Our Story
The Alderton
An 1897 building. A 2004 restoration. A family’s lifetime of work on the Chesapeake.
Est. 1897 · Restored 2004
A Building That Remembers Everything
The building that now houses The Alderton was constructed in 1897 by Cornelius Alderton, a Maryland timber merchant who had made a modest fortune supplying lumber to the shipyards of the Chesapeake. He built the four-story brick Federal-style building at 47 Compromise Street as a combined warehouse and residence, with views across the water that in his time would have included the masts of working schooners.
The building passed through several hands over the following century, serving at various times as a rooming house, a naval officers’ club, and, in the 1970s, a somewhat notorious jazz bar. By 1998, it had been largely vacant for a decade, its facade crumbling and its future uncertain.
It was Margaret and Thomas Whitmore who saw what the building could become. They purchased the property in 2000 after Thomas — a naval architect by training — fell in love with its bones on a sailing weekend. The four-year restoration that followed honored every original detail they could preserve: the heart-pine floors, the plaster ceiling medallions, the marble window surrounds, and the cast-iron balconies that face Compromise Street.
Our Philosophy
“A great hotel is not a collection of amenities. It is a place where people are known by name, where the details are attended to before you notice them, and where the city outside the door feels, for just a moment, like it belongs to you.”
— Margaret Whitmore, Founder
The Whitmore Family
Margaret and Thomas Whitmore opened The Alderton in June 2004 with 28 rooms and a small dining room they called The Compass Rose after the navigational symbol painted on the original warehouse floor. Over the following decade they expanded to 42 rooms, restored the ballroom that had been sealed since 1971, and built The Terrace — the waterfront event space that now hosts over 50 weddings and celebrations a year.
Their daughter Catherine joined the hotel full-time in 2016, bringing a background in sustainable hospitality design from the Lausanne Hospitality School. Their son James manages The Compass Rose, where he trained under three Michelin-starred chefs before returning to Annapolis. The Whitmore family still lives within walking distance of the hotel and is a regular presence in both the lobby and the dining room.
Accolades
The Alderton has held an AAA Four Diamond designation every year since 2008. We have been named to the Condé Nast Traveler Hot List four times and appeared on the Traveler Gold List twice. Travel + Leisure named us among the “Best Boutique Hotels in the South Atlantic” in 2022 and 2023. The Compass Rose received a James Beard Award semifinalist nomination for Outstanding Restaurant in the Mid-Atlantic in 2023.
Sustainability
In 2019, The Alderton committed to a comprehensive sustainability program under Catherine Whitmore’s direction. The hotel now sources over 80% of its food and beverage from producers within 100 miles. We have eliminated single-use plastics throughout the property, installed rooftop solar panels that supply 40% of the hotel’s electricity, and partner with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation on a guest-accessible shoreline restoration program.
Our linen program uses a local, family-owned laundry that uses cold-water washing and biodegradable detergents. In-room amenities are refillable and sourced from a Maryland herbalist. We measure and offset our carbon footprint annually through a third-party verified program, and publish our sustainability report each January.
Accessibility
The Alderton is committed to welcoming all guests. Our accessible rooms include roll-in showers, lowered vanities, and widened doorways. The main entrance, lobby, restaurant, and ballroom are fully wheelchair accessible via a ramped entrance on Compromise Street. Assistive devices including shower chairs, grab bars, and visual fire alarms are available on request at no charge.
Service animals are always welcome. Guests with accessibility needs are encouraged to call the concierge before arrival so we can ensure all appropriate arrangements are in place. We are continuously improving accessibility across the property and welcome feedback.
As featured in
- Condé Nast Traveler
- Travel + Leisure
- The New York Times
- Southern Living
- USA TODAY 10Best
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