The Ivy Hotel Shuttles

Within the bounds of Baltimore’s trendy Mount Vernon neighborhood, the exorbitant Ivy Hotel is one that gives luxe-boutique the name it deserves. Over-the-top rooms offer dramatic four-post beds with draperies as well as charming accents ranging from chandeliers to hand-crafted work desks. Select suites offer bi-level duplexes and fireplaces, while available to all guests include complimentary breakfast in the morning, tea in the afternoon and midnight snacks in a decadent lobby. For leisure, some rooms are given balconies looking out at the Spanish-inspired courtyard, while a gourmet terraced restaurant and spa make for fun on-site pampering. The closest Subway Link is about a five minute drive, though guests can easily get more out of Charm City with a private vehicle rental ranging from small sedans to super-sized chartered buses - reserve a meet-and-greet service for even more easygoing leisure, arriving to the Baltimore Convention Center via stretched limousine or Thurgood Marshall International Airport via taxi.

The easiest way to get to know the neighborhood’s unique combination of old and new is with a short walk down Charles Street, about four blocks west of the hotel and offering close access to various popular restaurants and boutique shops. Grab lunch at The Brewer’s Art for fun gastropub ambiance, afterward taking a tour of The Walters Art Museum for a look at centuries of masterworks. Close to The Walters Art Museum is the striking George Peabody Library, home to high ceilings and natural atrium light that perfectly showcase Neo-Greco design, while The Baltimore Basilica provides rare views of the oldest Basilica church in the country. Wind down with some evening entertainment after the day’s all walked out, choosing between the reinvention of old ragtime at Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute or the classical performances of Baltimore Symphony Orchestra - altogether quiet getaways include the nearby Druid Hill Park, home to world-famous sunsets and on-site access to The Maryland Zoo, not to mention vast urban greenbelt connections via the Jones Falls Trail.