The Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace is a more-than-comfortable hotel situated in the heart of Baltimore’s main attractions and overlooking Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Connected to a shopping galleria and parking garage, the hotel is easy to get to via car or taxi, and the walkway from the hotel directly to the Inner Harbor brings families steps from museums, attractions, restaurants and shops.

The large, non-smoking hotel features stylish rooms with two queen beds or one king bed with room for rollaways and cribs and the ability to accommodate five. Connecting rooms are also available. You’ll pay a little more to have water views, which isn’t necessary when you’ll be spending the majority of your time outside of the hotel and on the water. Rooms come with the standard furnishings and amenities found in many city hotels, with empty mini-fridges to hold beverages and snacks you purchase, an indoor swimming pool, and luxurious bedding.

I personally loved the location of the hotel and found the rates and accommodations both comfortable. When it comes to a return trip, I’ll be happy to book another stay at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace.

To learn more about Renaissance, please visit Renaissance.

The waterfront hotel is a higher-end Renaissance chain hotel with stylish rooms and suites with harbor and city views. Guest rooms, 400 square feet in size, vary from one king or two queen options with partial harbor views and full harbor views. Larger guest rooms offer 575 square feet junior suites with a dining and living area, but only feature a king bed option. (A rollaway and crib are permitted for maximum occupancy of four.)

Club level rooms provide access to the Club lounge, which is open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and offers complimentary continental breakfast, snacks, hors d'oeuvres and desserts. While typically a nice touch for families because it saves on snacks for kids and provides a relaxing place to sit and relax, it's unfortunate the hotel's Club is only open during the week and appears to be more a business traveler luxury.

All rooms feature 37-inch flat-screen TVs with premium movie channels, iPod docks, and high-speed wireless Internet (for a fee).

As a city hotel, the Renaissance Harborplace does not offer special play areas or programs for children, although it offers an indoor pool surrounded by wall-to-ceiling windows. The pool is actually not a lap pool, as some city hotels feature, so business traveler swimmers cannot get angry with little ones splashing around.

The hotel is directly across the street from Baltimore's Inner Harbor, and easy walking distance to the Maryland Science Center and Planetarium, the National Aquarium Baltimore, and the USS Constellation. The area also features a number of restaurants and shops to dine in and explore during your visit, and water taxi service can connect you to other popular Baltimore attractions kids love. Just a few more blocks away are the Port Discovery Kid-Powered Museum and Camden Yards, a beloved ballpark and home to the Orioles.

WaterTable
Located on the restaurant's fifth floor, with views of the Inner Harbor, the hotel's main restaurant provides breakfast 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner 6 to 10 p.m. daily.

Ground Floor Coffee Shop & Bar
Actually a Starbucks, the hotel's large coffee shop features pastries and to-go items for breakfast, as well as coffee and drinks from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Room service features selections from the restaurant, with a handful of children's items. Select from a breakfast, lunch, dinner or late-night menu.

All about the Extras
A Boarding Pass Kiosk is offered for guests near the Reception Desk or in the Business Center to check-in and print boarding passes before arriving at the airport.

High-speed, wireless Internet access is available for a daily access fee of $12.95 per day.

Parking is available in a garage connected directly to the hotel. Valet is available and will cost more, but self-parking is discounted through the hotel and added to the hotel bill with in-and-out parking.

The Art of Smart Timing
With the water being such an integral part of Baltimore, the best time to visit is during the spring through fall months, when temperatures are warm enough to enjoy the sea breezes along the Inner Harbor and play on the water.

Getting There
Flying into Baltimore is easy with more than 600 domestic flights landing daily at Baltimore/Washington International. A light rail line delivers families from the airport to the city center, where Baltimore's most popular tourist areas, mainly the Inner Harbor, Federal Hill, Fell's Point and Camden Yards, are easy to reach and explore by foot or water taxi.

For Mom and Dad
A small fitness center features cardiovascular equipment and free weights.