Maine’s hospitality is legend, from its welcome to its delicious food, and this is proven by the incredible longevity of some of its inns and guesthouses! While seeking out the best B&Bs in Maine our Gurus came across numerous properties that have been in the business of hosting guests since the 18th century, and even more from the 19th! We’ve included some of these inns and guesthouses in our list, as well as more contemporary properties, because as far as the facilities and hospitality is concerned they amount to much the same thing. So our list of the best B&Bs in Maine is quite a cracker!
For the Album
- Blind Tiger is an oddly named, but beautifully converted 19th century guesthouse just a short walk from the ocean in Portland. If you’re a fan of interiors magazines then this might be the B&B for you: its colour palette ranges through the up-to-the-minute trends in design magazines, with the furniture and art to match, plus you'll find fireplaces, large windows and sophisticated lounges for relaxing.
- Portland’s Pomegranate Inn is a warm and welcoming eight room B&B with eclectic interiors and plenty of character. Each of the rooms are totally unique, and feature quirky wallpaper and antiques, local artworks and hand-painted murals. The Western Promenade location is sophisticated and close to the water. The staff are super keen, and breakfast is a collection of small plates offering innovative, fresh flavours.
For the Views
- The Trellis House is a small, chic and charming coastline inn in quaint Ogunquit, offering eight very varied rooms and suites, stunning water views and a gourmet breakfast! Expect New England style both outside and in, with a nautical vibe. Some rooms have private balconies, and cosy stoves for enjoying a fire too.
For a Rural Escape
- The Lodge at Moosehead Lake is in a remote, but very picturesque spot, right on the shores of Moosehead Lake. The lodge is orientated towards the lake, with floor-to-ceiling windows, and private lakeside patios. It has nine guest rooms, rustically themed, but all different — some are quite creative; think totem pole four-poster beds, antlers, indoor swing seats and antique snow shoes!
For New England Charm
- With its blue clapboard exterior and white railings, the Lindenwood Inn looks like the Maine address many of us dream about. Especially once you take into account the location in pretty Southwest Harbor. Its 15 rooms are individually, and traditionally decorated with cosy, homely touches; our favourites have private balconies. There’s also a separate bungalow, beside the pool in the garden. Inside there’s a small bar and a welcoming sitting room with a fireplace.
- Windward House is another converted historic home in the shuttered clapboard, New England style. In addition to the large porch and charming facade, Windward is surrounded by a beautiful, mature garden, complete with fire-pit, fountains and lots of flowers. There are eight rooms and suites inside, individually decorated, and featuring a romantic collection of antiques, and extras like wood-burning stoves and private balconies. They do a two course breakfast every morning, and there’s a 24hour guest pantry.
- The Kennebec Inn is a small and charming inn in the heart of historic Kennebec, with just four spacious rooms adorned with antiques and rustic chic details. The dining room is a rather regal affair, where they serve a gourmet breakfast. Outside there’s a pool in a large garden.
For Romantics
- Abigail's Inn is a beautifully converted historic townhouse in Camden, compete with pillars, porch and manicured gardens. Inside are four rooms, each one-of-a-kind, with neutral colour schemes, plus a relaxed and cosy communal lounge, breakfast patio, dining room, courtyard and a parlour with an open fire. All the rooms are quite romantic, but the Mt. Battle room has a two person jetted tub.
- Kennebunkport’s Inn at English Meadows has been converted from a traditional New England style house with a charming turret ‘wing’ and big shuttered windows. The 11 guest rooms are carefully decorated in a neutral, contemporary style, and have large beds and “luxury hotel” linens. Some of the rooms have their own fireplaces, and there’s a charming terrace where they serve a three course breakfast!
- The 16 rooms of the Hartwell House Inn are actually spread across two houses, on Perkins Cove, Ogunquit. They’re all different, but feature wood floors and furnishings, a smattering of antiques and design pieces — you’ll see some four-poster beds, some fireplaces, and two-person jetted tubs too. Breakfast on baked goods and explore the area on foot.
- Wolf Cove Inn is a remote inn, perched on the edge of a gorgeously peaceful glacial lake. Its 11 rooms and suites are arranged through a beautifully converted main house in the New England style, and in luxurious private cabins. The decor is classically stylish, in muted colours, and some rooms have romantic features like spa baths; they all have lake views, cosy arm chairs and warm throw rugs. The garden slopes down to the water, and the inn has its own canoes. Idyllically refreshing!
For Foodies
- Berry Manor Inn is a gorgeous Victorian mansion turned 12 room B&B, with roaring fireplaces, an elegant clapboard facade, lots of huge windows and a charming collection of antiques that includes frills, flounces, tassels and valances. It’s a bit like a life-size doll's house. The Rockland location makes it a good base for foodies, apparently it’s got the highest ratio of restaurant seats per capita in the US.
- Foodie capital, Portland’s West End Inn is a refined B&B on a treelined street in the pretty West End neighbourhood. It’s unusually not clapboard, but has a rather grand red brick facade, with large bay windows and double-height ceilings. There are six individually designed guest rooms, decorated with mid-century furnishings, and contemporary pieces. The dining room and sitting room are sophisticated places to relax, and there’s a small bar serving snacks.
For History Buffs
- It’s a somewhat unconventional name, but The Spouter Inn, is actually quite a charmingly traditional place, a classic New England home, just across from the beach in the quaint village of Lincolnville. Now a B&B with eight rooms, the inn was built in 1832, and it retains some of its original features, like the wood-beamed ceilings and floors, and the wonderful wraparound verandah. There’s a nautical theme, with plenty of maps on the walls, and lots of blue and white, and some of the rooms have private balconies and whirlpool bathtubs. The breakfast is gourmet!
- Timbercliffe Cottage is a colonial era house turned intimate, six room B&B, overlooking Penobscot Bay in pretty Camden. Expect beautiful, traditionally decorated rooms, with simple antiques, gas fireplaces, large bathtubs, and embroidery testers on the walls. A delicious breakfast is served on the wraparound porch-with-a-view.
For a Beach Break
- The Beach House Inn is one of the oldest B&Bs in Maine, an oceanfront, Victorian charmer built in 1891, on the edge of Kennebunkport Beach. There are 34 rooms and suites, all now light and contemporary, and the best with sea views. You can still feel the historic peace on the wrap-around porch of an evening, but it can be pleasantly bustling at breakfast, afternoon tea, or cheese-board-o’clock. Bike hire comes complimentary too.
- The Captain Swift Inn is a recently refurbished, nine room inn with considered contemporary decor and a cosy, friendly atmosphere. There are several inviting living rooms and lounges, some with fireplaces, and all with plump, welcoming sofas. Its Camden location makes it a grand choice for eating out and exploring the region, and it’s just two blocks from the beach! Some of the suites are family sized.
For a Tranquil Retreat
- The white, board-clad Russell House B&B is a converted house in pretty Boothbay Harbor, ideal if you’re looking for peace, modern charm and hospitality. There are just eight rooms, decorated with contemporary style and local art, and featuring large windows and large, comfortable beds. This is a relaxed pick, with a pleasant house party feel: think cookies by the fire, lots of boardgames, and wine and stories round the fire pit.
- Set in acres of farmland and old growth woods, the Squire Tarbox Inn is a recently renovated building dating originally from 1763. The overall shape of the original house has been retained, along with some of the wood beams, but it’s been very crisply decked out with elegant, contemporary neutrals in all of the 11 rooms and suites, and in the dining room, where they serve a gourmet breakfast.
For Great Value
- The Chadwick B&B is a charming townhouse in the heart of Portland’s West End, converted into a four room B&B. The decor is chic and contemporary, and each room is different — some have a private balcony or fireplace, and they all have spacious bathrooms with large tubs. They do a feast of a breakfast (which includes lobster!) and of an evening they get the fire pit lit.
Still not sure where to book?
