Where to stay when touring?

Daisypuff72

Daisypuff72

5-Year Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2017
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Hey guys! We are visiting USNA this week. Where is your favorite place to stay? Thanks so much!!
 
Depends on what you want to do. There are a couple of nice (but expensive) hotels on the waterfront within walking distance of the Academy if you want to do touristy things and walk around old Annapolis. We usually stay a few miles inland near Town Center which is a nice new area of shops, department stores and restaurants. There are cheaper (but still nice) hotels there likely in a chain you might have award points for. You can shop, eat, and catch the latest movie. Also you can stay about 20 minutes away near BWI airport which gives a good location to tour not only USNA but Baltimore and D.C as well. Enjoy!
 
Daisypuff72 said:
Hey guys! We are visiting USNA this week. Where is your favorite place to stay? Thanks so much!!
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Put "Hotels" in the Search block of the USNA forum - meaty threads will come up listing all kinds of options, from location (DTA or greater Annapolis), type (chain, Air BnB, HomeAway, B&B, military lodging, etc.), budget needs. Lots of choices, and detailed comments from mid and candidate families.

DTA = Downtown Annapolis

Since it's spring, and Annapolis will be busy but not as jammed as it is during PPW, I-Day, Comm Week, Fall Boat Shows, I recommend Gibson's Lodgings if you can get in. It's a very nice B&B in 3 adjacent historic homes, with its own off-street parking (huge), right next to the USNA Gate 1 walk gate. Ideally situated for roaming DTA on foot and soaking up the waterfront and City Dock area. Park once, do everything on foot from there.

http://www.gibsonslodgings.com/

Many have also enjoyed Air BnB or HomeAway options in DTA.


Edit: Daisy, may I also recommend changing your avatar, if that is your lovely family, to something less personal? This is an anonymous public forum, not a FB-style format, and your and your hopeful candidate's privacy is more protected.
 
coachkarl said:
My suggestion: Loew's. It's within walking distance of The Yard and the folks are super-accommodating. I wouldn't recommend it for PPW, but for visiting, that'd be my choice.
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We lived in Annapolis for 15 years. Just moved away last summer. I agree, Loew's Hotel is wonderful. I have done corporate business with them for 15 years and they are so so nice. The Bar Oak restaurant in the lobby has great food. A little pricey during the summer months but worth it for sure. Just up West Street is the Westin Hotel. Again super nice folks and a ton of restaurants right there at the hotel. Check out Miss Shirley's on West street for breakfast and Lemongrass across the street from the Loews has crazy good Thai food.
The folks at the Holiday Inn Express on Riva Rd are wonderful as well. It is right next to Annapolis Town Center and the mall. The Whole Foods there has a great breakfast hot bar. The Mission BBQ in the same parking lot is amazing local BBQ and they love military folks. They actually stop business a noon everyday to play the National Anthem. It is really less than 10 mins from the yard. They may even have a shuttle to Main Street.
Honestly, summer is high season in Naptown so hotel prices are at a premium.
 
Driving and parking downtown can be a pain. I like to stay within walking distance of the Yard. Westin and O'Callahan have been my recent go tos. There is also a hotel right down on the water (don't recall, Marriot or Sheraton now ?) -- has a great bar out back where you can watch the boats go by.
 
nolamomma said:
We lived in Annapolis for 15 years. Just moved away last summer. I agree, Loew's Hotel is wonderful. I have done corporate business with them for 15 years and they are so so nice. The Bar Oak restaurant in the lobby has great food. A little pricey during the summer months but worth it for sure. Just up West Street is the Westin Hotel. Again super nice folks and a ton of restaurants right there at the hotel. Check out Miss Shirley's on West street for breakfast and Lemongrass across the street from the Loews has crazy good Thai food.
The folks at the Holiday Inn Express on Riva Rd are wonderful as well. It is right next to Annapolis Town Center and the mall. The Whole Foods there has a great breakfast hot bar. The Mission BBQ in the same parking lot is amazing local BBQ and they love military folks. They actually stop business a noon everyday to play the National Anthem. It is really less than 10 mins from the yard. They may even have a shuttle to Main Street.
Honestly, summer is high season in Naptown so hotel prices are at a premium.
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FWIW, I have had significant problems with Loews on more than one occasion. Double billing with incredible trouble straightening it out, cleanliness, service and, worst of all, honesty and responsiveness of management. I think there are a lot of great options in the area. I wouldn't take the chance on Loews.
 
Capt MJ said:
Put "Hotels" in the Search block of the USNA forum - meaty threads will come up listing all kinds of options, from location (DTA or greater Annapolis), type (chain, Air BnB, HomeAway, B&B, military lodging, etc.), budget needs. Lots of choices, and detailed comments from mid and candidate families.
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https://www.serviceacademyforums.co...parents-weekend-commissioning-week-cvw.47512/

Capt MJ said:
If you haven't found the Where To Eat Annapolis thread, use the Search function in this forum to find it.
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https://www.serviceacademyforums.co...at-2016-i-day-cvw-visit-graduation-ppw.47991/

Food & Travel... Two of my favorite threads on the forum. Hope it helps.
 
If your candidate becomes a mid, a great option for future visits is to rent a home in the Annapolis area. There are endless options at various price points. You will have so much more room to spread out, you can make your mid’s favorite meals, host a BBQ for their friends, etc. Our family has all but stopped staying in hotels when we travel because once we started renting apartments / houses, it is hard to go back to hotel living! (Caveat: I do not work for any of the home rental agencies, but I probably should!)
 
I had the absolute worst experience with the Loews Hotel.... Double billed ...then triple billed when tried to sort out the problem. I ultimately had to get my credit card company involved to cancel the charges. I have had a great experience in my mid's 3 years at the academy at both the Westin and O'Callaghan Hotel. I highly recommend staying downtown so you can walk to the academy and downtown.
 
OK...I'll take a turn. As you can see from above, there are a limitless number of options at your disposal largely predicated on what you plan to do and how much you're willing to spend.

My stays are typically short so I fly into BWI and take the shuttle into Naptown. No car, no problem, as I stay at the Marriott Waterfront, a five minute max walk to Gate A (where I just happen to walk by the Big Cheese and always happen to walk in) and walk everywhere else in town. It's about as convenient as I could possibly make it.

It all depends on what you have planned. It's nice to have options in a town like that, isn't it?

Whatever you choose...enjoy!
 
mjm said:
I had the absolute worst experience with the Loews Hotel.... Double billed ...then triple billed when tried to sort out the problem. I ultimately had to get my credit card company involved to cancel the charges. I have had a great experience in my mid's 3 years at the academy at both the Westin and O'Callaghan Hotel. I highly recommend staying downtown so you can walk to the academy and downtown.
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My experience was so bad I actually turned down their offer to stay next time for free.
 
Try the Doubletree. They are outside DTA, but offer a shuttle to the airport and the academy and the prices are great. They also have a great staff
 
Depends on your budget and how you define 'short walking distance'. Many DTA hotels do not have onsite parking, so good to check on that ahead of time. There are several reasonably priced hotels just a short drive from USNA.
 
Capt MJ said:
Put "Hotels" in the Search block of the USNA forum - meaty threads will come up listing all kinds of options, from location (DTA or greater Annapolis), type (chain, Air BnB, HomeAway, B&B, military lodging, etc.), budget needs. Lots of choices, and detailed comments from mid and candidate families.

DTA = Downtown Annapolis

Since it's spring, and Annapolis will be busy but not as jammed as it is during PPW, I-Day, Comm Week, Fall Boat Shows, I recommend Gibson's Lodgings if you can get in. It's a very nice B&B in 3 adjacent historic homes, with its own off-street parking (huge), right next to the USNA Gate 1 walk gate. Ideally situated for roaming DTA on foot and soaking up the waterfront and City Dock area. Park once, do everything on foot from there.

http://www.gibsonslodgings.com/

Many have also enjoyed Air BnB or HomeAway options in DTA.


Edit: Daisy, may I also recommend changing your avatar, if that is your lovely family, to something less personal? This is an anonymous public forum, not a FB-style format, and your and your hopeful candidate's privacy is more protected.
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Thank you so much for your advice! Gibson's was a perfect place to stay, and my son is determined to make it! [emoji106]
 
Curious -- does USNA still maintain a list of "drag houses" for visitors to stay ? There used to be a person in Dahlgren Hall (I think the title was "Hostess", and the name Mrs Baysinger sticks in my mind) who had a note book of Annapolis residents willing to let people stay in their homes during visits. Most where right outside the gates, and the intent was to provide a low cost place for visiting girlfriends or significant others to stay . It was a long time tradition, and probably on the decline by mid 80's. I suspect its become overcome by things like AirBNB and VRBO, more hotels in Annapolis, and changing society. (Funny story, my wife and I still laugh about the time she came to visit, and the older lady she was staying with admonished her at the door for wearing clogs (open backed shoes that were pretty popular back then), telling her that "nice girls don't wear shoes like that". I think that was the last time she stayed in a drag house).
 
AirBnB is what I planned for PPW. You HAVE to read the reviews and all the factors but it sure saved me a lot of money compared to hotel pricing. 4 nights, with service fees, were less than $100/night. And, I will have a place to bring my DS to relax, wear "regular" clothes and just hang out. Close enough...but far away enough. It is 3 miles from DTA, has parking and even though it is the downstairs of a private home, has private entrance - kitchen - bath/shower and private bedroom as well as "living room". I hope to get to the grocery store and make some of my DS's favorites! There are many options, this is just an example. I did check and it is still available for I-Day time. If you are interested, please feel free to PM me.
 
Old Navy BGO said:
Curious -- does USNA still maintain a list of "drag houses" for visitors to stay ? There used to be a person in Dahlgren Hall (I think the title was "Hostess", and the name Mrs Baysinger sticks in my mind) who had a note book of Annapolis residents willing to let people stay in their homes during visits. Most where right outside the gates, and the intent was to provide a low cost place for visiting girlfriends or significant others to stay . It was a long time tradition, and probably on the decline by mid 80's. I suspect its become overcome by things like AirBNB and VRBO, more hotels in Annapolis, and changing society. (Funny story, my wife and I still laugh about the time she came to visit, and the older lady she was staying with admonished her at the door for wearing clogs (open backed shoes that were pretty popular back then), telling her that "nice girls don't wear shoes like that". I think that was the last time she stayed in a drag house).
Click to expand...

The drag houses as such are gone... my DH recalls he knew exactly how long it took to sprint back through the gate to make evening formation after escorting a date to a house on King George or Prince George Sts.

Once mids were allowed cars, and staying together (gasp!) in a hotel or motel out in town became an acceptable social norm, having a place to stay in town within walking distance became less important.
 
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