Beautiful Virgin Islands

Sunday, Jul 20, 2025

BraytonHughes Design Studios Creates Canopy by Hilton in Baltimore

BraytonHughes Design Studios Creates Canopy by Hilton in Baltimore

When last we met up with Kiko Singh, BraytonHughes Design Studios principal, it marked the opening of the Grand Hyatt at SFO.


Inside the new Canopy by Hilton in Baltimore. Photography by Durston Saylor.

That was March and the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown. In the unprecedented year since, Singh and the firm have kept busy. Taking the studio 3,000 miles cross country, Canopy by Hilton, a recent project, gives folks another reason to visit Baltimore. The hotel coupled with the city’s lively waterfront (come post-pandemic), its century-old, still operational Domino Sugar factory, and crab cakes, of course.

Located at Wills Wharf in the city’s Harbor Point neighborhood, the hotel is part of a mixed-use, new-build structure by Beatty Harvey Coco Architects. It’s one of Hilton’s “lifestyle” brands. Translated, that means that "while it is not a five-star luxury experience with several amenities, it is a boutique hotel experience," Singh explains. "Small, intimate, and when you wake up you know exactly where you are." As such, Canopy by Hilton offers the utmost flexibility stemming from a pragmatic floor plan and strong ties to place through literal and figurative interpretations.



The deck offers guests waterfront views in a laid-back atmosphere. Photography by Durston Saylor.

Check-in is a minimal affair, just a simple desk of wood planks at one with the lobby. This, in turn, is super-comfy and somewhat residential in flair with two seating groups of leather sofas and high-back, velvet-covered chairs divided by a freestanding, double-sided fireplace. Oak millwork with shelves for books, ceramics, found objects, and a TV contributes to the vibe. Meanwhile, references to Baltimore’s industrial heritage come with oversized pendants, their armature, and the fireplace itself, all of blackened metal.



A seating area for guests references Baltimore’s heritage with industrial accents. Photography by Durston Saylor.

An extension of the lobby, a transparent boardroom is delineated with a blackened steel and glass storefront. Its sliding door opens to a custom oak table, surrounded by Charles and Ray Eames classics. More than just a formal setting, the space offers solitude to guests when not booked for events.

“What’s different about this property,” Singh continues, “is a larger restaurant program than usual.” Here it takes over a prominent corner of the floor plan with wraparound windows and is dominated by a freestanding copper and black-painted bar. The exposed ceiling and dark ductwork hue industrial as does the gutsy, suspended storage fixture. Meanwhile, everything opens onto a deck set with ample seating. As for the restaurant proper, it’s run by a local. Cindy Lou’s Fish House is undeniably elegant. Leather banquettes, ebonized walnut tables, and custom floor lamps comprise the mix.



Cindy Lou’s Fish House. Photography by Durston Saylor.

Speaking of locals, Singh with curator Nathalie Beatty and artist Karl Connolly put together a knockout collection of works from Baltimore’s art community. To wit: the main elevator lobby with exposed concrete walls boasts an oil on canvas by Connolly while a mixed-media piece in an elevator lobby for guest rooms is by Charles Mason III, and the boardroom’s acrylic on linen is by Timothy App. Arguably most striking of all is Jonathan Maxwell’s triptych of paint, resin, and concrete mounted on an armature of gears that allow the three components to be moved closer together or farther apart. The assemblage faces the restaurant’s screen wall of beer bottles, “from a local brewery and is part of the story.”



A sliding barn door of painted steel in the guest rooms separates the bathroom from the sleeping area. Photography by Durston Saylor.

Rooms number 156, eight of them suites that extend to 800 square feet. Singh devised a standard scheme for all with custom furnishings and minimal millwork to keep costs at bay. The standout is the canopy of bent oak that frame the bed, easily construed as nautical. It’s lit from behind for an ambient glow. No ceiling holes here. A sliding barn door of painted steel separates bathroom from sleeping quarters, while another sliding door of wood closes off the shower from the powder-coated steel and quartz vanity. Meanwhile, a clever open steel and oak unit set within a niche at each room’s entry replaces closets as a chic but compact dressing area. All said, plenty of reasons to book Baltimore when travel rebounds.



The bent oak canopy lights up from behind for an ambient glow. Photography by Durston Saylor.



Neutral hues and plenty of natural lights offer guests a soothing space to unwind. Photography by Durston Saylor.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
×