The city of Baltimore rarely gets the credit it deserves. Although filled with a wealth of public monuments and a wide array of historical architecture, the city is more often portrayed as a school of hard knocks.
The recent opening of Sagamore Pendry, a stylish hotel on the historic Recreation Pier, promises to reacquaint visitors with Baltimore’s cultural cache. Designed by Patrick Sutton, a Baltimore native, the hotel sits within an extensively restored 1914 building, once the United States’ busiest ports of entry. Many of its 128 rooms feature rich mahogany finishes, cool marble accents and nautical brass details that together evoke being on a ship. All around, the hotel brims with historical details; a grand two-story staircase leads up to the building’s original ballroom, which has been carefully restored to its glory.
Of course, this isn’t all just a walk down memory lane. Chef Andrew Carmellini is at the helm of the hotel’s restaurant, Rec Pier Chop House, which focuses on traditional Italian cooking. The Cannon Room, an all-American whiskey bar, is armed with a choice selection of bourbon rye and whiskey, including Sagamore Rye, locally produced at the Sagamore Farm. The hotel’s pool and private deck, located at the end of the pier, might well be its most coveted spot; with picturesque views of Baltimore Harbor and the city skyline, its five outdoor cabanas are bound to be in high demand.
