Scene
Surrounded by brownstones and public parks, Hotel Revival is set in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood which is still full of the kind of historic buildings that have long been demolished in other cities. Inside, the lobby pairs dark wood accents with broad white columns and has a large L-shaped couch for travelers to plot their day. The upper section has library-style work desks, and there’s even a scale model of the building, now serving as an art piece. A market sells goods from local, female-owned and BIPOC brands.
Hotel Revival welcomes a mix of leisure travelers and visitors to the nearby Johns Hopkins Peabody Institute, the lauded school’s music conservatory. Employees share their Baltimore pride and are happy to provide local recommendations. The staff is also connected with the community, facilitating fundraisers and opportunities to give back including, on my visit, a sock drive.
Location
Close enough to the harbor but without the cheesy restaurants
If it’s your first time visiting Baltimore, you might be tempted to stay closer to the Inner Harbor, with its chain outposts like the Hard Rock Cafe and Phillips Seafood. But this circa 1928 hotel feels more like staying somewhere you’d want to live. Hotel Revival is within walking distance of plenty of restaurants and attractions and a short ride away from the National Aquarium, Baltimore Washington International Airport and other landmarks.
Baltimore’s public transportation includes a water taxi, light rail and buses, as well as bike and scooter shares. The Charm City Circulator’s Purple Route picks up at the Washington Monument and can take you to the Baltimore Museum of Art to the north before returning south to the Inner Harbor. The Centre Street light rail station is also nearby.
Check out the below spots when you’re in town. For our full guide, see this.
- It’s easy to spend hours roaming the galleries of the Walters Museum of Art, which has an incredible selection of works from around the world, including Renaissance paintings and modern sculptures. The museum is also free to visit.
- The Enoch Pratt Free Library is a stunning building in its own right, with its marble columns and Art Deco chandeliers, but also hosts a variety of programming like author readings and classes for kids.
- The Maryland Center for History and Culture highlights items tied to the state like colonial drawings of the James River, quilts and an early copy of the sheet music for the “Star Spangled Banner.”
- Tucked inside Hotel Ulysses, Bloom’s feels like a 1980s strip club with its mirrored walls and bright pink furniture. Sip on classic and creative cocktails.
- The Owl Bar has been open since 1903 and operated as a speakeasy during Prohibition. It still has the owl statues that give it its name along with dozens of signed photos of celebrities that have imbibed here over the years.
- Start the day at Cafe Fili, a local chain of Mediterranean restaurants with sandwiches, salads, hummus and local coffee.
- Wet City is a funky brewery specializing in IPAs, sours and lagers. There are also cocktails and a food menu with burgers and wings. The name is a nod to Maryland’s refusal to enforce Prohibition.
- Browse local fare at Lexington Market, an indoor market and food hall with a range of cuisines like vegan, bagels and Malaysian. Pick up any cut of meat and ingredients for a meal or go straight for one of the prepared foods from the merchants.
- You can’t visit Baltimore without paying your respects at the Edgar Allan Poe grave, located in a downtown church cemetery. The obelisk marks where he’s currently buried and another marker is where he was previously interred.
Rooms
Loft-like spaces styled with antiques and local artwork
The 107 rooms at Hotel Revival are large and feel like you could comfortably live in them, with a tasteful mixing of floral patterns and cozy rugs atop the exposed hardwood floors. They come stocked with essentials like a mini fridge and a pour-over station with local tea and coffee from Black Acres Coffee and Wight Tea Company. The bathroom has environmentally-friendly Lor Tush toilet paper, also local, and Beekman 1802 bath products.
Guest room types include:
- King: The 275 square-foot space with a king bed has all the amenities plus a flat-screen television. The upgraded Revival King has slightly more space, at 300 square feet.
- Monument King: This room is 370 square feet and has views of the Washington Monument and a work desk. The Corner King has the same features plus more windows for natural light and 450 square feet of space.
- Revival Double: Ideal for sharing, this 345 square foot room has all the perks with two beds. The Corner Double has 10 more square feet to work with and is the largest of the double rooms.
- King Studio: The 320 square foot room feels like a modest apartment.
- Miss Mary Suite: Named for local suffragist and philanthropist Mary Elizabeth Garrett, who once lived in the building, the largest room in the hotel has panoramic views, 775 square feet, a king bed and all of the standard hotel amenities.
Amenities
Everything you need for a perfect stay in the Charm City
Hotel Revival has everything you’d expect, including a fitness center with treadmills and ellipticals as well as valet parking, which is $49 per day. You can also find two-hour street parking most days.
‘Dashery
The hotel’s cafe is open for breakfast and lunch daily at 6:30 am for those early risers. The menu has favorites like breakfast sandwiches and avocado toast, plus tea and coffee from Black Acres and Wight.
Topside
Take in the sunset views from Topside, the rooftop restaurant highlighting the seafood Baltimore is known for like lobster pasta and seafood rice. The drinks menu includes creative zero-proof varieties, so the sober folks won’t feel left out, and puts a special emphasis on local, Black-owned and woman-owned brands.
B-Side Cocktails @ Karaoke
Once you’ve had your fill, head downstairs to B-Side Cocktails & Karaoke, the speakeasy hidden on the first floor. Ask the desk how to access it. (Hint: check the jukebox.) The cocktails skew from approachable and sweet to savory and boozy, so ask your bartender for recommendations. Then, belt out some tunes in the private karaoke rooms, each decorated in a different style.