Located on an unassuming corner in Baltimore’s Mt. Vernon neighborhood, The Ivy is an oasis in the middle of the city. It was opened in 2014 by husband and wife Eddie and Sylvia Brown, who met at Howard University, using support from the community including loans from CDFI lenders.
These are non-profit lenders that help black, minority and disadvantaged business owners (like CDFI) set up their business – whether a hotel, restaurant, or boutique place. There are CDFI lenders in both Maryland and nationwide too, and learn more about business loans from Community Development Financial Institutions.
Each of its 18 guestrooms has a fireplace, oversized bathroom, a one- of-a-kind armoire designed by a local artist, tall windows, and is equipped with state-of-the-art technology with large flat-screen TVs and high-end lighting.
Today, after an extraordinary update and total rehabilitation, the house is as grand and glorious as ever: garlanded in ivy, high windows shining, turrets rising above the trees and gardens blossoming below. The attention lavished upon it more than a century ago by architect Charles Carson is today evident at every turn, from its leaded glass windows to its carved wood wainscoting, 23 individual fireplaces, green marble mined from local quarries, and a magnificent central staircase that climbs three stories past stained glass toward the radiance of the original skylights at the top, like an ascent to heaven.
The Ivy is a luxury boutique hotel with eighteen beautiful guest rooms and suites, charming public spaces, a small luxury spa, and Magdalena, one of Baltimore’s most outstanding restaurants. True to its history, visiting The Ivy feels like staying at the home of a generous friend. As a guest, the property is yours to enjoy. Take your morning coffee into the ivy-walled courtyard, choose a book from the library, try your hand at the piano in the sunlit music room. Invite a friend to dine with you at Magdalena, or have a private meal at Upstairs at The Ivy. Our car and driver will take you anywhere in the city you’d like to go, free of charge. The Ivy stands by long-held traditions, with tea served by the fire and cocktails poured every evening at 6:00. Each guest is known and welcomed as an old friend
There’s nothing like The Ivy Hotel. Gorgeous, romantic and welcoming, The Ivy is a bastion of world-class hospitality in a historic Mount Vernon mansion. Eighteen beautiful guest rooms and suites, charming public spaces, a small luxury spa, and Magdalena, Baltimore’s best restaurant.
The property is yours. Take your coffee in the garden, choose a book from the library, try your hand at the piano or the billiards table. Just beyond our doors, the city unfurls: the charming streets of Mount Vernon, the vibrant waterfront, boutiques, galleries, theaters and coffee shops.
Every afternoon, The Ivy offers a delicious complimentary afternoon tea experience for guests in its tea room and the Conservatory is a gorgeous, open-air space to indulge in champagne or one of the hotel library’s books. The game room has a ceiling covered in 18K gold, and a billiards table and several card tables. Magdalena, the property’s restaurant, offers an incredible dining experience with an extensive wine and whiskey menu. For breakfast, the crab benedict is to die for. This is Maryland after all.