lkuby

How is the Sheraton Inner Harbor in Baltimore? And what has been your experience getting platinum upgrades? Any recommednations on what rooms in the hotel to request?

(P.S> I did a search and come up with nothing)

Snowcap

I stayed at the Sheraton Inner Harbor back in the spring of 2001 and enjoyed my stay. Since I'm Platinum SPG, I was upgraded to a Club level floor with a room in the corner of the hotel looking over Orioles Ballpark/PSINet Stadium and access to full breakfast. For some reason, there was no Platinum amenity though. It's within walking distance to the Inner Harbor area and I recommend it.

Snowcap

jetsetter

I stayed at this hotel as a Gold a year or so ago, and enjoyed my stay. I was upgraded to a club level room...don't remember much else. I would return though to that hotel in BWI.

ehe123

I stayed there shortly after 9/11 and received a Platinum upgrade to a nice suite. However, the hotel was absolutely dead (and empty) as several conferences had been cancelled. No problem recommending the property.

chix

The hotel is fine, but the parking garage is a dump. They have very rude personnel at the privately owned garage too.

I would recommend parking across the street at the Hyatt even if it is more expensive.

Kosh

Why are there never other rates (other than rack rates) for the Sheraton Inner Harbor (SIH). Personally I think $269/night is a real rip-off. Every year I take my nephew to Baltimore for a conference, and usually I don't stay at the SIH because of the rates. Last year I did, and although I received a lot of starpoints for the stay, I don't think I got my money's worth out of the stay. Does this Starwood property just not do any sort of discounts? Sorry, had to vent.

OnePassLover

Was able to get a rate of $139 (or $159) Sept '02. Need to book 5 months ahead and the hotel was sold out that weekend even 2 months ahead due to a baseball game. So deal do exists.

SkyTeam777

What is this hotel like? Is it on the water? Can you see the water from the rooms?
What is the treatment for Platinums? suite upgrade record??

Thanks!

------------------
Delta GM, United Premier, Hilton Gold, Starwood Gold

slawecki

The hotel is one of the better ones in Baltimore, with one of the best restaurants in the city. That said, it is not particularly special, other than the fact that it seems to have an extremely high occupancy rate.

The Law of Supply and Demand is alive and well in the Charm city.

kv99

I don't think it has any sort of view of the water as its in a couple of blocks. Baltimore is one city where I would consider a stay at the Hyatt with a harbor view room. It is really, really beautiful to see the sunrise in the morning. Sorry to take this off-topic.

[This message has been edited by kv99 (edited 08-15-2003).]

nehopper

Stayed at the Sheraton Inner Harbor on Sunday night on an award stay. Generally good experiences in the hotel correcting problems.

At check-in, I inquired about upgrades. I was told by the check-in clerk that they were able to provide the "room requested in the reservation" - i.e. the SPG award room. However, after she showed this tiny bit of attitude, she got religion and came up with a very nice two bedroom suite with a view of the harbor (also a view of the Hyatt's lovely roof-top pool). She also gave us lounge access for Monday (I was traveling with wife and 3 children!).

The room was clean and well appointed although standard Sheraton. No pillow-top beds. Lots of space and a view of the Federal Hill area of the Inner Harbor (and the Hyatt).

Major complaint is the pool. It is odd-shaped and very small (a triangle, 20 feet on the side). Again, the Hyatt looked great on a hot day in Baltimore.

The hotel is one block from the Inner Harbor at the end of the Light Street Pavilion of Harborplace.

The next morning, the Club Lounge was closed (someone must not have shown up for work) and we were provided a meal off the menu at the restaurant. No complaints on breakfast from my party.

Our bill was initially incorrect (a mystery charge for about $50), but the front desk corrected it quickly and pleasantly.

We found the staff uniformally pleasant. Sherae (pronounced Cher-a) was very good at check-in as noted above.

Altogether a positive experience that makes the Sheraton Inner Harbor attractive for a return visit. Especially in the winter when the nice pool across the street would not be as tempting.

[This message has been edited by nehopper to add "she showed" to the message (edited 08-20-2003).]

[This message has been edited by nehopper (edited 08-20-2003).]

PHL

To provide an update on this hotel -

Stayed there this past weekend on a $139 rate booked in advance (not prepaid). In accordance with new Sheraton policy, club lounge is not open on weekend. No coupons for breakfast in lieu of lounge.

We arrived to a hotel full of 10-13 year old kids in for a Soccer tournament. 2 elevators worked. I was appreciative to have gotten a 15th floor (top, club) corner room where the attendees were *NOT* staying, but not happy waiting 15 minutes for an elevator to go up or down. The kids were running amuck, often holding those two elevators up. I didn't see a lot of supervision.

As for the property itself, I found it lagging in "Sheraton Charm" a little bit and slightly rough around the edges. Morton's Steakhouse is still there, on the ground floor. The breakfast buffet in Oriole's grill on 2 was pretty good.

The room, on a corner of the 15th floor, was not large at all. Probably about 250 sq. ft at most. I guess the larger upgrades were filled. It was a busy weekend. The room probably hadn't been rennovated in 10+ years. Bathtub was showing it's wear, as was the furniture. No sweet sleeper bed here yet.

Staff was friendly, trying their best to keep up with all those kids.

amy45888

i'm staying at the sheraton baltimore right now. First off, i'm not a clean freak (you should see my dressing room and closet!) but i expect some level of cleanliness.

I went down to the gym, smaller than my room, to use the elliptical. I got on the elliptical and realized that my handlebars were really sticky...like people not wiping off equipment. then i got off and looked at all the other treadmilly equipment. they were all covered in gross salty dried sweat stains...all over. I went to pull paper towels from the dispenser and then realized there was no bottle of cleaning stuff. yuck! I went to get a drink of water and the water dispenser base is all dirty and brown. yuck!

I asked the front desk when they clean the fitness room. they said that it is cleaned every morning at 6am. now i know maybe 9pm is late to work out, but if you're a 24 hr fitness center, maybe it needs one more cleaning? at least it needs some spray stuff so people can wipe down the equipment.

oh btw, they don't have weights lower than 15lbs, which i thought was odd.

so anyway, if you want to work out and it's not pitch black, you should just go running around the harbor and not use the gym.

skye1

Running around Baltimore's Inner Harbor, say around/over Federal Hill & over to Ft. McHenry, is a great run....altho' prolly not so much in the winter. Plenty of well-placed benches for resting along the paths at the fort, incl. one that explains what all the various marine horns, boat horns, channel lights, etc. mean.
If you're really in for a cardio blast, the "steps" up to the top of nearby Federal Hill make a good challenge.

If you need a good "gym" possibility, another Baltimore Sheraton, the Sheraton Baltimore North up near Towson gives its guests free day passes/access to the Bally's down the street.

And, as a Plat, their Club Lounge has a decent selection of appetizers, o.k. beer & wine--evenings, decent continental breakky options in the a.m., a manager's cocktail party on Wednesday evenings, and very helpful & friendly club lounge staff.

It's in a much better general area than that surrounding the Sheraton Inner Harbor---you can walk around a few blocks from the hotel and not feel the need to know where the nearest police are, where the blue-lighted surveilance cameras are, etc. Right at the Inner Harbor, Federal Hill, JHU...all cool. A few blocks away? Scary.

vandalby

Any recent stays at the Sheraton Baltimore Inner Harbor? (Other than the gym being gross.) Would like to know if Platinums have had any success with upgrades / lounge, etc. Any news on room conditions would be appreciated as well.