Maine
A Modern Maine Hideaway With Picture-Perfect Views – Hotels Above Par – Boutique Hotels & Travel

At The Viewpoint in York, Maine, the name really does say it all. Every room at this peaceful oceanside boutique hotel has a front-row view of Nubble Lighthouse, one of the world’s most iconic beacons. Though summer is the high season here, people travel to this part of southern Maine year-round to snap pics in front of it. There’s even a photo of the landmark hurtling through space aboard Voyager 1, one of 116 images of life on Earth on the Golden Record.


I stayed here in one of the seven new shoreside rooms, and got to wake up to it every single day. Designed by NYC-based CR Design using passive design principles, these rooms are carved into the Maine coastline using poured concrete to mimic the rocky shores below. They also feature Maine’s first-ever commercial grass roof, which not only hides the structure seamlessly but also absorbs rainwater and provides energy-efficient insulation to regulate temperature.


In contrast to the eleven beach cottage chic boutique suites that sit behind them on the hilltop, the king-sized shoreside rooms are sleek and sexy (almost like something out of a Bond movie), with tech features like electric fireplaces and Samsung Frame TVs and decor that bring the outdoors in. There are custom woven headboards fitted with planters and a different bedside chrome bird lamp in each room, a nod to the 20+ avian species living on the property.


Of course, nothing makes you feel more connected with your surroundings than the view, which you can soak up on the private patio or from practically anywhere in the room. Even from the glass-walled bathroom, which features an elaborate Kohler spa shower and a vanity mirror that perfectly frames the lighthouse in your reflection when you’re freshening up. Though foot traffic is sparse outside the rooms, there are remote-controlled privacy shades that cover the bathroom wall and the floor-to-ceiling windows from any unwanted attention.


The views, however, are only half the story. Husband-wife owners Joe Lipton and Michelle are lifelong York residents, live right on Nubble Point, and are at the heart of the hotel (and often seen on-site working on it). They make you feel like you’re a part of something, especially when you pop into one of their other local establishments, like Stones Throw, a popular restaurant and hotel on nearby Long Sands Beach, and The Nevada, a newly revived historic beachfront motel a few doors down. They’re putting York, once a bustling final stop on the now-defunct 19th-century trolley from Boston to Maine, back on the map.
Top Takeaways
Location: York, Maine
The Vibe: A modern Maine getaway you won’t find anywhere else on the coast.
Rating: Three-star
Food + Drink: A Little Auk is the hotel’s new all-outdoor bar and restaurant, serving up shared plates (think sliders, daily boards, and all manner of fishy things) plus local beer, wine, and craft cocktails (there are two types of Manhattans dedicated to each of the owners), all out of a 1969 Airstream Joe renovated himself. The restaurant has fire pits for when nights turn chilly and is closed to the public on Saturdays to give guests privacy, which is a nice touch. For a larger meal, sister property Stone’s Throw is within biking distance and has a menu that goes way beyond clam chowder, with Asian-inspired influences and flavors that leave you feeling satisfied but not bloated. It’s not what you’d expect in a town like this, and that’s a good thing.
Amenities: A heated saltwater pool overlooking the water and lighthouse; beach club service with a private shuttle to and from nearby Long Sands Beach; free bicycle rental; a fitness studio with Peloton treadmill, Peloton bike, Hydro Rower, free weights, and tension bands; on-site yoga classes during the summer; and a spa with sauna and cold plunge opening this summer.
Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: The location, and not just for the eye candy outside your window. You’re near four beautiful public beaches, a rarity in Maine, as well as cute historic towns like Ogunquit, Kittery, and Portsmouth that are worth a coastal road trip year-round. York, as seen through Joe and Michelle’s eyes, is a particular treat, even if you’ve already been there. Heads up: It gets busy here in the summer, so consider planning a trip off-season.
Any Personal Neighborhood Recs?: A scenic walk along Marginal Way, then lobster, steamers, and rum punch overlooking the boats at Barnacle Billy’s in Ogunquit, an old favorite of the Bushes. Also in Ogunquit: North Union for dinner with a great wine list in a cozy vintage 1927 home. Closer to the hotel on Short Sands Beach: The Goldenrod for homemade ice cream and saltwater taffy—and brunch if you’re feeling the old-school vibes. York is also home to Stonewall Kitchen, which has a store and cafe serving breakfast and lunch just off I-95.
Rooms: 7 shoreside rooms sized for couples and solo travelers; 10 suites ranging from one to two bedrooms, each with a mini-kitchen, living room, a private entrance, and patio.
Pricing: Rooms from $300/night
Closest Airport: Boston Logan (BOS) or Portland International Jetport (PWM)
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Maine
This Classic New England-Style Cottage in Maine Has 200 Feet of Atlantic Ocean Frontage
A waterfront home with open ocean views on the coast of Maine came to market Tuesday asking $4 million.
Built in 1978, the three-bedroom cottage is at the southern point of Cape Elizabeth, less than 10 miles from downtown Portland. The 1.1-acre property on Sunny Bank Road features 200 feet of south-facing water frontage on the wide open Atlantic.
It is bordered by a rocky sea wall that’s about 28 feet high, according to listing agent Sam Michaud Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty
“The views are like a Monet painting,” he said via email. “The water sparkles and the waves are endless.”
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The 3,364-square-foot home was built in classic New England style, with shingle siding, a single sloped roofline and large windows—complemented by white-washed walls, exposed-beam ceilings and wide-plank flooring on the interiors.
The main common area features cathedral ceilings with a step-down between the living and dining room, and a partial wall divides the dining room from the kitchen. There is also a wood-paneled family room off the kitchen, a gym and a covered porch.
The sellers purchased the property in 2010 for $1.562 million, according to property records accessed through PropertyShark. They could not immediately be reached for comment.
“I have received quite a few inquiries since hitting the market two days ago,” Michaud said. “Buyers understand that this is a golden opportunity to own over an acre with 200 feet of bold oceanfront in Cape Elizabeth.”
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There are currently just seven three-bedroom homes available for sale in Cape Elizabeth and fewer than five waterfront properties, according to Sotheby’s and Zillow data. It is also the most expensive listing in the town, with another waterfront property on a tiny lot just south of Portland coming in a close second, according to Zillow.
Michaud sold the former Cape Elizabeth home of Bette Davis this past summer for $13.4 million, the priciest sale on the cape in at least a decade—and even those views can’t compare. They’re “just magical,” he said.
Maine
NECEC conservation plan will not protect Maine’s mature forests | Opinion
Robert Bryan is a licensed forester from Harpswell and author or co-author of numerous publications on managing forests for wildlife. Paul Larrivee is a licensed forester from New Gloucester who manages both private and public lands, and a former Maine Forest Service forester.
In November 2025, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) approved a conservation plan and forest management plan as mitigation for impacts from the NECEC transmission corridor that runs from the Quebec border 53 miles to central Maine.
As professional foresters, we were astonished by the lack of scientific credibility in the definition of “mature forest habitat” that was approved by DEP, and the business-as-usual commercial forestry proposed for over 80% of the conservation area.
The DEP’s approval requires NECEC to establish and protect 50,000 acres to be managed for mature-forest wildlife species and wildlife travel corridors along riparian areas and between mature forest habitats. The conservation plan will establish an area adjacent to the new transmission corridor to be protected under a conservation easement held by the state. Under this plan, 50% of the area will be managed as mature forest habitat.
Under the forest management plan, a typical even-aged stand will qualify as “mature forest habitat” once 50 feet tall, which is only about 50 years old. These stands will lack large trees that provide wildlife denning and nesting sites, multiple vegetation layers that mature-forest birds use for nesting and feeding habitats and large decaying trees and downed logs that provide habitat for insects, fungi and small mammals, which in turn benefit larger predators.
Another major concern is that contrary to the earlier DEP order, the final approval allows standard sustainable forestry operations on the 84% of the forest located outside the stream buffers and special habitats. These stands may be harvested as soon as they achieve the “mature forest habitat” definition, as long as 50% of the conserved land is maintained as “mature.”
After the mature forest goal is reached, clearcutting or other heavy harvesting could occur on thousands of acres every 10 years. Because the landowner — Weyerhaeuser — owns several hundred thousand acres in the vicinity, any reductions in harvesting within the conservation area can simply be offset by cutting more heavily nearby. As a result, the net
mature-forest benefit of the conservation area will be close to zero.
Third, because some mature stands will be cut before the 50% mature forest goal is reached, it will take 40 years — longer than necessary — to reach the goal.
In the near future the Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) will consider an appeal from environmental organizations of the plan approval. To ensure that ecologically mature forest develops in a manner that meets the intent of the DEP/BEP orders, several things need to change.
First and most important, to ensure that characteristics of mature forest habitat have time to develop it is critical that the definition include clear requirements for the minimum number of large-diameter (hence more mature) trees, adjusted by forest type. At least half the stocking of an area of mature forest habitat should be in trees at least 10 inches in diameter, and at least 20% of stands beyond the riparian buffers should have half the stocking in trees greater than or equal to 16 inches in diameter.
Current research as well as guidelines for defining ecologically mature forests, such as those in Maine Audubon’s Forestry for Maine Birds, should be followed.
Second, limits should be placed on the size and distribution of clearcut or “shelterwood” harvest patches so that even-aged harvests are similar in size to those created by typical natural forest disturbance patterns. These changes will help ensure that the mature-forest block and connectivity requirements of the orders are met.
Third, because the forest impacts have already occurred, no cutting should be allowed in the few stands that meet or exceed the DEP-approved definition — which needs to be revised as described above — until the 50% or greater mature-forest goal is reached.
If allowed to stand, the definitions and management described in the forest management plan would set a terrible precedent for conserving mature forests in Maine. The BEP should uphold the appeal and establish standards for truly mature forest habitat.
Maine
Rage Room in Portland, Maine, Developing ‘Scream Room’ Addition
For a lot of people throughout Maine, there’s some built up frustration that they’ve just been keeping inside.
That frustration can come in a lot of different forms. From finances to relationships to the world around you.
So it makes plenty of sense that a rage room opened in Portland, Maine, where people can let some of that frustration out.
It’s called Mayhem and people have been piling in to smash, crush and do dastardly things to inanimate objects that had no idea what was coming.
But Mayhem has realized not everyone is down with swinging a sledgehammer. So they’ve decided to cook up something new.
Mayhem Creating ‘Scream Room’ at Their Space in Portland, Maine
Perhaps the thought of swinging a baseball bat and destroying a glass vase brings you joy. The thought of how sore your body will be after that moment makes you less excited.
Mayhem Portland has heard you loud and clear and is developing a new way to get the rage out. By just screaming.
Mayhem is working on opening their very first scream room. It’s exactly what you think it is, a safe place to spend some time just screaming all of the frustration out.
There isn’t an official opening date set yet but it’s coming soon along with pricing.
Mayhem in Portland, Maine, Will Still Offer Rage Rooms and Paint Splatter
While a scream room is on the way, you can still experience a good time at Mayhem with one of their rage rooms or a paint splatter room.
Both can be experienced in either 20-minute or 30-minute sessions.
All the details including some age and attire requirements can be found here.
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Looking for fun things to do in Portland, ME? Here is what the reviewers on TripAdvisor say are the 10 best attractions.
This list was updated in March of 2026
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Ever wonder who the most powerful players are in Maine? I’ve got a list!
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