Magazine Online    The Authority On African-American Conventions, Incentives, & Leisure Travel
Area Guides
BALTIMORE: A CHANGING DESTINATION
by: Norman Mayers

Several new hotel properties are set to come on line in 2009 including the first LEED-certified hotel in the city with the opening of the 154-room Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott-Inner Harbor. A 135-room Hotel Indigo will debut in the summer. The hotel will include oversized beds, a spa bathroom experience, an in-house gourmet restaurant, and a Starbucks. A 202-room Hotel Monaco Baltimore is currently under construction and set to open in July 2009. The property will feature 6,000 sq. ft. of fully equipped meeting space.

The Baltimore Convention Center is one of the most versatile and well-equipped meeting facilities in the United States. With a total of 1,225,000 sq. ft. of space, the center is able to host a variety of meetings. There are 300,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space that is relatively obstruction free.

There are 50 meeting rooms totaling 85,000 sq. ft., capable of accommodating between 85-1,600 people, and a multi-function 36,672-sq. ft. ballroom capable of holding 4,000 people theatre-style and 2,500 for banquets. The exhibit halls are adjacent to 32 covered loading docks and may be accessed by drive-in ramps for easy event move-in and move-out. State-of-the-art telecommunications keep guests connected. The center is outfitted with ramps and electronic doors making it accessible to all. The catering department can set up food service convenient to events, either through the permanent facilities or mobile units. There are several VIP and show offices situated in key locations throughout the building. A spacious lobby filled with natural light provides the perfect welcome to each visitor.

The city of Baltimore is bursting with heritage attractions and sites that are well worth a visit. Learn about African-American maritime history at the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum. The museums, galleries and interactive learning centers tell the story of Frederick Douglass and Isaac Myers, as well as the founding of the Chesapeake Marine Railway and Dry Dock Company, America's first African-American owned shipyard. Explore the compelling, complicated, and inspiring stories of the African-American journey at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture.

The museum's exhibits use photography, historical documents, art and artifacts to let this story unfold. Little known facts and famous figures in African-American history are on display at The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum. Well known for its moving exhibit on the Middle Passage, the museum highlights the stories that make up the African-American experience.

Baltimore is served by three major airports: Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in Maryland, and Washington Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Northern Virginia.

WHO YOU GONNA CALL?
Baltimore Area CVA - (410) 659-7300

Advertisement