Michelin Guide honors two Baltimore hotels -
The Ivy Hotel and the Sagamore Pendry hotel in Baltimore were recently honored by the Michelin Guide, one of the highest distinctions in the hotel industry.
The Michelin Guide, which also reviews restaurants, on Sept. 12 announced its top honors of 2024 for hotels in the United States .
Among those honored was the Ivy Hotel, which earned Michelin's Two Key distinction, and the Sagamore Pendry Baltimore, which earned the One Key distinction. Each is the only hotel in Maryland in their respective level of Key distinction.
Michelin awards One, Two, and Three Keys to hotel businesses. As of 2024, the Michelin Guide now includes 16 Three Key hotels, 70 Two Key hotels, and 207 One Key hotels within the United States.
Located at 205 E. Biddle St. in Baltimore's Mount Vernon neighborhood, The Ivy Hotel is one of the few Black-owned boutique hotels in the U.S.
The restored 19th-century mansion's "red-brick beauty" is "distinctly Baltimorean," Michelin writes, and the hotel offers luxury hospitality befitting any worldly traveler.
"Its rooms are outfitted with lush fabrics, four-poster beds, and gas fireplaces, and its bathrooms feature heated limestone floors and, in some cases, soaking tubs," Michelin writes.
In addition to their rooms or suites, guests at the Ivy Hotel can also enjoy several beautiful common spaces, including a conservatory with a restored piano that once belonged to the original owners' heirs; a tea room with complimentary afternoon tea; a library; a game room with billiards and card tables; and a self-serve bar. There is also a spa with treatment rooms, a salon, and a private couples treatment room.
The Ivy Hotel is also home to the acclaimed restaurant Magdalena , a Maryland bistro with a menu inspired by the Chesapeake Bay.
The Sagamore Pendry Baltimore is located at 1715 Thames St. in 'Point, overlooking the Patapsco River.
"A bit of poolside lounging might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you imagine a Baltimore boutique hotel, but the Sagamore Pendry Baltimore is anything but typical," Michelin writes. "The harborside neighborhood of Fell's Point isn't just the city's liveliest corner, with the highest concentration of restaurants and bars, it's also home to the historic Recreation Pier — on which, above the waters of the harbor, stands the Sagamore Pendry, a renovation of a grand century-old building (whose façade might be familiar from Baltimore's own Homicide television series)." The hotel's generously sized guest rooms mix modern aspects and contemporary style with a historical atmosphere, Michelin writes.
"The décor bears a slight nautical tinge, though it stops well short of theme-hotel kitsch," the guide's writers describe.
Sagamore Pendry Baltimore also offers Italian fare in the Rec Pier Chop House , and "an encyclopedically stocked whiskey bar" at the Cannon Room .
"Season permitting, they're joined by an outdoor bar and grill on the pool deck. Baltimore isn't exactly known for this kind of hotel experience, but we have a feeling they'll take to it with enthusiasm," Michelin writes.
