Hotel Monaco's guest rooms have abundant space, light and amenities.

Hotel Monaco: Chic, Smart, Fun

Let’s just pretend that my dog is better than your dog. And let’s pretend that being better necessitates prancing through hotel lobbies, sliding across turn-of-the-20th-century marble floors and receiving bedtime treats upon fluffed pillows.

But the reality is that my dog, an indolent and tubby yellow Labrador with the synaptic vigor of a rubber chew toy, is light years from being better than your dog. The beauty of Charm City’s new Hotel Monaco (2 N. Charles St.; 443/692-6172; monaco-baltimore.com) is that degrees of canine perfection hardly matter. Every pet is a king, even mine.

You don’t need a pooch, however, to relish the 202-room Monaco, another boutique property from Kimpton Hotels, which offers the requisite twists travelers have come to expect from the brand, including chocolate-chip cookies and milk for the kids, a goldfish in your room upon request and giraffe-print terry robes in every closet. Those playful perks are nice, but you’ll be even more impressed by the space itself: a 1906 restoration of a classic Beaux-Arts building that once housed the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad’s headquarters.

When entering the building, you’ll see glorious twin marble staircases, a chandelier the size of an Italian sports car and original Tiffany windows. One level up, the lobby leads to my favorite spot in the hotel—a large “living room” outfitted with high-backed suede couches and nap-worthy chairs lined with Dr. Seuss-like color schemes of lime green and fuchsia. A massive fireplace with a marble hearth sits in the middle of the space, and the likes of John Coltrane and Charlie Parker riff at a quiet pitch as the 5 o’clock complimentary-wine hour unfolds. 

The guest rooms evoke the glam of the Jazz Age, when traveling meant getting gussied up for the road and accommodations conveyed style that made the escape memorable. Today, those accoutrements include built-in sconces on headboards, red lacquer desks, Frette linens and L’Occitane bath products. Because the restoration team couldn’t trash the historic splendor of the building, the standard rooms feature 15-foot-high ceilings and expansive windows that usher in abundant natural light.

Sans dog, stroll a few steps next door to the B&O American Brasserie (443/692-6172; bandorestaurant.com), helmed by veteran chef Michael Reidt, who has been lauded by Food & Wine, Bon Appétit and Esquire for his imaginative takes on contemporary regional cuisine. The brasserie has instantly become a gathering spot for locals who work in the bustling mid-city business area. The first-level watering hole is lure number one, with its stunning wood-topped bar adjacent to comfy couches. Privacy abounds upstairs in the dining mezzanine, where the décor is decidedly august with leather seats, sturdy wooden tables and stainless steel rails and glass half-walls that overlook the scene at the bar.

For starters, the flatbreads from the brick oven absolutely soar, with toppings such as duck confit and smoked shrimp. Another appetizer, barbecue pork ribs, provides tender, spice-kissed meat that tumbles from the bone. Steak frites—petit filet, rib eye and coulette—receive main-course standing O’s here, and for good reason. But I’m dazzled by the seasonal seafood (everything from Chesapeake rockfish to grouper to Arctic char) that Reidt prepares with the care of someone who’s at the top of his culinary game. More comfort awaits in what the chef dubs “the last stop,” a dessert menu that impresses mightily with its simplicity. The artisanal cheese plate accompanied by truffle honey can be enjoyed by a few, as can the “really big brûlée” dressed in cocoa nibs and candied ginger.

Here’s a sure bet: Leftovers for your pet travel companion will be nil, but given the opulence the furry beast has relished during its stay, guilt won’t be part of your trip home.