Sagamore Pendry | new hotel with local character

view in front of the Sagamore Pendry, Fells Point, Baltimore

Fells Point is a colorful neighborhood in Baltimore, Maryland with original cobblestone streets, antique buildings with brick facades, lots of local places to eat and drink ... and now a brand new hotel. The Sagamore Pendry has taken over the Recreation Pier, built in 1914, a building originally created to store cargo at the Port of Baltimore. It was later repurposed as a community center and was also used as a studio for a TV show, Homicide: Life on the Street. The site, purchased by the CEO of Under Armour, has been developed into a boutique hotel with 128 rooms and suites, a restaurant, a whiskey bar, infinity pool overlooking the harbour, and event space.

Pendry is the new "lifestyle" brand of Montage Hotels, one of the preeminent luxury hotel brands in North America, the Sagamore being the second hotel in the new brand. (The first Pendry is located in San Diego). I spent two nights at the Sagamore last week and really enjoyed my stay. My Deluxe Harbor Suite was spacious and comfortable — a large living room with work desk, Master Bedroom, full marble bathroom with dual vanities, large soaking tub, step-in shower, and WC. The living room had a powder room, and the step-out balcony overlooked the harbor. While the Superior and Deluxe guestrooms are just 375 square feet, the nearly square dimensions of the room provide a very residential and comfortable feel. Bathrooms in guestrooms provide a single vanity, step-in shower, and WC.

Planning a trip to Baltimore this summer? You can easily walk from the Sagamore Pendry to the National Aquarium — just a bit more than a mile... or you might also choose the Four Seasons Baltimore, just a half mile from the aquarium.

copyright (c) 2017 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

the best travel blazer?

the Bluffworks Blazer (used without permission, but I'm sure they won't mind)

Could this be the best travel blazer ever made? Perhaps, and I'll be giving it a try on a trip I'm taking next week to Palm Beach (to visit my dad) and Baltimore (for an Ourisman Travel meeting).

I had the opportunity to purchase this travel coat during its Kickstarter start-up phase, so I did enjoy a bit of a discount. What attracted me to this jacket? The claim that you could literally throw it in the washing machine and then the dryer. Typically, suites or blazers have to go to the dry cleaners to get pressed after spending time folded up in a suitcase. I'll get to test the claim after my trip.

I really like the feel of the material. It has a soft feel and a dressy look, so I'll enjoy wearing it. And for travelers, the jacket has ten pockets ... some of them with security zippers making it easy to safeguard a passport, iPhone, iPad, or credit card against pickpockets.

For a quick follow-up and report on how it came out of the washer and dryer (as well as planned site reports from two Baltimore hotels, the Four Seasons Baltimore and the Sagamore Pendry), follow this blog!

copyright (c) 2017 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Four Seasons Baltimore | inner harbor luxury

view from Executive Suite # 801, shortly before dawn, (c) 2014 by David Ourisman

A contemporary hotel located right in the heart of Baltimore's inner harbor area, I found the Four Seasons Baltimore to be a comfortable and attractive city hotel. The styling is casual and elegant, creating an "at home" feeling in the guest rooms and suites. The effect is pleasant and extremely well done, and I very much enjoyed my stay. The hotel has 256 rooms, of which 45 are suites. I had the opportunity to see a Partial Water View Terrace Room (502 sq ft), and we stayed in a FS Executive Suite with Water View (953 sq ft).

Regular guest rooms are in the range of 502 - 530 sq foot (inclusive of bathroom and closet area). Entering the door of your room, there is a closet and luggage storage area straight ahead, large enough to use as a dressing area. The bathroom is to one side of the entrance, equipped with a single vanity, TV in the mirror, WC, step-in shower (with both rain shower and wall mounted shower heads), and deep soaking tub. The bedroom is to the other side of the entry. The Partial Water View Terrace room we saw had a King bed, desk space (thoughtfully equipped with four power sockets at desktop level), and sitting area. The bedroom of the Terrace room had pleasant dimensions, more square than rectangular, which helped create the hotel's residential feel.

Thoughts on which room category to choose:

1. The views from Full Water View rooms are stunning, so if you enjoy a great view, it's definitely worthwhile to upsell into these categories. Because the hotel is frequently 100% occupied, you can't count on an upgrade into the best views.
2. Unless you intend to make significant use of an outdoor terrace (which occupies some of the room's total square footage), I recommend booking a "regular" guest room in order to enjoy a larger bedroom and sitting area.

We stayed in a FS Executive Suite with Water View (#801), and it was a WOW suite. Wrapping around the northwest corner of the building, the LR faced directly north toward the heart of the Inner Harbor and Camden Yards. The BR occupied the corner, with views both to the south and west. Moreover, the hallway leading to the bathroom and dressing room area had west facing floor-to-ceiling windows; the panorama included a good view of the iconic "Dominoes Sugars" sign to the south (see the photo above). The Executive Suite's bathroom was larger than that of guest rooms but still provided only a single vanity.

Other facilities: The hotel has a fully equipped Fitness center on the fourth floor (open 24/7), offering harbor views while you exercise. An outdoor Infinity pool, open only in the warmer months, offers lounge chairs and resort service reminiscent of Four Seasons beach resorts (roving attendants with Evian mist and occasional cold snacks). The hotel's full service Spa offers complimentary sauna, steam room, and jacuzzi for guests. FSPP guests can make good use of the $100 spa credit, part of the amenity package.

Book FS Baltimore with Four Seasons Preferred Partner travel consultant to receive the complimentary FSPP amenities:

• Daily full American breakfast for two people per bedroom, served through In-Room Dining or in the hotel restaurant (including buffets)

• Spa credit of USD100 once during stay (not applicable to products)

• Upgrade of one category, based on availability at time of check-in (excluding signature suites and villas)

• Now standard at all properties: Complimentary Basic Internet (up to 2 devices) in all guest rooms, Complimentary Premium Internet (up to 4 devices) in all Suites.

copyright (c) 2014 by David Ourisman LLC. As affiliates of Brownell Travel, we can provide our clients with Virtuoso amenities and amenities from other Brownell preferred hotel partners including Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, and more. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

by the dawn's early light

view from my window this morning

The few minutes before dawn are my absolute favorite time for photography, and this morning was a delight. Woke up in time to capture this picture through the east-facing window in our wrap-around corner suite at Four Seasons Baltimore. In the foreground is a small marina, and the iconic 40 foot Dominos Sugars sign can be seen in the background. But what I love most of all is the surface of the harbor, luminescent with the dawn's early light.

Baltimore is a historic city, the place where the national anthem of the United States was penned by Francis Scott Key in 1814. Despite the onslaught of "bombs bursting in air" (the bombardment of Baltimore's Fort McHenry in the War of 1812), onlookers could see "by the dawn's early light ... that our flag was still there."

A number of tourist attractions are within walking distance of the Four Seasons — the Civil War Museum, the National Aquarium, Ripley's Believe it or Not, the Maryland Science Museum, and the American Visionary Arts Museum ... not to mention the Harbor East Shopping area with high-end national brands in a non-mall setting.

copyright (c) 2014 by David Ourisman LLC. As affiliates of Brownell Travel, we can provide our clients with Virtuoso amenities and amenities from other Brownell preferred hotel partners including Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, and more. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Thanksgiving, Baltimore style

I've spent very little time in Baltimore, despite growing up less than 40 miles away. But my son and daughter-in-law moved to Baltimore a year ago, and they're hosting Thanksgiving dinner. Josh is a partner with Bolster Labs, a web design company located in Baltimore … and Jessica heads the east coast office of Ourisman Travel.

After many years of celebrating Thanksgiving in New York, I'll miss walking through Central Park, catching live glimpses of the Macy's Parade, and making my early morning Black Friday visits to the 5th Avenue Apple Store (reasonable crowds at 5 a.m. - impossible crowds later in the day).

So what awaits me in Baltimore? We'll of course be staying at the Four Seasons Baltimore, located on the inner harbour. Later this week, I'll let you know about the rooms, the service, and what to do in the area. If your plans take you to Baltimore, contact me (or any Four Seasons Preferred Partner travel consultant) to get complimentary breakfast for two, free internet, $100 spa credit, and space available upgrades at the best luxury hotel in Baltimore.

copyright (c) 2014 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.