134 Prince - Luxury Boutique Hotel — Hotel in Annapolis

We. LOVED. It. My wife and I have been cooped up forever thanks to COVID measures and wanted to (safely) go out and celebrate getting our shots. Having moved back to Northern Virginia after a few years in Hawaii, we decided Annapolis was the perfect weekend trip to get out and about. I’m a retired naval officer but not a Naval Academy guy – so I was interested in learning firsthand why my peers love the town so much. 134 Prince ended up being the perfect place for us for a few reasons.

Location. The historic district was AWESOME, and it was nice to stroll down to the waterfront area and shops and bars – many of which had reopened by now. We’re not spring chickens, so after nearly two hours, we were easily back at our room and able to put our feet up for a minute. I took the car to a parking garage (on Gorman) that was about a five-minute walk back ($20). It was faster to walk back than it was to drive through the waterfront area (lots of people). We headed out again late afternoon to see another quadrant of the city (historic Statehouse and St. Anne’s) and made our way over to Eastport across the little bridge. While there we had a wonderful dinner. I was initially hesitant about the difference in price compared to places further out, but the convenience and walkability more than justified the cost. We packed a ton into our weekend visit that we would not have been able to do had we stayed elsewhere. We used our room as a hub-and-spoke HQ to see different areas of the town that saved us immeasurable time and hassle, especially with the crowds. You simply cannot beat this location.

Accommodations. The historic character of the hotel’s exterior left us in awe. The interior has recently been completely redone. The fit and finish was breathtaking, and we loved the old-but-new vibe. Every detail had been seen to. Despite a wholesale facelift, the character of (refinished) hardwood floors and high ceilings/crown molding was exquisitely complemented with fresh furniture pieces and understated touches. The common areas downstairs were big enough to host a few small gatherings but still intimate. The room we were in had every amenity and the bed and linens were top notch. We were impressed with how efficiently and creatively the space was used in such an older, historic house. The shower was massive. WiFi was easy to hook into and ample. I found the desk adjacent to my room not only quaint but helpful. We were planning to head out for breakfast Sunday just to experience more of the town before heading back home, but the complimentary breakfast smelled too good to pass up. I’d recommend the pancakes and orange juice! With all the walking we did, the staff did a great job having cool, infused water available at all hours (we had a late night enjoying ourselves). After all the walking I didn’t feel all that guilty having a fresh cookie they had out – so I had a couple more.

Simplicity. I VERY much liked the ease with which we were able to book, check in and manage our stay via technology. I’ll be honest -- I was a little skeptical. I have always preferred talk to a living, breathing person (that was an option via phone, but I never had a need to). Using the access code they sent me via text made it the easiest, fastest and most hassle-free ever. No cards or keys or lines or paperwork. Now I’m kind of spoiled. Ironically, it was also the simple sense of ‘home’ that we had staying there. Sure, it was luxurious. But it was the comfort and vibe of the place that gave us a sense of joy. We felt like we had the run of the house. That – with the location – is why I’d highly recommend it. We would not change a thing about our weekend and the fantastic experience, and will stay there again... We have a lot of other places to...

We had a terrible experience here! We took two rooms - the Presidential Suite, which was fine, and the Garden Suite, which was horrible. The Garden Suite, which is literally a basement room, should not be held out, or charged for, as a luxury hotel room at a price analogous to the upstairs rooms! They advertised it as having two separate bedrooms ( with 1 queen bedded bedroom and one twin bedded bedroom) and as being a perfect retreat for a family or group. We took it for my two adult children, one of whom had a boyfriend (so three people). Unfortunately, the bedrooms are NOT air conditioned, and one of the bedrooms had no windows at all! The only way to be somewhat comfortable was to leave the bedroom doors open to allow the air from the living room to circulate. Clearly not ideal for a group!!!! We had to take a separate hotel room at the Westin for my daughter and her boyfriend, and my son made do in the one bedroom that had the windows. This was stressful, inconvenient and expensive. We asked the manager, Debo, if there was another room to switch to and she said no. After we had booked the room at the Westin, the manager suddenly offered us a room at a hotel owned by the same owners across the street!!!!!

The website does say that the Garden Suite is located on the hotels "semi-subterranean level," but given that the charge was over $800 a night for the room (charges were $1935.72 for 2 nights), and the hotel advertises itself as a luxury boutique hotel, I thought it was going to be very nice.

When we complained to the owner, Clinton R., he ignored our legitimate grievances of no light (in one room) and no air conditioning in both rooms and erroneously argued that I was merely complaining about the design. We made the best and had one person sleep in the room each night (rather than the 3 that we planned) and Clinton claimed that since we used the room, we weren't entitled to a refund (even though we had to take a separate additional hotel room!!!!). He was nasty and condescending and truly unfit to be in the business of hospitality. I'd never stay here again and suggest that no-one take the Garden Suite at all! Not even for one person. The ceilings are low, the noises are typical of a basement (toilet flushing noises of the whole hotel), the machine room for the hotel is accessible through it (which I know because I asked them to increase the hot water temperature and they had to gain access to Garden Suite to access the water heater!) and all in all it's very unpleasant. Stay somewhere else! You can do much better for...

The owners have spent a considerable sum on the visible decor of this 5-room guest house (to call it a "Luxury Boutique Hotel" is a misnomer). While the pricing is certainly "luxury" @ $500+/- per night, plus $95 for check-in at 1:00 instead of 3:00 and $50 per night parking in their driveway, the service is not up to par. This is really just a cross between a B&B and an AirB&B. There is no full-time on-site personnel (you have to call a cell number and someone will come over). Debbie, the manager, and Jen, her assistant, are extremely charming, helpful, friendly & accommodating, However, they have to work with what they are given by ownership, which is not much. The common rooms have no heat. The bathroom in our room (the Harbor Suite) had no heat. Every time someone walks in the room above, you can hear the foot steps. The ventilation runs all night in the room and makes alot of noise even with the vents closed. With all the supposed renovations of this old house, why did they not support the floors and sound-proof? The water in the room has to run for a long time before it gets warm. No refirg in the room and they pad-lock the refrig in the kitchen at night (again no on-site personnel to provide access) so you have no way to keep any leftovers or food you purchase cold. I arranged to pay the early check-in charge which I could understand if it had been busy. However, to our surprise, on our first night we were the only people there as its off-season and clearly no one had stayed in the room the night before so there was obviously no extra cost to get the room ready before 3:00. The breakfast in the morning was an insult (stale tiny bagels and less than fresh fruited yogurts). I have had better while on 95 overnight on the way down south at a Ramada Inn. This place is billing itself as something it is not and charging for it. If ownership is not willing or able to fund this place and run it properly during the "off-season", then close it, or cut your prices in half to reflect the lack of service and the way it is actually being run. To do what ownership is doing, is just not fair to its guests....