The Best Hotels in Maine for Every Traveler

Occupying a sprawling 60-acre (24ha) plot dotted with birch groves and balsam fir, this coastal Kennebunkport resort is enveloped in greenery. Take a guided forest therapy nature walk through the grounds in the company of a certified forest therapy guide, or ride one of the beach cruiser bikes down to the sandy shoreline at nearby Goose Rocks. There’s even an organic farm onsite, where you can pick your own berries or snip some flowers to pop in the living room of your suite.

Come sunshine or snowfall, the outdoor appeal of this mountain village resort doesn’t falter. Winter brings the promise of cross-country skiing, fat biking and snowshoeing, all of which start right at the country inn’s backdoor. Spring, summer and fall pledge mountain biking and walking amid the property’s thickly wooded trails. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s a nine-hole golf course and an outdoor pool onsite to boot.

If the rugged, wind-whipped coastline of Maine beckons, Cliff House should be your first port of call. Situated atop Bald Head Cliff, this luxury hotel’s dramatic location is showcased at every turn: the startling double-height windows in the hotel lobby, the private balcony that graces each guest room and the oceanfront fire pit where you can roast s’mores from your Adirondack chair while gazing out over the roiling waves of the Atlantic.

Fronting a tidal river in the quaint Maine resort town of Kennebunkport, this relaxed hotel is loaded with quirks. Laze away a summer’s day aboard the SS Sundaze, the Yachtsman’s own floating barge pool docked in the Kennebunk River, and decked out with striped sunshine-yellow bean bag chairs. Alternatively, kick back in your harbor-front bungalow with some music, courtesy of a portable Victrola record player brought to your room with a curated selection of records.

A collection of six separate lodges with manicured lawns and weatherboard facades, this quintessentially New England inn harbors plenty of charm. Many of the inn’s ultra-cosy guest rooms feature fireplaces, antiques and Jacuzzi spa tubs, as well as private decks with ocean views – a prime spot to linger with a glass of red as the cool Maine nights draw in.

While the design aesthetic at this Marriott property is thoroughly modern, look closer and you’ll notice some clever nods to the building’s past life. Once home to the state’s largest newspaper, the Press Hotel is now host to a cocktail bar, a farm-to-fork restaurant and 110 smartly dressed rooms and suites that boast floor-to-ceiling marble bathrooms. Located in the thick of Portland’s regenerated Old Port District, the neighborhood’s cobblestoned streets and low-rise buildings provide a romantic backdrop.

When bland big-name hotels no longer cut it, this Kennebunkport bed and breakfast should be on your speed dial. Not only does innkeeper Elizabeth Arruda bake a fresh batch of cookies for guests each afternoon, but after a deep night’s sleep on hypoallergenic mattresses by Vera Wang, you’ll wake up to a gourmet three-course breakfast – think maple-stewed plums, lemon and ricotta pancakes and scones with cinnamon butter.

Get swept away by the spirit of the 1800s at this restored sea merchant’s mansion, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Overlooking the Kennebunk River, it’s the largest home in Kennebunkport. The snug rooms are awash with character, featuring patterned wallpaper, four-poster beds, plush valances and upholstered wingback chairs. It’s the ideal setting for a winter getaway – lie back and watch the snow fall from the comfort of your lofty bed.