National Hotel Brand Launches in Baltimore
A Washington state hotel company launched its new national hotel brand in Baltimore Aug. 1, targeting young, tech-savvy travelers. Located at 207 E Redwood St, the 130-room Hotel RL Baltimore Inner Harbor features Pacific Northwest-style coffee, contemporary design, and free, live entertainment in the lobby.
Expect three more Hotel RL properties to open in Salt Lake City, Olympia and Spokane during Q1 '16. Red Lion Hotels Corp has its sights set on the nation’s top 80 cities for future hotels. Check out the slideshow for property pics, mostly snapped during a pre-opening bash July 30.
The steps in Hotel RL's lobby are a place where guests can hang out and drink a cup of coffee or glass of wine. It faces the performance stage. "It's nice to have a place to go and have something active going on," says Red Lion Hotels Corp SVP Angela Landgraf.
Free poetry, music, TED-style lectures and other performances take place on The Living Stage in the Hotel RL lobby. On Aug. 12, Harrison Davis will talk about how retail can benefit the community. And acoustic guitar duo Stephanie Jones and Dustin Hatfield will perform every Thursday. "The Living Stage is our platform for sparking conversations and gaining a deeper understand of the world around us," reads The Living Stage August brochure. The hotel might also hold wine tastings and cooking demos in the future.
Charm City got the first Hotel RL in part because the building’s ideal location on the East Coast and just two blocks from the Inner Harbor, says Red Lion SVP Angela Landgraf. It also moved aggressively to snag the deal last year, making an all-cash offer of nearly $16M to purchase the historic Keyser building, Angela says.
Guests can use a smartphone app to check in and open their hotel room. Want the corner room on the fourth floor? Use the app for that as well. Or customers can check in via kiosks. Hotel "ambassadors" are also on hand to help the Luddites.
Bartenders serve beer, wine and cocktails during Hotel RL's pre-opening bash July 30.
A barista serves espresso and other coffee beverages from Victrola Coffee Roasters.
A sculpture made of recycled bike parts hangs in the lobby.
The Hotel RL coffee trucks hands out free coffee to downtown Baltimore workers and residents.
A 1972 Volkswagen minibus transports guests.
