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| Eddie and Sylvia Brown, founders of The Ivy Hotel |
The next time you are in Baltimore, Maryland, consider staying at a Black-owned establishment called The Ivy Hotel founded by a local entrepreneurial power couple, Eddie and Sylvia Brown. A bastion of world-class hospitality in a historic Mount Vernon mansion, this boutique hotel has 18 beautiful guest rooms and suites, charming public spaces, a small luxury spa, and a fine dining restaurant.
To be exact, The Ivy Hotel has eight airy, light-filled suites and ten beautiful bedrooms. Each bed is fitted with dreamy 400-thread count Frette sheets, a gas fireplace and a lavish bathroom with heated limestone floor. Some accommodations offer a corner turret with a view of Mount Vernon, some a balcony over the leafy courtyard, some a grand octagonal living room. Each has a character and charm all its own.
The hotel’s restaurant, called Magdalena, has a cross-cultural menu that is built upon the finest local ingredients, and changes with the seasons and the inspiration of the chef. There are five different dining areas at Magdalena: the Garden Room, which looks out onto The Ivy’s walled Courtyard; the intimate, romantic Treasury – where sterling and crystal were once kept under lock and key, and where welcoming tables now stand under pools of lamplight; the vaulted, brick-floored Wine Cellar; Tasting Room; and the handsome, convivial Bar. And of course, diners are welcome to enjoy drinks at the Bar before moving to their table.
According to Ebony, the hotel also “features a small spa, self-serve lobby bar, private car service and afternoon tea, perfect for mixing, mingling and getting to know your fellow travelers. Everything offered by The Ivy, except dinner and spa treatments, is included in your room rate.”
The hotel, located at 205 E. Biddle St, Baltimore, MD 21202, officially opened its doors in June 2015 following an extensive restoration and renovation of a historic building that was built in 1889 and acquired by the City of Baltimore in 1939.
For more details and/or to book a reservation, visit the hotel’s official web site at https://www.theivybaltimore.com or follow them on Facebook at @ivyhotelbaltimore
