Baltimore - Sleep Inn Inner Harbor, Park and Sail Review

I just got off the Carnival Pride this morning in Baltimore and thought I would comment on my experience with the Sleep Inn Inner Harbor's Park and Sail package.

First off, it is a little more money than some of the hotels farther from downtown. We paid $189 + tax for 4 people for one night stay plus parking while onboard. Oddly there is a $15 parking fee for each night you actually stay in the hotel. Yes, that's right $15 for the nights you are there and free when you are not. It also included transportation by a third party service to and from the cruise port. So it was $233 total for four people. Some of the hotels at the airport were $150 + tax and an additional $5 or $10 for the 3rd and 4th passengers being shuttled.

Check-in is 3:00PM but they had a room for us when we got there at 2:00. Check in was flawless and the young woman at the desk was pleasant and helpful. She did say that if the room wasn't ready we could still leave our car and go downtown. The room was very nice. The hotel is in an old warehouse which makes it almost like a boutique hotel. There was a nice typical hotel breakfast included.

One of the reasons we booked this hotel was because you could walk to the Inner Harbor or Little Italy. After we freshened up we decided to walk downtown. The hotel does provide a free shuttle to most local locations but we walked. We asked the young woman at the desk for directions to the National Aquarium and she gave us a map marked the best route and then said she could sell us Express Passes to the aquarium at $5 off each ticket. We did that and saved $20.

The walk to the Inner Harbor took about 15-20 minutes. During the first block or two we passed many homeless people. There is a small park where many live. No one bothered us and I felt safe at all times. Once passed this area we were in the middle of tourists and locals headed to an Orioles game. We walked around the harbor a little, had something to eat, then went to the aquarium where we walked right in because we had the Express Passes. After the aquarium we walked back to the hotel to freshen up and then headed back towards Little Italy. We had a nice dinner at La Scala, walked around a little then headed back for a comfortable nights rest.

We had made arrangements for an 11:00AM shuttle to the port because we had staggered check-in time of 11:00-11:30. We were the only ones going at that time so the 3rd party transport company sent a Town Car instead of a van or SUV. The car arrived about 15 minutes early. The driver had to struggle to get all our luggage in the trunk but it worked out and we arrived in style at the port at 11:00AM. We walked in the termianl checked in, got a seat in the third row, and were on the ship around 1:00PM (the ship was about 30 minutes late arriving that morning).

After the cruise, once we were out of the terminal I called the transport service around 10:40 (I got yelled by security for using my cell phone while still in the terminal). The driver said he would be there in about 20 minutes. It was more like 40 but I do not blame him because there was a lot of traffic. He called my cell when he got to the pickup area, I waved, he saw me and pulled right up to where we were waiting. He was in a fully loaded GMC Yukon so the ride was a little more comfortable back the hotel than the town car. While we were waiting we saw a couple of hotel vans picking up passengers that were arguing with each about who called first and then squeezing into the van all hot and aggravated. It was all a very nice personal experience for us. The drive said they also haves larger vans if there are more people but he said they only pickup the people that call in the order they call. We were back at the hotel in about 12 minutes and the driver pulled right up to our car in the hotel lot. He unloaded the bags, I tipped him and we were set for the drive home. We did go into the hotel lobby to use the restrooms and the young woman at the desk was very pleasant (different girl than the week before).

Overall, I very happy with the stay and the service and would stay here again in the same situation. It cost more but the convenience of walking to downtown and Little Italy plus the personalized transfer to the port was worth it.

One last comment about the area. The hotel is very close to downtown and the inner habor. As such, some may be concerned about the location. Across the street is pretty much streets and access to the highway. A large US Post Office transfer facility is directy behind the hotel. There is a Holiday Inn on one side (much higher price without the parking deal) and the other side is a city of Baltimore vehicle shop. It may sound bad but really isn't for a downtown location. It was not any worse than walking around New Orleans, Seattle, New York, or San Francisco. I was cautious but not afriad.

I hope this helps people considering a park and sail out of Baltimore.