It's a promising start: 451,608 room nights in Baltimore hotels booked through 2017, business attributed in large part to that shiny new convention center hotel at the corner of Pratt and Paca streets. That's the assessment of the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association, which booked the hotel stays during a 12-month period that ended June 30. They should improve Baltimore's bottom line.
Not only do these room nights translate into convention center business and companion stays at other area hotels, but robust bookings at the 757-room Hilton Baltimore should make good on city development officials' promise that the city-owned hotel could pay for itself. That was a key selling point when the Baltimore Development Corp pushed to build a $301 million convention headquarters hotel, a project we cautiously supported.
