If you’re at all familiar with Portland, you probably know you’ll need much more than one day to soak it all in. Luckily, whether you’re looking for family-friendly accommodations, seaside retreats, or historic hotels in the heart of the downtown, Portland has what you need to get a good night’s rest. This chapter lists the best hotel and motel accommodations the city has to offer. Here, you’ll find chain establishments as well as independently owned facilities, many within walking distance of the downtown and Old Port districts. Amenities particular to each facility are noted, as are any major attractions in the immediate vicinity. Depending on the location, this can include easy access to the Maine Mall, Portland’s city center, or the International Jetport. The listings indicate which hotels and motels are pet friendly. If you are traveling with a furry friend, it’s best to call ahead to notify the lodging’s proprietor and to check on any added charges—many facilities in Portland charge an extra “sanitation fee” to accommodate your pet.
This chapter covers hotels and motels on the peninsula and beyond, including notable accommodations in Portland’s suburbs—Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, and South Portland. Lodgings in Portland have been divided into four categories—the Downtown/Old Port, the West End, Munjoy Hill, and Portland beyond the Peninsula. The last category includes listings located in a largely commercial district a few miles west of the downtown. Listings closest to the downtown tend to have the highest rates and are the most popular, because of the quality of the facilities as well as their convenient location within walking distance of the Old Port. But other accommodations off the peninsula have their own unique appeal, including the Inn By the Sea in Cape Elizabeth, famous for its lavish wedding receptions, and the numerous hotels and motels at the Maine Mall, where you can shop till you drop right onto your pillow in a room within walking distance of the stores.
The inns listed in this chapter are limited to those that do not offer complimentary gourmet breakfast. If you yearn for the intimacy of a hot meal around the breakfast table at a small guesthouse or inn, check out the Bed-and-Breakfast Inns chapter.
Portland is a popular place for visitors year-round but particularly during the summer, when the population of the city proper (roughly 62,000) is said to double because of tourists. Rooms during the peak season from Memorial Day through Labor Day, therefore, tend to fill up fast, and for many popular hotels it is advisable to book as early as possible.
Accommodations abound not only in Portland but also throughout the entire southern Maine region, which is always a popular destination for travelers. Only those facilities within a 20-minute drive from the city center are listed in this chapter. This means accommodations in nearby Freeport (of L.L. Bean fame) and Old Orchard Beach (or OOB, a popular seaside resort town) are not listed here.
For more information or advice on accommodations, including those in Freeport, contact the Greater Portland Convention and Visitors Bureau at the cottage in Deering Oaks Park (207-772-5800; www.visitportland.com). For those of you set on beachfront lodging, call the OOB Chamber of Commerce at (207) 934-2500 or visit their Web site at www.oobme.com.
For the most part, the chapter doesn’t list lodgings that are part of national chains, except those that are distinctive because of location, affordability, or special amenities. There is no intention to slight national chains, but because many of them are so well known, you pretty much know what to expect.
Nearly all accommodations listed here offer both nonsmoking and smoking rooms, and most hotels and motels in the area accept discounts through groups like AAA or AARP—make sure to inquire when booking your room. All of the establishments listed here accept major credit cards. Although all hotels and motels are required by law to be wheelchair accessible, you should ask detailed questions about facilities for guests with disabilities to make sure the building is truly accessible for you or your travel buddy. Many facilities provide complimentary shuttle service to the airport, train station, and bus stations; be sure to confirm this when making your reservation if you plan to rely on the transport.
Portland is an eclectic city, and its hotels and motels are no different. From an elegant hotel that dates back to the Roaring Twenties to brand-new accommodations by the bay and suites for extended-stay and business travelers, the city and surrounding suburbs offer the most diverse selection of lodging in the state. Let this chapter guide your search for the best place to hang your hat.
Portland is renowned for its historic architecture, so it’s no wonder that quality bed-and-breakfast accommodations are plentiful. Many of these bed-and-breakfast inns are clustered in the West End neighborhood, where some of the city’s wealthiest residents built their estates in the mid- to late 19th century. Several of these former homes have been restored and redecorated into bed-and-breakfasts, with interior design styles ranging from the modern to the Victorian. Beyond the West End are other B&Bs, including a quaint wood-frame home near Deering Oaks Park that is one of the best deals in the city, and an ocean-side cabin that smells of fresh pine. When you stay in a Portland B&B, you may forgo the amenities of cable television and in-room telephones, but in return you’ll gain the experience of sleeping in some of the finest buildings on the East Coast—a pretty reasonable trade.
Despite the emphasis on the simple life, you won’t give up all of the outside world if you choose to stay in one of the city’s B&Bs. Portland is nothing if not progressive, and many of the innkeepers listed in this chapter have added amenities for the business traveler, including Internet access, fax machines, and, in some cases, free use of a communal office. Where available, these amenities are listed.
Bed-and-breakfast inn accommodations are a breed apart from hotel and motel lodgings. Many of the B&Bs listed in this chapter have no more than 10 guest rooms, and most value peace and quiet—meaning that pets and children are difficult to accommodate in most cases. While the inns are legally required to accept families with children, most request that you call ahead and notify them of the age of your child beforehand to make sure that the inn (and your reserved room) is appropriate. Smaller inns that are full during peak season (Memorial Day through Labor Day) may have a tougher time accommodating children than larger inns or those with enough empty rooms to afford each guest some privacy. Always call ahead and don’t be afraid to negotiate.
Most bed-and-breakfasts listed here do not accept pets, nor do they allow smoking on the premises. Exceptions, however, are noted.
Rates for bed-and-breakfast inns in Portland tend to hover around $20 to $50 a night higher than local hotel and motel accommodations. Because of the small size of the city, the B&B market tends to be incredibly competitive, so each proprietor has attempted to develop a unique angle to attract guests. Many of the inns feature beautiful original artwork and gorgeously maintained antiques. Others cater to the family or the business traveler. Where appropriate, the unique features of each accommodation are noted. Because the amenities offered vary by establishment, it’s best to call ahead to make sure that the bed-and-breakfast offers what you need.
Whatever your preference, be it family-style accommodations or the serene decadence of a smaller inn, we hope this chapter helps you find the perfect inn for your needs.