Hotel Revival

Worth getting out of bed for

Leafy Mount Vernon, formerly home to George Washington, is Baltimore’s cultural epicenter and luckily for us, Hotel Revival puts us right in the middle of its storied locale. There are plenty of places to learn more about the city’s past and the Maryland Center for History and Culture is a great place to start, as its hallowed halls brim with 19th-century artefacts that pay homage to the state’s heritage. The Washington Monument (built before its perhaps better-known DC counterpart) stands tall on the intersection of Washington Place and Mount Vernon Place, with 227 steps that lead to impressive city panoramas. Just across the road, the Walters Art Museum hosts exhibitions showcasing international artists; C Grimaldis Gallery is the Charm City’s oldest contemporary gallery, and the Baltimore Museum of Modern Art has ever-changing art collections (and a locally loved onsite crab-cake restaurant, Gertrude’s Chesapeake Kitchen, that’s well worth a pitstop). To learn more about America’s great chroniclers, the homes of Gertrude Stein and F Scott Fitzgerald (where he famously finished Tender Is the Night) are both open to the public, or if you prefer watching over reading, the Lyric Baltimore and Center Stage have rotating rosters of Broadway-worthy plays.

Now you’re an expert on all things Baltimore, head where the locals hang and watch a baseball game at the Oriole Park at Camden Yards or huddle into the M&T Bank Stadium for a touch of American football. The clue’s in the name, but beer-lovers will do well over on Brewers Hill – where craft breweries line almost every street corner – and foodies can seek out samples from local vendors at Lexington Market. And if you’ve accompanying little Smiths, the Maryland Zoo, National Aquarium and Maryland Science Center all make for engaging days out.

Local restaurants

The streets surrounding Hotel Revival are filled with artistic eateries, and Allora sits proud among them for its Italian-inspired cuisine and warm, homey welcome. Vegetarians may want to look away – but the rest of you, be sure to stop by family-owned Restaurante Tío Pepe on East Franklin Street that’s been serving the finest of Spanish cuts since the 1960s. For something lighter, head to Café Fili for Mediterranean, falafel-focused dishes and fresh brews. 

Local cafés

Rich roasted coffees and vinyls exist in harmony at Baby’s on Fire, and along North Howard Street, the Black- and female-owned Couples Tea House is shining a light on the best of Baltimore’s local loose-leaf blends.

Local bars

Maryland may have been the only state not to ban alcohol during the 1920s, but that hasn’t stopped Baltimore’s bars seeking inspiration from the country's notorious speakeasies. Just down East Chase Street, the Owl Bar draws Prohibition-style designs into its moody setting and serves crafted concoctions over its historic dark-stained bartop. ‘Shaken, and not stirred’ – as Bond would say – is a perfectly reasonable request at Sugarvale, where menus are split between the two cocktail-making methods and served in an intimate 35-seat setting (we’d just suggest booking in advance).