The majestic Radisson on West Baltimore Street is a hint to how nice this neighborhood in Baltimore once was. Upon being let off at the hotel's cab stand, I made my way into the brass-plated revolving door entrance to the antiquated, but welcoming lobby. The carpet, couches, woodwork, and fixtures of this entryway were dark in color and well worn; but were probably one day very rich looking. The hotel could definitely benefit from new carpet installation to lighten up the dark scheme - overall this lobby reminded me a lot of the old city hotel lobbies you see in the movies in the 60s and 70s. Not too bad, but could be improved.

At the hotel reception desk, the concierge was very friendly in telling me of the amenities the hotel had as well as letting me know the conveniences like "airport shuttle pickup" that were available for hotel guests. My room was on the 10th floor, which was not the level being advertised as the "sleep number" level, but was an appealing room nonetheless. What's a "sleep number" level you ask? Evidently, this hotel now stocks beds that allow you to adjust the comfort level with a push of a button. These rooms with these beds are only available to "preferred" guests that are members of the Radisson program.

The Radisson Lord Baltimore has a nice hotel lounge/bar area which is adjacent to the lobby. They serve standard bar food and American appetizers with little fanfare. I heard the food was okay if you are desperate, but not excellent by any means.

The rooms at the Radisson were very nice and clean (even the non-Sleep Number rooms). The beds came stacked with pillows and the furniture and decor were mostly pleasing. However I was told by some colleagues to ask that you are not reserved in a room facing the neighboring firehouse - otherwise your stay might not be as pleasant for sleeping as mine was.

The Radisson is located very conveniently in downtown Baltimore - just a mere block away from attractions like the Inner Harbor (shopping and attraction district) and two blocks from Camden Yards (baseball stadium). Given the tourist attractions of this area, I was surprised to see how seedy the neighborhood around the Radisson actually was. During the nighttime hours I would not recommend walking outside of the hotel and during the daytime I would recommend being cautious as well. The streets and alleys between attractions are not safe. It is a shame that what has potential to be such a nice neighborhood has been ruined by the riff-raff that have made it their home.

Overall I would recommend staying at the Radisson again if you have downtown Baltimore engagements to attend. However, if you have children or want a safer area, perhaps this is not the hotel for you.

When we walked into the opulent lobby of this hotel, we could not believe that we were staying there, especially for free!

The secret is discipline. We have a Visa Gold Points card. We charge our daily expenses, like groceries, eating out, etc., on it. Then we pay it off at the end of the month and keep the points, which we use for free hotel stays. (Our room would have cost us $250 a night).

This hotel was impressive. It did not have a pool or other such amenities, but there is so much to do right within walking distance that it didn't matter. The room appeared clean and bright and was stocked well with good-quality soaps and shampoos. The cozy bed included a down mattress cover, down pillows, and a down comforter on top. It was like sleeping on a cloud. The only negative was that the walls were paper thin, so you could easily hear what was going on in your neighbor’s room. That was a small price to price to pay, however, for an enjoyable stay at a grand, historic hotel.

All of the hotels in the Inner Harbor are basically the same. All cost between $100-$150 per night and are your basic full service hotels. The most important thing is to stay at a hotel downtown at the Inner Harbor - this location provides the easiest access to the best areas.