Meeting planners have a love-hate relationship with historic venues. Some planners love the rich past of historic properties and providing their attendees with a storied setting.
Other planners worry that “historic” is merely a marketing term and that such venues don’t have the updated technology and modern conveniences they need. But these historic Maryland venues deliver the best of both worlds: a past worth preserving along with state-of-the-art amenities.
Historic Inns of Annapolis
Annapolis
When George Washington was traveling from Mount Vernon, Virginia, to Philadelphia during the American Revolution, he often stopped at the Maryland Inn in Annapolis to eat, rest, socialize and have his horse groomed.
The three hotels that make up the Historic Inns of Annapolis are awash in history. The original Governor Calvert House dates to 1695. The Maryland Inn has hosted U.S. presidents, legislators and foreign dignitaries since the late 1700s. The Robert Johnson House is a grand brick home that was built in 1773.
The three properties are within a short walk of each other around State Circle and operate as one hotel. In January 2016, the hotel completed a renovation of all guest rooms and public areas, as well as most of the meeting space, keeping the historic feel but upgrading technology and amenities, said Erin Stolle, area director of sales and marketing.
The 52-room Governor Calvert House has about 7,500 square feet of flexible meeting space. The 2,400-square-foot Governor’s Hall can be split into three rooms that open onto a terrace. An atrium and a prefunction area divide the hall from five conference rooms.
The 44-room Maryland Inn has another 2,800 square feet of function space, the largest of which is the inn’s original 1,000-square-foot ballroom. The 29-room Robert Johnson House does not have meeting space.
Groups can use both the Treaty of Paris Restaurant and the Drummer’s Lot Pub for private events, and hotel staff also provide historic tours for meeting groups.
