The Empire House

We had a wonderful time. The home is beautiful, clean, and beautifully decorated. Our room was quite spacious and the bathroom was modern and spacious as well. Thomas 9the owner) was super friendly and accommodating. The neighborhood in Mr. Vernon was great, lots of nice places to eat and enjoy a cocktail or two. my husband and I will definitely keep this place in mind for our next trip to Baltimore.

Our group of 8 converged on Baltimore for a wedding this past weekend, and the Empire House was absolutely perfect, in every way. You can park your car in the lot directly adjacent to the building, so no need to haul luggage through a parking garage or city streets. The first floor consists of multiple living/​sitting/​dining rooms available for guests’ use, and the décor in them is simply gorgeous. It was great to have such a nice common area in which to relax and converse with our far-​flung friends. Also there is a small kitchen in which you can partake in good quality coffee, teas, or even prepare a full meal if you are feeling ambitious. And the cupboards are equipped with all the implements and proper glassware for any fancy cocktails you could dream up; I wish we’d thought ahead and brought some libations for a happy hour! Upstairs, the bedrooms are just as well-​appointed as the downstairs space. And they are also immaculately clean. The A/​C is individually controlled, so we were the right temperature the whole time. The mattress was firm, the way I like it; the pillows were just right, too. And the walls must be pretty thick, because we couldn’t hear any noise from the hallway or adjacent room. Around the Empire House, there are a plethora of restaurants within very short walking distance, and the Empire House is also conveniently situated very close to a stop for a free bus that runs down to the harbor and back. All in all this place was absolutely ideal for our visit, and the price was fair and reasonable. We are so glad that we stayed here instead of whatever hotel the wedding block was! If I ever find myself returning to Baltimore and need to book overnight accommodation, I will most definitely 100% book at the Empire House again!
(PS I read another recent review on here and feel the need to state I am NOT a friend of the owner. I found this place by poking around on Google maps, and have absolutely no affiliation with anyone who operates it or otherwise works there.)

It’s from the 1870s and has 15′ ceilings, and, the neighborhood is charming with a full range of eateries and wine bars. Rooms are quite large and baths are adequate. The review thus far accounts for both our stars.
Oh-​kay. The plumbing is quite old and the shower can be difficult for anyone under 6’2″ to adjust. There was no soap provided in the baths. The bed is firm but is a only a double, which given the range of beds nowadays, is positively tiny. The A/​C is a window unit and, though it didn’t get above 80 both evenings, we found it excessively breezy and noisy (and in fact preferred to turn it off and sweat, rather than endure it in actual operation). There was no television; that’s right, none in the room, nor any in the entire (rambling) house. Welcome to the 1880’s we guess.
The room was not serviced overnight; we were stuck with our wet towels as well.
Because of the high ceilings, the hike up to the second floor is 20 plus steps, really, more like, to the third, in a normal building. We are quite fit but, carrying luggage up (and down) that distance, is wearing (particularly since parking is in the rear and you ‘must’ enter (again, up several exterior steps) in the front of the building. Our sincere sympathies to anyone on the third floor.
Breakfast options are coffee, tea or… well, those ARE the options, not in the room but, up and down the (aforementioned) forty stairs, and way back in the rear of the building. The owners ‘may’ be friendly but, they were only in evidence once (at check in), and stayed tucked away and out of sight in their basement apartment the rest of the stay. You are obligated to lock/​unlock your room door and the front door, fumbling each time with a key, with each and every egress and digress. There are pointed warnings that you ‘must’ lock the front door as you leave, but, how does one do this early Sunday morning (and not mail the keys back in the post)? There ‘is’ free parking, but, it isn’t easy to find (entailed several trips around the block to find) nor easy to park in (thanks to the 1970’s battered Dodge pickup truck partially — perhaps, permanently — blocking access to the lot.
We see several other ‘five star’ reviews. For this lodging? Friends of the owners, we surmise.

Was lucky enough to find this place almost two years ago. I travel to Baltimore weekly for my job and stay here regularly. The rooms are very private, beautifully decorated, and the beds are very comfortable. The place is spotless. Each room offers 1 free off street parking spot, most hotels around here charge $ 30 a day just to park. The prices are lower than any decent hotel and much nicer (I stayed at a local Marriott before finding Empire House). Zip cars are located on the same block. Very close to the train station.
Often when you become a regular somewhere you see the flaws, as it’s easy to make a great impression once but hard to maintain the consistency. After at least 80 weeks as a guest I can say the standards never vary. The owner is a very nice guy who is helpful and responsive. The neighborhood has plenty of places to eat at all price ranges.
A great place to stay when you’re in town, would also be a great place to put out of town guests when you’d like them close by but not in your house.

Recently my partner and I took a short trip to the charming city of Baltimore. While searching on Air B&B, we found Empire House. It’s a 19^th century mansion run by a friendly couple. We arrived to the beautifully decorated home, and we were warmly greeted by Thomas. We asked him for suggestions on places to eat and to go sightseeing, and he had plenty of great ones.
Our room was beautiful and spacious– it was as if we stepped back into the past and slumbered in a wealthy politician’s home during Victorian times. The bathroom was a pleasant contrast, being fully modern with a powerful shower head. If you want to live it up affordably while you stay in Baltimore, stay at Empire House!

Bottom line: The Empire House is a beautiful, welcoming place to stay while in Baltimore.
It’s in a great part of the city, just a few blocks away from bars and great brunch places. The free bus that takes you down to the city center is very close by. It was easy to just walk where we needed too. The parking spot made available to the guests was also very handy.
Thomas was extremely kind and helpful in setting up the reservation and making us feel comfortable during our stay. Everything we could have needed, he had provided. And when we needed help with something (e.g., recommendations, late check in), he was very understanding and helped as best he could.
The house itself is beautiful. As a B&B, it’s exactly what you want. Each room has a life of its own and everything in the house looks like it had a story. I’d stay here again if I needed to be in Baltimore!

We stayed for Memorial day weekend. The owners were great and very friendly! If you’re looking for a place to stay for a weekend or vacation in Baltimore, don’t choose a corporate hotel, support a small business and stay here!
Also, you will need to make reservations way ahead of time – this place seems to be very popular.