Zman83
Google
tl;dr version: the location in "Harbor East" can't be beat. Property and rooms are clean, updated, and spacious; nice touches for kids; BUT service was subpar and spotty and definitely not at FS caliber.||We went for a three-night staycation with our little one before New Year's and booked the basic room (city view room). the room was spacious and the staff arranged for a fridge in the room, which was nice to have with a child. I will say the check-in and pre-check in process was pretty run-of-the-mill. We received a somewhat odd call before check-in asking if we wanted to pay for an upgrade, which I politely declined. At check-in, our daughter was given a crab plush toy, which was nice. but, the staff weren't particularly welcoming or helpful other than that. For example, we were given incorrect information a few times about the ability to rent out the cottages for dinner and were told these were the same cabanas as on the ice skating rink level, which they were not. Had we known they were different, we would have booked one of the cottages (we only realized this later when we were able to see the cottages from our room). We asked for information on the menu, and the staff seemed hard-pressed to find this info. So, probably a 2/5 for the front-desk staff throughout the stay as they hardly acknowledged us any time we were in the lobby. ||Upon entering the room, we were pleased that our room had a decent view of the marina and the Christmas tree, so we were able to enjoy the light show from our room. The room and bathroom were well-appointed and spacious. There were kids' toiletries (and a step stool) and a plate of cookies and chocolates on the table, which were nice touches. We had to request the kids' robe and slippers. The housekeeping staff was superb. there was one lady in particular whose name I'm blanking on who was very helpful and accommodating. Also, when we asked for a couple of waters, we were provided a whole carton full of about a dozen waters. A+ for housekeeping.||We chose this hotel in part because we wanted to try the rooftop iceskating. It was an artificial skating rink, which provided a different feel, but fun for our daughter nonetheless. And, we did the smores as well. The ice skating/rooftop staff were great as well. ||We only tried Maximon for breakfast (to go)--the food was decent, and the staff was friendly. We didn't try the other options on this trip. The location can't be beat, as there is a Whole Feeds and a CVS down the street. The hotel has many restaurants nearby, within the Harbor East area, as as well close by in the Inner Harbor, Little Italy, and Fells Point. The hotel is walking distance to Inner Harbor, which was convenient when we wanted to check out the National Aquarium. ||Overall, 5/5 for location; 5/5 for housekeeping; 5/5 for rooms and property, but a 2/5 for front desk, concierge, etc. staff.