This Baltimore hotel ditched corporate branding to become a community hub and coworking space

Can you think of a hotel that welcomes anyone passing by to simply walk in?

That’s the attitude at Mount Vernon’s Hotel Revival, which sees itself as more than just a spot for you to lay your head. With events like community kickbacks and group yoga sessions, the art boutique hotel is different from some others in the area.

“We are a socially conscious institution,” director of impact Bree Payne told Technical.ly. She stepped into the role a few months after the hotel dropped its Hyatt affiliation and joined New Waterloo, an independent hospitality management company based in Texas.

Revival actions its priorities through partnerships with nonprofits and city organizations. “We’re planning on doing a nonprofit of the quarter every quarter,” said general manager Ramond Sneed.

Roberta’s House is the partner right now, so through the end of March, $10 of every room booked at Revival will be donated to to support its family grief counseling initiatives.

Payne, who was previously an events specialist at TEKsystems in Hanover, now spearheads the hotel’s community outreach programs and collaborates with the hotel’s internal 12-person impact committee, comprising people from various departments including housekeeping, the restaurant and the karaoke bar. Together, they ensure responsible sourcing of goods and extend their efforts beyond the hotel’s premises.

“The impact of that is … more top line revenue [for vendors], which ultimately impacts the city,” Sneed said.

For instance, Revival procures toilet paper for each guestroom from local provider Lor Tush. The coffee served in its Dashery Cafe is from Black Acres Roastery, which provides a coworking space offering outlets, snacks and free Wi-Fi for community members. 

The latest community project is a professional wardrobe push called the Fresh & Clean Attire Drive, for which Payne developed the idea and hotel manager Chelsea Redding offered the name. It aims to help local job seekers dress for interviews by collecting items like blazers and office shoes to give them. There’s also a plan to collaborate with local tailors along the Charles Street corridor to help recipients receive tailored fittings. 

Sneed, with over 20 years of experience in the hotel industry, takes pride in Hotel Revival’s inclusive approach. Unlike other establishments, the staff encourages people to come in off the street, offering workspace and dining options throughout the day.

“We have a plethora of people who come in daily,” Sneed said, “to plug in their computers [and] work pretty much throughout the day.”

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Correction: An editor error initially credited the Flesh & Clean Attire Drive to Hotel Revival manager Chelsea Redding. The initiative was director of impact Bree Payne’s idea, while Redding created the name. (3/28/2024, 11:11 a.m.)