Baltimore Penn Station

Rail service negotiating with developer to build 72-room facility

Amtrak has revived a plan to open a boutique hotel inside Baltimore's historic Penn Station, which would be a first in an Amtrak-owned station.

The passenger rail operator is negotiating with a developer to create a 72-room hotel on three levels at the station, Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black said yesterday...

Baltimore Sun

Somehow, I don't think railfan rates will be part of the property manager's business plan.

what a moronic idea

crazy_nip wrote:what a moronic idea

[SARCASM]
Baltimore Penn Station is nowhere near anything. That sure seems like a great location for a hotel!
[/SARCASM]

<sarcasm>
Airports are often out in the middle of nowhere, better not build any hotels near them, either.
<sarcasm>

People coming in on the train should certainly find the hotel useful, no matter where in the city they are going.

While that area is still a ways north of the urban bustle inching up from the harbor, the area south of the station is still quite nice, with great restaurants, the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, the Lyric Opera House and, oh yeah, my company (see large green sign off I-83).

JPS

to say it is in the middle of nowhere is a reach, its walking distance to downtown and the bustling harborside area (a long walk)

but there are plenty of GOOD hotels nearby from what I remember

furthermore, most people getting off the train at baltimore are commuters, not long distance passengers

this isnt the 1890's and baltimore isnt some dusty town on the western frontier with nothing but the railroad to serve it

this is just another way for amtrak to make a fool of itself and lose a TON of money

if this actually happens, it will make the acela and refer car purchases look like solid investments

I am still in shock

It would make more sense to build out this space as commercial office space. THAT would make sense. Some of its passengers could WORK in the building at least.

A long walk, or take the light rail.

crazy_nip wrote:
furthermore, most people getting off the train at baltimore are commuters, not long distance passengers

this isnt the 1890's and baltimore isnt some dusty town on the western frontier with nothing but the railroad to serve it

Why does everything have to be so absolute?

Yes, MOST people at Penn Station are probably commuters . . . so what? Plenty of people come by train and stay overnight. Heck, I've stayed overnight in Philadelphia on business, just 1:05 away via speedy regionals. No reason it can't happen in reverse.

No, the railroad isn't the ONLY way this town is served . . . but it's a pretty darned busy station, with people coming from enough hours away that they may wish to stay overnight.

It's not like they're proposing to build a 1600-room "Waldorf Astoria South." Filling 70-some rooms isn't such a big deal.

I live right in downtown Baltimore, and work within sight of Penn Station (five years). I honestly have no idea if this idea will work, but I dare say I know more about the area than people who passed through a couple times and now see fit to call this the worst idea since . . . diner lite a couple weeks ago, I guess. Just because it's an Amtrak idea doesn't make it stupid.

Ugh...so much for the old Power Dispatching room which is still in one of those offices. Maybe I can find a way to get a tour...

most of the risk would be the developer's risk . seems like a good idea to me

Who in their right mind wants to stay in a hotel in this part of town?

fairlane57 wrote:Who in their right mind wants to stay in a hotel in this part of town?

It's a block or two from the University of Baltimore (http://www.ubalt.edu/) and two blocks from the Lyric Opera House (http://www.lyricoperahouse.com/) and very close to the Cultural District. Might be a convenient place to stay if visiting DC - cheaper, maybe, and it has weekday MARC service. Also very convenient access to the light rail to downtown and the baseball and football stadia there.

For a city the size of Baltimore, I find it strange there is no Hotel at the station now! In all my travels through Europe there is always a Station Hotel (and you can’t get closer to European train frequency than in the NEC)

In Canada, at Montreal Central Station, the elevators for the Queen Elizabeth Hotel come right down to the concourse level. And this is no “Flee Bag” hotel. It’s a Fairmont. (a former CN then a CP Hotel) There are also a Hilton and Marriott connected by tunnel.

Toronto has the Royal York across from Union Station, also a Fairmont (Former Canadian Pacific Railway Hotel) and in Halifax, the VIA Station is attached to the Westin (former CN) Hotel.

What will be different about this project, Mr. Tim, is that, assuming it moves forth in the manner outlined above, it will be the first "luxotel in the station" here is the US. Of interest is that there is also a similar project being "ramped up' atop Chicago Union Station.

Quite true, in Montreal and Toronto, there are "luxotels' with direct access to the station (I think there is a passage to the Royal York?). In New York, there was a passage from GCT to the Roosevelt and there just might be same from GCT to the Commodore (whoops, Grand Hyatt nowadays).

However, although it has "been a few years since I;ve been over', I found that "station hotels' overseas left a bit to be desired, or at least for my tastes. I remember all too well at Edinburgh Waverly the North British where I had to get a "bath porter' to turn on the water. Shower? what's that. Also I recall a "station hotel" opposite Frankfurt Hbf that it would be my pleasure to forget.

GeorgeF wrote:

fairlane57 wrote:Who in their right mind wants to stay in a hotel in this part of town?

It's a block or two from the University of Baltimore (http://www.ubalt.edu/) and two blocks from the Lyric Opera House (http://www.lyricoperahouse.com/) and very close to the Cultural District. Might be a convenient place to stay if visiting DC - cheaper, maybe, and it has weekday MARC service. Also very convenient access to the light rail to downtown and the baseball and football stadia there.

there are also much nicer hotels nearby already...