I had always wanted to go into Baltimore for the Independence Day fireworks at the Inner Harbor. So this year we finally did it! And I'd always wanted to stay at an historical place. So we chose the Admiral Fell, at the end of Broadway in the heart of Fells Point. The setting is quaint, if a bit shabby. There are some upscale shops, but more run-down bars and vacant storefronts. The Inn is in a similar state. The registration process should have given me a clue. While I could look up availability on-line, I had to call to actually make the reservation. The staff was very attentive and professional, and the room was adequate, but there were little things that just didn't add up. There was an overpowering potpourri smell in the lobby. And some of the upholstery was visibly dirty. The room was adequate, nice furnishings, one bedspread had a tear, there was a glass shelf in the bathroom that seemed loose and was slanted enough to allow things to slide off, one table lamp was not working, and half the length of the sheets were tucked under the end of the mattress. But the thing that bothered me most was the dirty windows(inside & out)! And just outside, the peeling paint! The other down-tick was that I had signed up on the "Harbor Magic" website for the 4 p.m. Afternoon Tea and the 5 p.m. Ghost Tour, only to find out upon arrival that both had been canceled because of the holiday. They had my email address, they could have had the courtesy to contact me and let me know. While there was no mention of a complimentary breakfast, we imagined that they must have some provision, and I asked at the desk what they could recommend. The night clerk said there was a breakfast buffet that was regularly $11, but that we should ask about their voucher in the morning. What we discovered the next morning was that the voucher was only included in certain packages, and our stay did not qualify. Oh, and the buffet was really $11.95. We asked for alternatives, and they only offered one, a diner across the square, but we found it was way too crowded. We cut our losses & headed out of the city for a popular chain restaurant down the road. As for parking, we took the cheap route: street-side metered parking was $1/hour 10 a.m. -8 p.m. and free overnight. Alternatives were a nice garage 3 blocks away for about $15 overnight, or valet service from the Inn at $30 for 24 hrs.

If you stay here you will be treated like DIRT from the desk clerks, you will get double billed on your credit card, and this hotel will charge an extra $9.95 as a destination fee which is not tax and is probably illegal.
NEVER AGAIN.

The main advantage of the Admiral Fell is its proximity to the Inner Harbor area. Travel by water taxi is easy - the pier is right across the street, which we found a great advantage over trying to navigate the terribly congested streets in the area with very aggressive drivers. At first impression, the hotel looks lovely and colonial, and our room had attractive canopy beds. We liked the fact that there was free bottled water in the room as well However, within a very short time, we found the room small for two adults and a teenager; the bathroom's lack of exhaust created a steamy, always damp room; the internet connection did not work even when the mechanic came to check it out. We asked for a room off the street because we heard about the noise of street-facing rooms. Yet we awoke to the sounds of a brawl outside our room on the weekend, and there was no way we could sleep. Fearing the worst, we called the front desk to see if they would contact the police but could not reach anyone at the front desk. The next day we were told that this experience is standard fare on the weekend because the hotel is basically surrounded by bars that all close around the same time - 1 am. We also did not find the front desk to be particularly attentive nor helpful. And parking is ridiculous - rather than pay $29/day for valet parking, we walked several blocks to self-park at a city garage. Walking our wheeling bags over cobbled streets was no picnic.

We stayed at the Admiral Fell because of its convenient harborfront location. Our room was small, which we expected in a historic hotel; what we didn't expect was the poor housekeeping and maintenance. The glass shelf above the sink was not secured properly, so things slid off and the shelf itself was in danger of coming loose. It was difficult to close the sink drain. The walls in the bathroom looked grungy, and the transition from the room to the bathroom was filthy. Although the air conditioner cooled the room, it did nothing to remove the oppressive humidity. "Afternoon tea" turned out to be one glass of iced tea--not even a cookie. The staff member who led the tea as if he were a resident 150 years ago was interesting; other staff members were pleasant also. Breakfast is not included in the room rate. We ate at a creperie across the street. Parking was not a problem but it can be at peak time. Things have definitely gone downhill since my previous visit 15 years ago.