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.