  to the  Guests Relations Department ,  which is on the way out.

Tell them that  it’s  your first game there.

Also throw in the  fact that you  had a great  time, because  actually  you will.

Orioles  Park at Camden  Yards  is one of  my favorite  ball parks and I’m  a Yankees  fan.

They will give you  a packet with lots of  Orioles  goodies in it.

One of  which is a certificate  with your name on it and the date that you saw the game.

It  may not seem  like  much, but at a time when a lot of  professional  teams really don’t  seem as though they care about  their true fans, this is a nice gesture by the Baltimore  Orioles .