Romantic Getaways in Maine

Whether you’re planning a romantic getaway for a special occasion, like Valentine’s Day, or just hoping for some time to relax and reconnect away from the distractions of daily life, there’s no better place than Maine. Whether summer or winter, there’s something inherently romantic about the state’s rugged coastline, small towns, and quiet forests. And with so many cozy locales to choose from, we’ve helped narrow down your options. Here are our choices for the hotels that strike the perfect chord when it comes to romance.

Best Romantic Getaways in Maine

The Cliff House | Cape Neddick, Maine

Set atop a cliff of black volcanic boulders, Cliff House has enjoyed an osprey’s view of the ocean since opening in 1872. Recent renovations have gone beyond mere restoration to create a sleek contemporary hotel with an ambitious spa for beauty and wellness treatments. All 226 rooms and suites come with private terraces and those same incomparable views that have been the resort’s calling card since Ulysses S. Grant was president. 207-361-1000; cliffhousemaine.com Best of New England 2020

White Barn Inn | Kennebunkport, Maine

For nearly 50 years, the White Barn Inn Restaurant has been the standard-bearer for fine dining not only in Maine, but throughout New England. In 2021, a former barn annex got new restaurant life as Little Barn—same stellar chef, now more casual. The 27-room inn itself, an Auberge Resorts Collection property, also got spruced up, so that longtime guests still feel its timelessness while basking in a refreshing new brightness, like windows newly open to the sea. Best of New England 2022 winnter.

Water Street Inn | Kittery, Maine

Self-check-in allows you to breeze in like you own this red-brick Victorian and its 1700s barn, now with eight sun-filled rooms and suites outfitted for your every comfort. Gaze out at the Piscataqua River and Portsmouth from a front-porch rocker, and plot your walk-to adventures: breakfast pastries at Lil’s, a drop-in class at Yoga East, quarter-pound lobster rolls at Warren’s. The cultural, historical, and culinary playground that is Portsmouth lies just a 15-minute walk or five-minute bike ride across Memorial Bridge. waterstinn.com Best of New England 2022

Topside Inn | Boothbay Harbor, Maine

Gaze over the town, the inner and outer harbors, and islands from this inn with a walk-to-everything location. Owner-innkeepers Buzz Makarewicz and Mark Osborn double as your concierges, and from three-course breakfasts created with ingredients from the inn’s gardens and local farmers’ markets to sips, nibbles, and bites in BarOne, nothing is overlooked. Public rooms, a wraparound porch, and a lawn salted with Adirondack-style chairs provide plentiful places to relax. Best of New England 2023 winner.

Blair Hill Inn | Greenville, Maine

Built in 1891 as a gentleman’s estate and breeding farm, the Blair Hill Inn offers the kinds of elegant rooms, fine dining, and gracious hosting that befit a Relais & Château member. Drink in the sunset views over Moosehead Lake from Greenville to Kineo while sipping cocktails on the wraparound porch. The inn’s restaurant, Slate, prepares a seasonally driven, multicourse tasting menu, with most ingredients sourced from the inn’s gardens or local farms, foragers, and Maine fishermen. Best of New England 2022

The Lincoln Hotel | Biddeford, Maine

Maine’s scene-iest boutique hotel opened last fall in a repurposed textile mill, part of the “Biddesance” transforming Biddeford into a baby Brooklyn. The aesthetic? Palm Beach meets industrial chic. The rooms? High-ceilinged with distinct architectural features, tall windows, and gas fireplaces. The sparkling rooftop pool and tiki bar? The place to be this summer. That is, when you’re not at the newest Batson River Brewing & Distilling outpost, located right in the building. Best of New England 2022

Camden Harbour Inn | Camden, Maine

From the welcoming flute of prosecco to the turndown chocolates and slippers, you’ll feel positively pampered here, where every room has at least a glimpse of the ocean and even the smallest ones offer in-room espresso machines and dreamy bedding. Chase spa treatments with drinks in the lounge and a fine-dining experience in Natalie’s restaurant. The grand finale: a champagne breakfast in the restaurant or in your room. Best of New England 2023

The Claremont Hotel | Southwest Harbor, Maine

“Wowed” barely describes the sensation of taking in the Claremont’s water-mountains-sky view. You’ll be impressed, too, by the stylish, extensive, year-old makeover that’s reawakened this 1884 hotel. With reverence for the property’s history and its location, looking across Somes Sound at Acadia National Park, new owners have elevated guest experience throughout. The spa, pool, cabanas, and restaurant deck are new, and the decor, taking a cue from Mother Nature, stimulates and soothes. With an updated-classic cocktail in hand, all’s well in your world. theclaremonthotel.com Best of New England 2022

William Jefferds House | Kennebunkport, Maine

One of four properties that make up the Kennebunkport Captains Collection (all former sea captains’ homes), the sunny, 16-room 1804 William Jefferds House blends original Federal-era woodwork with modern furnishings, just steps from the shops and restaurants of bustling Dock Square. larkhotels.com

The Francis | Portland, Maine

When a group of four brothers gets together to cook up a scheme, you might not expect something as refined as what the DeLois clan — Nate, Tony, Jacob, and Jeff — came up with. They bought and renovated a classic c. 1881 Italianate mansion in the West End and opened it in 2017 as a chic 15-room boutique hotel called the Francis. Even better, they launched a restaurant on the first floor, Bolster, Snow & Co., serving New England farm-to-table cuisine that’s worthy of a visit in its own right. Throughout both the hotel and restaurant, historic touches have been preserved (stained glass windows, parquet floors, tiled fireplaces), while the guest rooms themselves have an airy, modern vibe and plush bedding (the blankets, for instance, come from the Massachusetts luxury brand Matouk, a favorite of celebs like Tom Hanks). For an extra-relaxing stay, book a treatment at the wee second-floor spa, which uses the soothing products of Rhode Island–based Farmaesthetics.

Purposely Lost Treehouses | Springvale, Maine

There are only a few rules—like take off your shoes—in this land of wee dreamy houses and dark night skies. Canopy Treehouse, Cliff House, and the Sky-Frame Treehouse perch up high, while the property’s newest wheelchair-accessible addition is built hobbit-style into domed earth. Each may be less than 400 square feet, but they’re intricately, eco-sensitively designed with kitchens, full baths, and sleeping space for four. And each has its own two and a half woodsy acres and ukulele for you to strum. If you haven’t told the kids or your adventure partner where you’re staying, brace yourself for joyful squeals as you rumble along the dirt entry road lined with oaks and pines. Wander down to your private dock, paddle out onto Littlefield Pond, and appreciate how lucky you are to cut ties with the rat race for a spell.

Do you have a favorite spot for a romantic getaway in Maine? Let us know in the comments below!