Tremont Park Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland: Cost is Worth Accommodations

My wife and I decided to take a quick road trip up to Baltimore and take the youngsters to the Aquarium and the Science Museum. The Tremont Park Hotel had a room available, so we jumped on it. The price was $190 per night after various discounts - more than what we thought it would be, but it seemed to be a nicer hotel so we thought it would be worthwhile.

We drove through downtown Baltimore, past headquarters of many of the world's financial powerhouses and stopped in front of an old brick building that looked straight out of a crime movie-complete with narrow alley with the old fire escapes one would expect to see Will Smith scrambling across chasing the bad guy. I was really surprised at how rundown the exterior looked.

The front desk was helpful and we were promptly checked into our suite, which was an apartment in a previous life.

The room looks nice, but it's easy to see the building is aging. Wallpaper is peeling, there are stains in some spots of the ceiling, and the range top in the kitchen area needs a good cleaning. It is nicely decorated, but the furniture reminds me of the stock furnishings that was included with the mobile home I grew up in as a kid-stiff and uncomfortable. For me, the ultimate test is the sheets. I keep telling myself I'll start packing my 800-thread count sheets when I travel, but that always gets overlooked. At any rate, I pulled back the comforter as soon as I went into the bedroom to find the same scratchy sheets one would find at a Motel 6 or used to carry potatoes. We are supposed to have regular and decaf coffee, but the decaf is not there. Fortunately, caffeine is what makes the coffee, so I won't complain about that.

Although we had reservations for 2 adults and 3 children, there are only 4 towels, and the promised terry cloth robes are no where to be found. The website promised complimentary bottled water, which was a plus because we usually travel with our own cooler full of bottled water. Much to our chagrin, there was none to be found. Being quite thirsty from the drive, we called the front desk. After a lengthy conversation with the front desk and the bartender, we were able to procure 2 bottles of water-to split between the five of us!

There wasn't a phone book or pen in sight. Fortunately, I travel with my laptop to take advantage of the free wireless internet access. Speaking of wireless internet, the signal was too weak to connect, so I had to resort to plugging into the Ethernet port. It almost seemed as if the room was thrown together and the smaller details were overlooked entirely.

The website boasts such amenities as a swimming pool and fitness center. However, they are located at the sister location a two blocks away. I, for one, wasn't about to roam about downtown Baltimore after dark to work out.

Most alarming of all was the temperature of the water in the shower. While in the shower, the water would fluctuate between freezing cold and scalding hot without notice. I mean burning, scalding hot. This is very dangerous for children! As I understand, the hot water temperature is supposed to be regulated to protect children. That was not the case. I hate to use the word "scalding" again, but it really was very dangerous.

Our room did not have the "Do Not Disturb" sign that we planned on using to keep housekeeping out of our room for a mere two-night stay. However, the only evidence housekeeping was there was that the bed was made. Coffee, shampoo, etc were not restocked.

After spending the day walking around downtown Baltimore and the Science Museum, we called the hotel to arrange for a shuttle. The matter-of-fact response was that it was broken down and they couldn't pick us up. So, we ended up walking back to the hotel. The good news is that it didn't rain, despite the clouds.

When we checked out, the lady at the front desk gave us an obligatory "how was everything?" My response was "Ummm, it was so-so" We were ready to move on and I didn't want to cause a scene, so my response was vague. She didn't even look up at me, let alone ask about my lukewarm reply. I guess she epitomizes the entire hotel: dressed up, looking nice for the most part but, deep down, caring none whatsoever about the guests who stay there.

So, if you are ever staying in Baltimore, I would recommend paying a little more money and getting a much nicer room. Heck, I'd also recommend paying a little less and still getting a nicer room!