Tried to book this hotel for 2 weeks in December 2007and EVERY date was sold out for the months of June-August. 2008 No way could this be true so I called and found out they only open reservations a couple months in advance. This was not convenient for us as we needed to commit to a week for the ripken baseball camp for our son as soon as possible. No other Marriott in the Balt/DC area had this ridiculous policy. Luckily we were able to get the reservation later but it wasted a lot of time. Actually stay was OK with below average maid service and someone was always cleaning the hotel lobby, which really should not be seen by guests. This should be done at night. Evening meals were horrible as the best they did during the week was pasta and meat sauce. Two nights they actually served "beans and wienies" and "ground hambguer mixed with beans", yuck! room rates were very high (nearly $300/nt).

The fact that this hotel shares the same building as the Courtyard Marriott does not appear to be a benefit to guests. First of all, there are separate entrances, lobbies, and front desks. The front desk staff works both hotels and therfore one of the front desks is typically vacant, as was the case when we checked in and also a couple times when we went to the desk with a question. Also, your hotel key does not work on the "other side" making it necessary for a long walk outside the building from the Residence Inn to the parking lot as there is no parking on the RI side. Housekeeping was another concern as there was something overlooked by the maids each day of our stay that we had to call the front desk about. As far as the location goes, this hotel is not "walking distance" to any dining, shopping or really anything except youth baseball fields, making it necessary to drive to do anything. The shared pool is indoor and VERY small and the breakfast "buffet" consisted of eggs, potatoes and greasy sausage or bacon in warming trays and the typical cereals, waffles, breads, etc. For free it was worth a few bites. Cannot recommend any restaurants in Aberdeen either. Overall, there are many nicer areas to spend the night in the Baltimore area.

Spent two nights at the Residence Inn while our son attended a Ripken baseball camp at the adjacent training facility. What a great place! The Residence Inn and Courtyard Inn are co-located in a replica building of the warehouse adjacent to Camden Yards. Our one bedroom suite was clean, quiet and very comfortable and the air conditioning worked great (outside was very hot and humid while we were there). The staff was friendly and the included breakfast was above average. If you're attending a sporting event at the Ripken camp or adjacent Aberdeen Ironbirds stadium, or even passing through on I-95 and like baseball, this is the place to stay. The Courtyard looked similarly nice and was $20 a night cheaper, but as a small family, we preferred the suites and free breakfast offered by the Residence Inn instead of the Courtyard's standard hotel rooms. The Courtyard has a restaurant and both hotels share a very small indoor pool. Highly recommend the Olive Tree restaurant across the freeway. Surprisingly great food for what appeared to be just another chain-type Italian restaurant. Ended up eating there three times!

Since there are no reviews, I am writing this as a Harford County resident to provide this overview as general infornation. The property opened in mid-April 2007. It is modeled after the warehouse at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. The Residence Inn takes up part the this buliding, while Courtyard by Marriott takes the other portion. The entire building sits on what is known as the Ripken Baseball Youth Academy, and is located directly behind the Right Field Wall of "Cal Sr's Yard", a down-scaled version of Camden Yards. Keep in mind that there are youth baseball tournaments in progress most weekends from mid-March thru early July, The Cal Ripken World Series in mid-Aug., and tournaments again in Sept. and Oct. More info can be found by visiting ripkenbaseball.com. This property is also directly across the street from Ripken Stadium, home of the Class A NY-PENN League Aberdeen Ironbirds. There is a restaurant and lounge in the building, and several restaurants and shopping centers within a 5 minute drive. If you're coming to this area for baseball related activities, this may be just what you are looking for. However, if you're looking for a quiet getaway, this may not be the place for you during baseball season. The grounds are nice, plenty of parking, and the baseball atmosphere is great. It's a nice place for kids and parents of the various visiting teams to have fun together after the days' games.
Hope this is somewhat helpful.