Annapolis, Maryland at a Glance
Location: On the western shore of Chesapeake Bay, between Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
Access: Interstates 97, 95, 695, 895; Amtrak, Light Rail, Metro Rail; Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
Hotel Rooms: 11,361 in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County
Contact Info:
Visit Annapolis and Anne Arundel County
410-280-0445
visitannapolis.org
Meeting Hotels
The Westin Annapolis
Guest Rooms: 225
Meeting Space: 15,418 square feet
Crowne Plaza Annapolis
Guest Rooms: 196
Meeting Space: 10,000 square feet
Graduate by Hilton Annapolis
Guest Rooms: 217
Meeting Space: 21,194 square feet
Annapolis Waterfront Hotel, Autograph Collection
Guest Rooms: 150
Meeting Space: 17,000 square feet
Live! Casino and Hotel Maryland
Guest Rooms: 310
Meeting Space: 75,000 square feet
Who’s Meeting in Annapolis
Vanderbilt University
Attendees: 120
World Bank
Attendees: 120
Erickson Living
Attendees: 160
William Goldfarb Foundation
Attendees: 25
It’s easy to fall for Annapolis from the air.
A glance down reveals its multifaceted character. For 225 years, the dome of the Maryland State House has defined this city’s skyline through at least one hurricane and the Revolutionary War. From above, the stark, white United States Naval Academy and its distinguishing, patinaed chapel dome catch the eye, as do idyllic, 18th-century brick streets.
Then there’s the water, seemingly everywhere, its shades of blue changing with the weather-driven hues of the sky. Chesapeake Bay and its impressive, five-mile-long Bay Bridge are natural highlights. The bay, along with an additional 12 rivers and creeks, offer plenty of opportunities for visiting groups to get out on the water.
Destination Highlights
Annapolis was settled in 1694, and by the 1800s, its City Dock had become a thriving port. These days, the dock is a highlight on a guided city walking tour. Many groups have voted Annapolis their favorite walkable destination.
“Annapolis is known for its well-preserved Colonial architecture, with narrow cobblestone streets and historic buildings, including charming St. Anne’s Church that crowns Church Circle,” said Rasheeda Martin, senior director of external relations for Visit Annapolis and Anne Arundel County.
Historic Main Street is lined with restaurants, shops and quirky boutiques that thrive amid centuries-old structures, such as the three-story, pre-Revolutionary War Maryland Inn and the mid-1700s Reynolds Tavern that now serves afternoon tea.
A tour of the scenic Naval Academy campus can include its chapel and the crypt of Scottish-born John Paul Jones, who is known as the “Father of the American Navy.”
Museums abound, such as the Museum of Historic Annapolis, with 400 years of residents’ stories; the compact Annapolis Maritime Museum; and the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum, which features interactive videos and exhibits of local African history.
The city’s street art scene provides a thought-provoking juxtaposition to its architecture, with murals popping up throughout town. An enormous one features Supreme Court justices Thurgood Marshall and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
For a glimpse into the city’s rich naval heritage, Annapolis — known as the country’s sailing capital — also offers tours “at sea.” Visitors can take a day sail or sunset cruise on the Wilma Lee, one of the few remaining oyster dredgers known as “skipjacks” that once dotted the Chesapeake.
“Annapolis Harbor is a hub of activity, especially during sailing season,” Martin said.
Distinctive Venues
Built in the round, the stylish U.S. Naval Institute’s Jack C. Taylor Conference Center has five state-of-the-art meeting rooms, banquet and reception space for 452, and its 406-seat Lockheed Martin Auditorium provides seats with individual laptop tables. Perfect for an evening reception or dinner under the stars, two open air terraces feature sweeping views of the Naval Academy and Severn River, while a grand foyer and atrium can accommodate receptions and seated dinners.
Naval Academy cadets in sparkling-white uniforms attract attention on campus and around town. Visitors can attend a football game in 34,000-seat Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Luxury boxes and suites add amenity options for event VIPs. When the field is not in use for games, it can host tented events for up to 6,500 people.
Near BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, Live! Casino and Hotel Maryland brings a bit of Las Vegas to the East Coast. The 17-story, AAA Four Diamond property has 310 guest rooms and 52 suites with birds-eye views of the area. Ten restaurants with internationally focused culinary teams, an upscale fitness center and a day spa may make guests want to take up residence. There’s an on-site casino as well as an event center that can accommodate 3,000 for concerts, comedy shows and conference space.
“We have over 75,000 square feet of customizable event space, including our hall,” said Renee Mutchnik, the property’s director of PR and communications.
Major Meeting Spaces
Downtown hotels have easy, walkable access to such attractions as the Naval Academy, Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, the Maryland State House and the Chesapeake Bay. One downtown hotel, The Westin Annapolis, features European-inspired architecture with a modern interior. The property has nearly 15,500 square feet of meeting space, and the largest of its 14 meeting rooms can accommodate 760 attendees. Amenities include an indoor pool, a spa and a restaurant and lounge known for its crab cakes.
Complete with newly redesigned guest rooms, the Annapolis Waterfront Hotel boasts views of Annapolis Harbor and the Naval Academy. The hotel was voted by Condé Nast readers as one of the top 15 hotels in the Mid-Atlantic region for 2024. The property can arrange for attendees to experience the ocean during a team-building event for up to 40 participants aboard the 74-foot Schooner Woodwind. The cruise can end with a crab fest at Jimmy Cantler’s Riverside Inn, a family-owned restaurant that has been serving Maryland blue crabs for the past 50 years.
Recently renovated, the Graduate by Hilton Annapolis is a boutique hotel that’s a short stroll to St. John’s College, the third-oldest college in the nation, and to the Chesapeake Waterfront. In keeping with the area’s waterfront theme, this property’s lobby sports nautical flags, and the décor in its fitness center is all Navy sports. Of its 16 meeting rooms, the Graduate’s largest is a 4,368-square-foot ballroom that can accommodate 450 in a theater setup.
After the Meeting
Weekend wine tours and tastings of estate-grown wines at the Vineyards at Dodon are delectable and educational. This 555-acre farm sports 17 acres of vines, plus pollinator meadows, pastures and forests.
With the area’s preponderance of water, groups and individuals can hit Annapolis Canoe and Kayak to rent a boat or stand-up paddleboard and get out on the waves. Paddling is one of many reasons for attendees to bring their families along. Another is to take the clan to 786-acre Sandy Point State Park, a 20-minute drive from the city. With a mile-long beach and water on nearly every side, it’s a perfect place to picnic on the Chesapeake and learn to fish or crab.
Annapolis is a seafood lover’s haven, and a slew of fishermen bring in daily hauls of fresh catches for city restaurants. Using nearby farms and purveyors, Leo Annapolis specializes in broiled oysters, crab soup and local catches, such as snakehead from the Susquehanna River and blue catfish from the Chesapeake. This locally owned eatery in the vibrant Arts District also offers wine classes.
Located on City Dock, The Choptank restaurant is a classic fish and crab house with plenty of outdoor seating on a waterfront deck and rooftop. Another restaurant, Chick and Ruth’s, has been an Annapolis institution since 1965, serving breakfast favorites, gigantic sandwiches and decadent, one-gallon milkshakes.
