Best Baltimore Hotels

Celie’s is a bit cutesy and a lot cozy, the sort of B&B where Baltimoreans like to book their guests, because it’s the kind of place that exemplifies the, well, charm for which Charm City is known. Unlike the big-box properties, all of the rooms here have great views, be it onto a center courtyard, leafy garden or the Baltimore harbor. The third-floor brick-walled Suite 9 is an exercise in contemporary interior excellence, and while it’s a bit much for a couple, it’s perfect for a family. If you want B&B-style digs by the water, this is your spot.

The Inn is one of our favorite digs in town. It’s a B&B that eschews the antique frippery that is so consistent within the genre in favor of contemporary interior design and the best of amenities. The five individually-appointed rooms come in various shades of two-tone trendy, with accents like Jacuzzis, Gilchrest & Soames toiletries, high-thread-count sheets you could live on and a playful sense of hip throughout—the sexy Bordello is our favorite. This intense coolness does not mean a sacrifice in warm hospitality from owners Warren Munroe and David Rohrbaugh, who do their damndest to make your Baltimore vacation an interesting one. You’re within easy pass-out distance of the great nightlife in Canton Square—a big bonus.

We’re not going to outright say Aunt Rebecca’s is a girly B&B, but look: their four rooms are themed Duchess, Princess, Queen and Cinderella. Just sayin’. And, for the record, we opt for the blue-and-yellow, China-porcelain reminiscent Duchess Room. If you’re into lace accents, pretty period furniture like claw-foot bathtubs and a profusion of cozy accoutrements—the antique embellishments that make you feel like you’re having a spoiled stay at Grandma’s—pop on in. That sense of familiarity is helped along by the very lovely innkeepers, who bend over backwards to make you feel at home.

Not too modern, not too lacey, the Scarborough Fair is just about right in the execution of its six rooms. The décor is pretty without being over the top in any one direction, although our favorite room is the Edgar Allen Poe suite, with its gothic-chic accents and a literary wink in the form of a bust of Pallas. While these interiors may seem a little middle-of-the-road in terms of their decorative flair, the service is hardly such; the owners are energetically kind and accommodating, and the Federal Hill location leaves South Baltimore and the Inner Harbor at your fingertips. They aim to provide organic and locally-grown ingredients in the complimentary breakfast.