Unveiled in Baltimore’s Harbor East neighborhood in November 2011, the sparkling new $200-million, 18-story Four Seasons towers over the waterfront, within easy walking distance of restaurants, cafes, and boutiques.

As I pulled around the semicircular drive in front of the glass-and-steel structure, a valet and a porter hurried over to park the car and put my luggage on a trolley. (Valet parking is $40 per 24 hours.)

The open, spacious lobby was decked out with towering flower arrangements, marble floors, large abstract paintings with splashes of color, and minimal, contemporary furnishings. Overhead, clusters of curled glass ceiling lights glowed.
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