sueblue

Hello All,

Looking for a nice place to stay in one of these towns over Labor Day weekend after a five day visit to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. Find the booking websites and hotel photos very misleading so thought I would reach out here. (Found some similar threads but mostly from 5 or more years ago.) Enjoy upscale but looking to top out at $400/night all in and hopefully less. 😉 Traveling as a couple. Thinking there may be more to do in Ogunquit so perhaps prefer there? Also looking to be centrally located. Thanks in advance!

Moderator3

Moved to US board and tagged for Maine

mocha_dolce

In Kennebunkport we stayed at the Kennebunkport Inn (Main Inn): http://www.kennebunkportinn.com/
You might want to read up on the different room types. Walkable to restaurants, etc. Not familiar with Ogunquit.

RoamsAround

We stayed at Captain Lord Mansion in Kennebunkport - very nice and well appointed rooms, great breakfast, very convenient location - easy walk to town, shops and restaurants.

cdnyul

I have never been to Ogunquit, but a good friend of mine always stays at the Beachmere Inn.

https://www.beachmereinn.com/

sueblue

Thanks, turns out the Kennebunkport Inne is closed for the season. The Captain Lord Mansion looks really beautiful but given the covid restrictions (breakfast bag delivered to your room at 8:30 AM and no housekeeping), we’re thinking the $450 per night rate is a bit rich for this point in time. Will take a look at the Beachmere but thinking something perhaps a bit more upscale. Thanks for the suggestions and if anyone has any further ideas, please pass them along! Thanks!

zootsi

Ogunquit vs Kennebunkport - six of one, half dozen of the other. Both towns are great, with minor differences. Ogunquit is somewhat busier and bigger with more art galleries and cutesy shops. Ogunquit is also a favorite of the gay community - plenty of families however. Both towns have great beaches, but Ogunquit probably has the best beaches in Maine. If you want a beachy hotel, The Norseman is a big, somewhat upscale hotel complex right on the beach in Ogunquit. You can't really go wrong with either town, and they are close enough that you can explore them both.

sueblue

Thanks very much but we ended up booking the Nonantum Resort in Kennebunkport. Quite a frustrating experience as the booking sites have often been very wrong (listing properties that aren’t even open; one sight showed rooms that were $150 more per night than what was actually available at the hotel) and there are promotional discounts that keep changing even in the heavily booked properties and the hotels don’t tell you about them unless you ask. (I just changed two reservations this morning and got 20 - 30% off of my stay or a major room upgrade!) Buyer beware . . .

sueblue

Hi, recently back from my trip which was wonderful. Ended up staying at the Nonantum Resort which we totally enjoyed (after getting used to the fact that it is an older property with smallish rooms and a bit less upscale than we were hoping for). The hotel is situated on the Kennebunk River and the backdrop is gorgeous. Many of the reviews on the booking sites speak to the incredible daily breakfast which is an understatement. Large hot and cold buffet of very unusual items that were really amazing, superior to any other restaurant or hotel I've every stayed in . . . a true culinary experience. It was actually an issue because I tend to eat a light breakfast (save my calories for lunch and dinner) but breakfast was so special, I splurged and feasted every day and wasn't hungry for most of the day until late afternoon. When we left the hotel, I discovered that I had left my charger in the room and when I called to ask about it, the hotel had already mailed it back to me free of charge . . . a very classy move.

Our only issue with the hotel is that the rooms are small and not so user-friendly. For example, there wasn't a full length mirror in the room, the closet wasn't designed very well (reminded me of a closet in someone's old bedroom), and again, very much on the older side. Once we got over this aspect, we very much enjoyed our stay. (The Colony Hotel which was very close by would also be a great choice but much more expensive. Note that supposedly there aren't TV's or A/C's in the rooms at the Colony.)

As far as Ogunquit vs. Kennebunk, we drove into Ogunquit and the beach felt like Coney Island. It was wall to wall people and the town was an absolute mob scene (Sunday of Labor Day weekend). Kennebunkport felt quite the opposite and I was very pleased we had chosen to stay there.
Had we stayed in Ogunquit, both the Beachmere and Anchorage by the Sea looked very nice and were very well located (they are next to each other) and we probably would have chosen the Beachmere because it was a little smaller. (Didn't see the rooms in either hotel though).

Hope this helps someone and thanks to those who responded for your guidance!

oldemalloy

Sounds like you had a nice trip. Thanks for coming back to report.

sf7307

Honestly, this was true on a random weekend last summer. And Old Orchard Beach is MUCH WORSE. At least Ogunquit had some nice restaurants and shops and was pleasant for a walk-around. We didn't even get out of the car in Old Orchard Beach. I'd equate it to Myrtle Beach and Gatlinburg. We did like Ogunquit and loved Kennebunkport.