food for thought: i was in baltimore the week after the preakness. sheraton towson was 130 on the web, 60 via priceline. marriott hunt valley was 160 on the web, ~60 via priceline.

i targeted the sheraton; the marriott was my backup area so i never got to that point. the plus for the marriott is it's right on the light rail at hunt valley (access to camden yards, bwi, north ave - pimlico), and in the area less travelled north of the beltway. the minus would be the last light rail back to your hotel might leave too "early" for your debauchery.

light rail schedules

i would still get a rental car, if for no other reason than getting to DC and/or getting to all the great crab joints.

Thanks for all of the advice. I got distracted from this by a trip to CHI for a Tigers/White Sox game next month, a possible Vegas vacation in September, plus all of my normal work travel. Since Baltimore is probably not as likely to sell out as Louisville, I'm going to hold off on reservations for now. I'll see what the participant list looks like come February or March and re-read all of this then.

Thanks again!

Bumping my own thread as the details for this trip have come up again.

I'm pretty much ruling out staying at BWI. Chicago taught me that keeping a group of people together all day and happy won't happen. Someone will want to leave and I don't want to deal with the drama that goes along with them getting drunk/angry/tired or whatever. The only way would be relying on cabs from BWI to the Inner Harbor. What would the approximate cost be for a cab?

Any comments on the Tremont Plaza? Looks like it would be about $800 per room for the three nights. High, but probably a better trade for not going back and forth to BWI all the time.

One last question. How expensive is downtown Baltimore for food/drink? Am I looking at $2 for a bud light, or $7?

Thanks again for all of the help on this.

Not familiar with the hotel but looks to be in a decent area. Drinks will be expensive near the Inner Harbor ... probably close to $5 for a bottle beer. A bit cheaper in Fell's Point which you should definitely not miss.

We based at the Tremont Plaza three years ago for my bachelor party. We wanted to be near-ish to Camden Yards and have plenty of room for shennanigans in our room. TP fit the bill. Bit of a hike to Camden (maybe 10-15 min?).

It's a pretty decent place. We had a two bedroom suite (chairman's suite) which was absolutely huge, with giant living room/dining room (table w/ six chairs). Inner Harbor area is walkable. Plenty of parking garages nearby if you need them. The strip club area on Baltimore Street is around the corner; if that's a positive or negative factor I guess is up to you.

Not really in the middle of all the touristy action, if that's what you're seeking. But a decent value for lots of space for a group of people traveling together.

Avoid the Inner Harbor if you want beers under $5. Couple of places are cheaper near Camden Yards (Pickles...beer-in-a-can kind of place) or head over to Fells Point.