This post is especially fitting at this time, given the news that the owner of the Center Lovell Inn has decided to give the property away in an essay contest, which has gained national news coverage. Simply write a 200-word essay saying why you want to own a country inn, send in $125 with the essay, and you can be entered into a competition to win the 200-year old property. Okay, enough of that. Let’s go big picture: why inns in Maine are special. Oh, and if you want a chance to “win the inn,” you have until May 7 to submit your essay.
The Center Lovell Inn. Photo courtesy of Boston.com.
An inn is defined by Merriam-Webster as “an establishment for the lodging and entertaining of travelers,” and the inns in Maine definitely live up to that description. Lodging, yes, basically every inn in the US provides that. But entertainment is what sets these establishments apart. If you ever stay at an inn in Maine, I highly recommend having a short conversation with the innkeeper; many times they have an interesting story to tell. Whether they inherited the inn from their family, or they are new to the area, innkeepers are a great resource to help you get oriented to the area. Maine innkeepers are the epitome of overall kindness and warmth of Mainers. Let’s now more on to talk about some of the inns in southern Maine which are worth a visit, in true OTMR list fashion.
- Lakeview Inn – Naples
- Kennebunkport Inn – Kennebunkport
- Inn by the Sea – Cape Elizabeth (stay tuned for a review on this in May!)
- Harraseeket Inn – Freeport (a personal favorite, mostly because it’s right across the street from L.L. Bean)
That’s it for now. The point of this post is to encourage you to go Off the Maine Road and try something new during your stay in Maine. Try an inn next time, instead of that same old Hilton or Hyatt in Portland (not that those are necessarily “bad,” but it may be time for a change in your accommodation while in the Pine Tree State). Thank you for reading!
P.S. Another reason why I love inns is the true family atmosphere they provide. I was struck by the friendliness of Maine people seven years ago, and that has been keeping me coming back ever since.