Pendry Baltimore

The venue itself is beautiful and upscale, but the staff's behavior left me deeply disappointed. I was attending the Pendry for the first time, at what was supposed to be a polished, invitation-only event for around 120 Black professionals over 40. It was advertised as a champagne tasting with open bar, food pairings, an information session, and time to socialize, from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m., hosted by a reputable distributor and event promoters. Things were going well until 9:00. Then a man who identified himself as the “AV Director” came straight to the DJ booth, announced, “This event ends now,” and started unplugging the lights and AV equipment while the event was still underway. Everyone was stunned. He and the DJ got into a confrontation, and the supposed director tied his long hair into a bun as if he was getting ready to fight, right in the middle of a professional event. Guests and organizers tried to calm things down, but the music had already stopped and the scene was becoming public. The organizers asked him to bring his manager, a short, dark-haired man. The manager was just as unprofessional, maybe worse. He came in aggressively, wouldn't listen, and confronted the DJ instead of speaking with the planners, which set things off again. When guests responded to his hostile behavior with the same energy, he escalated it further by calling the police before trying to work things out with the organizers. That effectively ended the event. It seemed there'd been a mix-up about the contracted end time. That can happen. The staff's response was what wasn't acceptable, it was unnecessary and completely unprofessional. I was left feeling either unwelcome, or that the people representing the venue lacked basic professionalism. The clients, organizers, and guests deserved better.

The location is hard to beat, right in the city and literally on the water, and the place was otherwise a nice stay. I would recommend it and return. The property is beautiful, from the lobby and dining room through the courtyard and especially the bar. There are lots of staff around and they're willing to help. I only had breakfast and cocktails. They were expensive, as expected, but unlike at most nice hotels, they were actually delicious and mostly felt worth the premium. The rooms are gorgeous, though small for the price and compared with the competitor down the street. I had a first-floor room, which felt quite exposed to the harbor, both in a good and bad way. I'm pretty sure the privacy shade worked fully, but you still feel exposed. I don't think I'd be comfortable in a courtyard room, to the point I might not want to stay here at all. The hotel is a rectangle around a moderately sized interior courtyard, so those rooms look directly across at other rooms. On a nice summer day, people could certainly see in. That's especially notable for the first-floor terrace rooms, which are oddly the most expensive courtyard rooms and are separated only by privacy shrubs. Given the price, a fridge, better sound deadening, and attention to the small maintenance issues would be welcome.

The views from our room were nice, and the hotel itself is pleasant. But we slept badly because the room got so hot at night. When we called about the thermostat not going lower, they told us 70 was the lowest setting. For a supposed five-star hotel, almost nothing is free. Even the drinks in the fridge cost extra, and they take up the space where you could keep your own beverages. There isn't a microwave in the room unless you request one. We also couldn't relax or swim at the pool, since they kicked us out while setting up for a private event that evening.

Fells Point is a wonderfully walkable historic neighborhood, with cobblestone streets by the harbor and plenty of restaurants, bars, and coffee shops. The hotel sits on a pier surrounded by water on three sides, so many rooms look out over the inner harbour. The restaurant has floor-to-ceiling glass facing Fells Point, and there's a picturesque infinity pool along the inner edge. The property is modern and beautiful but still feels connected to its historic setting. There's lots of indoor and outdoor common space, and the average room is a decent size. Fantastic art is displayed throughout, especially in the common areas, and the sense of place is strong. The brick warehouse section is over 100 years old. In modern times, the building was used as a set in the series Homicide and the Step Up movies. I read that the canons by the pool are actual antiques found during restoration.