From helicopter pilots to ‘hotel nerds’: Navy grads aim to expand luxury accommodations in Annapolis

A pair of Naval Academy graduates have highflying dreams for the Annapolis hotel scene, a vision that earned them both friends and enemies in a town rich with tradition, but dependent on tourists. Over the past three years, former helicopter pilots Cody Monroe and Clint Ramsden, who are both in their early 30s, have purchased five properties with the goal of boosting the city’s “luxury” accommodations. “The city has been longing for a higher-end option for a long time now,” Monroe said. “We are looking to increase the number of offerings that Annapolis has on the high-end of the hotel spectrum.”