Visit The Ivy Hotel, Baltimore
Happy Monday you guys! So I’m sure you’ve noticed that the blog has undergone a much needed and welcomed renovation. The funny thing is that my blog’s 6th “birthday” actually coincided with the new site going live! It was completely unplanned, honest!! I really love this new layout and thanks to Marianne Navada for being just a joy to work with and lending so much of her creative energy to the redevelopment of walkinwonderland.com. I’m really proud of this and feeling super inspired , and I couldn’t think of a better first post than a recap of my wonderful trip to The Ivy Hotel in Baltimore.
A girlfriend told me all about her experience here when we met for dinner. She was gushing and I couldn’t help but feel she must have been exaggerating. Well, after staying at the property and experiencing it for ourselves, I can see she why she was so in love!
The property itself is gorgeous and used to be a mansion built in 1889. The owners have taken great pains to restore as much of the original architecture as possible. They even went to amazing lengths to restore the original staircase in the middle of the hotel!
We were warmly welcomed by General Manager Robert Arthur who took us through the property and gave us an informative tour. He described the decor of the main communal areas of the hotel perfectly when he said “it’s like having a really well travelled aunt with a tasteful yet slightly eccentric eye.” Every nook is filled with interesting bits of furniture or knick knacks!
One of the perks of staying at The Ivy is the daily tea time. We enjoyed delicious scones and finger sandwiches as well as some really great teas but the highlight was meeting Jermaine. He looked after us expertly well and was such a joy to speak with as well. Didn’t hurt that he makes a mighty tasty cocktail! He was such a sweetheart and the staff in general really helped make our experience an even more enjoyable one.
During breakfast we got to meet more of The Ivy’s stellar staff, the ever so sweet Tearsa and the Food and Beverage Supervisor Shanelle. Shanelle was so helpful and had some great recommendations for things to see and do around Baltimore. We decided to have breakfast in the hotel’s fabulous restaurant Magdelena but should you wish (as we did the next morning), the staff would be happy to serve you in one of the communal rooms such as the Library or Conservatory or even bring breakfast to you as you lounge around in your suite!
As you can see by the images in the post, we were very inspired and productive after breakfast! The Ivy is so beautiful that shooting pics was a breeze and the area around the hotel itself is so picturesque. Also, HOW CUTE IS THAT CAB!??
We visited Magdelena once more for dinner and we were knocked off our feet. Chef Mark Levy is the man responsible for putting together the fantastic menu and it was an absolute pleasure to the palate. Our server Sean saw to it that our meal was delightful and was just another example of the high standards The Ivy sets when it comes to their staff.
All in all, our time at The Ivy is a memory that I certainly will hold dear. The property itself is beautiful and our suite was luxurious. But for me, the staff made the trip even better and when you guys go there to experience it for yourselves, ask for a “Jermaine” during the daily cocktail hour and thank me later.