Holiday Inn Express Baltimore-Downtown

After a long day of working, I finally checked into this hotel and went to sleep. At about 3 or 4 in the morning I woke up and noticed roaches crawling on me. And that is roaches.. . plural. After screaming and changing my clothes, I went to the front desk to explain the problem. The front desk person was kind and helpful and saw the still live roaches crawling around. He offered me another room. I transferred rooms and lo and behold the other room’s bathroom had shaved off hair in the sink. I called the front desk person again. By this time, I was not willing to stay at this hotel any longer. Word to the wise– if you have a problem in the middle of the night at an IHG hotel, it is very difficult to get in touch with customer service. When I did, the representative started speaking to me about pricing for other hotels. I feel that at that point, there should have only been offers to upgrade me to the best hotel room available in the city given that the two previous rooms I used at this current hotel were substandard. The Holiday Inn I transferred to by the casino in Baltimore had a dirty mattress and dirty mattress pads but at 5 am, I couldn’t fight with anyone anymore. In addition, I was never compensated for the items I needed to leave behind in the room where I encountered the roaches. The likelihood of me staying at a Holiday Inn every again. .. you can take a guess. Please note that waking up with roaches has never occurred prior to this hotel stay, nor subsequently nor do I have any infestation in my home.

If you’ve ever stayed at holiday inn express you know the quality of breakfast that you get. It’s the same coast to coast and I love it. Biscuits and gravy, oatmeal, fruit, chiobani or activia yogurt, sausage, special k cereal or other kinds, bagels, cheese omelets, hot chocolate and the list goes on. However this hotel has a great touch of history because it is an old bank. The lobby has tall marble columns and the vault is an office where they bake cookies haha. Check in/​out was easy. Only self parking available for $ 15/​night and is very limited and on a first come first serve basis. The 4 star rating isn’t for anything they can control its just a noisy area. Since you want a good night sleep when paying for a hotel I feel the 4 stars reflects that. There is a large homeless population on the block. Like tents and everything. Police sirens are constantly going off. The parking is charged at checkout. Staff is great and if you forget shaving cream or something they offer it for free. There is a 7 – 11 attached to the building which is great for late night munchies!

Clean and spacious single bed rooms. Friendly front desk people. Nice variety for breakfast the following morning. Very reasonable week day pricing considering the location although the Orioles weren’t in town so that may have something to do with it. Location could be better but too late now. Definitely would stay again!

Tiny rooms. I had a suite but it was smaller than most regular rooms. The king size bed was almost a foot less tgan a real King bed and staff kept on insisting that is what the hotels call a king. Crmaped, outdated. Too bad, since its in an old bank and lobby could be so nice.
Oh yeah, almost forgot to mention the unsecure parking lot and the homeless people who hang outside the place. Lovely combo, but you are near the highway… well literally right beside/​underneath the highway.
You know those HIX commercials, yeah, well, its not based on this place!

The hotel lobby is architecturally beautiful and the rooms are updated and comfortable. Housekeeping needs to be told what you need or you may run out of important little things like toilet paper but the hotel itself is clean and comfortable.
The staff was friendly and helpful and went out of their way to be accommodating.
The hotel only gets 2 stars because despite the above it feels fundamentally unsafe. The poorly lit parking lot had homeless people in it every time we walked through. The immediate neighborhood for 3 – 4 blocks in all directions is filled with homeless beggars and derelicts. It is a short walk from the inner harbour and we did the walk during the day but we were harassed for money during the walk as we got close to the hotel.
The hotel has a shuttle service and if you stay there and use it you will likely have a lovely time. The holiday inn on Lombard street was less expensive and a better location.

Very good service and extremely polite. Our room was spotless and the free breakfast in the morning was very nice. Great for my girlfriend and I to just have a place to rest after a concert out in Baltimore one night. Not the best area but overall we were satisfied!

The location of this facility is quite frankly not good. It’s down the street from a rather seedy part of Baltimore and it is in a bit of a food desert — not much safely accessible restaurants nearby unfortunately. The building itself in situated in an old bank and has a great art deco theme to it.
My first room they gave me appeared okay… until I opened the closet door and saw a cockroach skitter for cover. I immediately asked for another room. The front desk attendant at the time didn’t really apologize or say anything to acknowledge the incident and seemed to not believe me. My next room looked okay on my cursory inspection but either that means I couldn’t find the roaches or there were none there. The room was a nice king with a desk and large LCD TV.
After that start, the rest was very good. The breakfast isn’t gourmet but is diverse and filling with plenty of coffee to get your day started. Free newspapers in the lobby was a nice touch too. The hotel shuttle provides great door-​to-​door service to JHU; do note that for pick-​ups you may have to wait up to 40 minutes (like me during traffic). Most of the front desk staff (other than the 1 guy above) are very nice and helpful.

I changed my review from a 4 star to 5 star after the front desk went above and beyond for me regarding a rental car issue. (tire was flat and they brought the keys back inside the hotel after it had been repaired by roadside assist).
This is a really unique and cool place as it used to be a bank and has a high atrium interior that is really pretty and the rooms are newly remodeled. There is a little noise but that’s to be expected because it’s downtown.
It is in the urban area of Baltimore, opposed to the more expensive rooms on the Harbor. Some people may not be comfortable walking in the neighborhood at night.
I didn’t have any problems even at night and frequently walked around downtown and the area. I was able to jog from the hotel to the harbor in about 10 – 15 minutes along the concrete trail by the river, it was pretty fun to see Little Italy along the way and some other cool places.
The front desk was helpful and professional and I felt the price was very reasonable, about half the price of the harbor side hotels. Parking was convenient and was able to find a spot each night although the lot was almost full.

Stayed at this boutique hotel for over a MONTH while my husband was at Johns Hopkins for a very serious condition. Let me say, you get to know people very well in that extended time frame & the staff was consistently incredible! Erica, James, Tina, Letitia, Kevin, Justin, Mark & all those whose names I’m forgetting — you guys rock!
On to the assorted travel-​type details — lobby’s architecture of this converted bank is gorgeous & adds interesting character. Rooms are comfortable with well appointed amenities like micro, fridge, coffee maker, blow dryer, lotions/​potions, etc. I had no trouble with the free Wi Fi on access or speed. Bedding includes both soft & firm pillows. The free breakfast offered is more than just the usual continental selection. There are restaurants which deliver or you can dine out near the harbor. Free shuttle to JH Hospital & other areas within a mile of the hotel. Didn’t use their parking, but parking is scarce so it’s nice they offer it & $ 12 is reasonable. Surrounding area is a typical downtown — some blocks are upscale, others not. But if your circumstance puts you in DT Baltimore for Johns Hopkins you will be well taken care of by that hospital AND by the kind, caring & professional staff at this Holiday Inn Express!

We got lucky on this one. Apparently their hotel flooded on the floor we were to be on. They were going to put us in a smaller room (for 5 people) and we asked about cots — which they have none, what hotel doesn’t have cots? I guess it was a good thing anyway. We ended up getting a suite with a room connected and had a stairway shared with one other room. The hotel was gorgeous inside. The area though seemed kind of shady. It felt so unsafe to keep our car in the lot. I wouldn’t walk out there alone at night! 10 minute walk to the Harbor if I may add.
Our bathroom had a HUGE window as well as FOUR long windows in the room, with perfect black out curtains. Two windows on one side of the room, and the other two windows looking INSIDE the hotel.
Lighting I will say was HORRIBLE (in the night I mean) cause we obviously didn’t need any during the day.
Fridge was completely empty with tons of room in it to store food!
Breakfast was great. I thought it was continental it included pancakes, eggs, buiscuts, and more.
The one thing that did disturb me was Church service on Sunday’s. It’s in a room off the main lobby. You can easily hear the bass from the microphone. I’m not sure why they have service there but it should go. It’s unnesssary, and for people traveling, and late sleepers — I would not want to be woken up by that.

Recommended by Johns Hopkins as an affordable hotel while my dad was there for surgery. The hotel is a little run down and not in the best section of town. But the staff was very accommodating, they had a good pet policy and the rooms, while not fancy, were comfortable.
Parking is $ 12/​day and the lot was always full on Sat and Sun. There is free breakfast in the morning: pancakes, eggs, bacon, cinnamon rolls, muffins, yogurt, etc. The lobby is interesting and Art Deco. There is a complimentary shuttle van that takes you to Johns Hopkins, Inner Harbor and other areas of town. There is no dining in the hotel (besides breakfast) but the front desk staff gave me menus to nearby places that deliver.
On the con side: The area is sketchy (as most of the area near Johns Hopkins) and I was a bit nervous to dog walk late night. Wifi was excruciatingly slow.
I probably wouldn’t stay here for leisure travel (I like the Hilton in Inner Harbor much better) but it was an affordable alternative for a longer term stay.

Wonderful clean rooms, few issues tho. The staff for the most part are friendly and helpful. The incidentals are RIDICULOUS. $ 100 is a bit steep, I’m not responsible for what other people have done so the story of people breaking rules has 0 to do with me. Beware parking is $ 12 per day. You won’t find anywhere free so don’t waste your time, unless it’s between 6PM — 8AM. It’s not the best area but it is nice, and the price is decent besides that incidental mess.

I recommend this hotel for people who need an affordable place to stay with first class service and comfort. I’m giving the Holiday Inn Express 4 stars for many reasons.
1) They are good neighbors and welcoming to all. Online, people had complained about the «homeless» they saw near the hotel. I was pleased to read the hotel’s response, which was detailed and defended their neighborhood. They noted that being «misfortunate» doesn’t mean dangerous. The response sounded like they were a neighborhood business, rather than a chain. I was so impressed with that. Kudos!
2) Front desk service is exceptionally sharp and helpful. I thought the staff was amazing and made me excited to be visiting Baltimore.
3) Free Continental breakfast and newspapers in lobby. That’s becoming a rarity nowadays.
I had a few problems in that they tested the sprinkler system for what seemed an interminable time. But I had been warned in advance about that. How can I complain about safety tests. That’s better than dying in a fire.

Having never been to Baltimore and wanting a place near Inner Harbor… I enlisted Hotwire to find a hotel, and I actually got a great deal!
Pulling into the parking lot, I was a bit skeptical. The property backs to kind of a shady neighborhood… but hey, at least they have parking on-​site ($ 12 per day). We entered through the side entrance (which appears to double as a bus stop). Walking through the door, you’re immediately slapped in the face with the smell of lemon. The lobby (an old bank) is absolutely gorgeous! The front desk was accommodating as we checked in early. The room was super clean, quiet, modern, and came equipped with a fridge.
The hotel was just a short walk away from Inner Harbor. During the evening, we opted for the free hotel shuttle service which dropped us off in Midtown. Although the conversation (keep your eye out for my upcoming memoir, «10 Things You Hope No Person Ever Says To You») was a tad on the creepy side… it beats paying $ 10 in cab fare.
I can’t comment on the breakfast buffet because the trip was cut unexpectedly short. What I can say is that Hotwire has a HORRIBLE cancellation policy!

A suitable hotel in a poor part of town. There are three times as many rooms as there are parking spaces so arrive early! Parking is $ 12 per night and if you miss out one of the 20-​odd spots, you’re on the street. The view out our window was of the lovely Juvenile Justice Center which provided some good people watching (in conjunction with the «takeout» shop across the street.) The hotel itself is in an old bank, leading to an impressive lobby area. The staff was friendly and helpful and the room was spacious and clean. The pillows were really nice as well, a mix of firm and soft, which is hard to find in this type hotel. So all in all, its a good hotel, affordable, less than 10 minutes from Johns Hopkins, with a shuttle that runs to and from, but I wouldn’t stay here again unless I were visiting the hospital again (which hopefully doesn’t happen.)

Eh… not sure what to say here, it’s okay. Being located in a less than desirable portion of town was the first thing I noticed. Being from NH and frequenting Boston, I guess I was expecting something a bit different from the area. There’s plenty of food in close proximity to the hotel, but I for one would not be comfortable walking anywhere from this hotel. I’m not saying it’s not safe, but I just didn’t get that vibe from what I’m typically used to.
The hotel itself is clean, modern and nice. It has free Wi-​Fi which seemed spotty and I opted to hardwire to get better speeds. The view out my window of the Baltimore Juvenile Justice Center is a cute twist since there wasn ‘t much of a view of the downtown area. The staff here was friendly and easy to work/​deal with. The temperature controls worked well and actually kept the room comfortable, not too hot or cold which seems to be my luck in hotels. The bedding was comfortable although I wasn’t a huge fan of the pillows… they just weren’t the right height for my head and had a hard time manipulating them so they were.
All in all, I like the hotel, but the location would have made a massive difference if I could have walked to a pub for a couple drinks.

Got stuck here in Baltimore seeing doctors so they recommended that we stay here at the Holiday Inn Express. If I were driving and not taking their shuttle, I really could have easily missed this place. I was really quite stunned (in a good way and not in a I got tasered way) when I walked in. The lobby looks like a fancy hotel lobby. The person was quite nice at the text to help us check in and such. I found it to be very clean and welcoming. They have a free shuttle service that takes you to where you want to go at the top of the hour and picks you up from a reasonable distance at every half hour. You will have to call the front desk to let them know you intend on using the shuttle.
The rooms are actually quite cozy. The 2 we were in were awkwardly designed with a small hallway that you had to walk down inside the room before you got to the actual beds. Not very spacious but enough to be comfortable. If you plan on staying, order from Mo’s Seafood. They deliver and they are a great seafood restaurant!
For Johns Hopkins affiliates, they have a $ 89.99 special so make sure to mention that.

We stayed two nights in early July, and it’s a pretty standard Holiday Inn Express with the standard amenities. Something that I found odd, the staff that maintains the breakfast bar walks around and talks to the guests for prolonged periods of time while they’re eating. Overall I’m satisfied with my stay and wouldn’t hesitate to stay there again.

I stayed here in March for one night after I got a great deal through Hotwire. It isn’t in the best area, and I would not suggest young ladies walk around there alone, but it is maybe a 10-​minute walk to the downtown harbor area, and maybe 5 of those minutes are in a shady part of town.
The hotel staff were friendly, the breakfast was tasty, the room was clean and comfortable. For night before a cruise, it was perfect, though I would not suggest staying there for longer than a night or two, just because the location isn’t ideal.

I can understand Alpa V.‘s frustrations; I wouldn’t want to be caught with extra charges for nights I didn’t stay. I hope everything works out and I hope it’s a once off error with this hotel.
My stay at this hotel has been pleasant so far. I am staying here for 2 weeks for Hopkins Winter Institute. The place is certainly a step or two up from Motel 6 and others like it. There is a modern feel to the room. The rooms have microwaves and a small refrigerator if you need to store anything.
The hotel serves basic but reasonable warm breakfast including eggs, sausage, toast, biscuits, french toast and danishes. I certainly think they are better than many I’ve stayed at. There is a gym at the basement which is accessed by the room key. The hotel is new and the staff is pleasant.
I think it’s definitely worth looking at if you want to stay in the St Paul, Charles Street area. It is about 15 minutes walk to Hopkins if you want to go it on foot. Pretty decent for the price.