3 New Maine Hotels For A Summer Escape

There is nothing like a Maine summer, and as this summer approaches, three enticing new hotels have just opened their doors for the 2024 season.

Dunes on the Waterfront, Ogunquit

Dunes on the Waterfront, a group of 21 white clapboard cottages with green shutters on 12 acres of lawns overlooking Ogunquit’s famous beach, dunes, and tidal river, debuted this month. Ranging from one to three bedrooms, the cottages date back to 1936 and were owned by three generations of the Perkins family. Hotelier Tim Harrington and his company, Atlantic Hospitality, bought the cottages last year from the Perkins’ and spent $10 million renovating the property. Harrington has a strong record of restoring and reimagining vintage Maine coastal properties, including The Claremont in Southwest Harbor and Salt Cottages in Bar Harbor. He’s also a partner in the Kennebunkport Resort Collection, 10 hotels that include Hidden Pond in Kennebunkport. You can stroll to the resort town’s many restaurants, bars, and shops or take one of the hotel’s complimentary bikes and ride into town. It’s a short distance from the famed Ogunquit Playhouse, Maine’s most beloved summer stock theater. All cottages have a private porch or patio, the better to soak up the coastal atmosphere. Pursuits include relaxing in the heated swimming pool with ocean views, paddle boarding, kayaking, and waterfront yoga classes.

The Rockport Harbor Hotel, Rockport

The Rockport Harbor Hotel has been flying under the radar since it opened in December 2023. This 20-room boutique hotel is now ready for its first summer, a new luxury property on Rockport’s busy main street, with its restaurants, galleries, and shops. Rooms are traditional in style—no trace of trendy minimalism here — and every room has a marble bathroom, a gas fireplace, and a balcony, with views of either the harbor or the Camden Hills. The Oak Room restaurant, which looks like it’s been there for about 100 years but is, in fact, brand new, offers creative comfort fare from Chef Travis Nestor. Atrium, the hotel’s fine dining restaurant with views of the harbor and Penobscot Bay, will open soon on the hotel’s fourth floor. There’s plenty to do in town, and if you need more, the tony port town of Camden is just up the road. The Farnsworth Art Museum’s incredible collection of Maine-born artists, including three generations of Wyeths, is a short walk from the hotel.

Longfellow Hotel, Portland

Longfellow Hotel, originally scheduled to open in 2023, finally opened this month in Portland. The Congress Street location is in Portland’s historic West End neighborhood, one of the city’s best locations, amidst 19th-century Victorian and Italianate architecture. The hotel is within walking distance to areas like the Old Port, East End, and the Arts District. The city’s first independent, full-service hotel to open in many years has 48 rooms and a Nordic-inspired spa. The 1,800-square-foot spa, Astraea, focuses on whole body and mind wellness. Dining options include the Twinflower Café, a wellness-focused restaurant serving wholesome breakfast and lunch offerings. The Five of Clubs is the bar and serves cocktails, beer and wine, and small bites. The Maine-based, family-owned hospitality group Uncommon Hospitality is behind the Longfellow Hotel, named for Portland-born poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, one of America’s most-beloved bards.