Best of Maine: Lodging 2013

Sleep overlooking Camden Harbor. Relax in a tree house spa. Camp the easy way in Brownfield.

Photo: Courtesy Camden Harbour Inn/Irvin Serrano Photography

Renovation 
The Samoset Resort
After spending $2 million on renovations in 2011, the Samoset Resort has settled nicely into its new luxurious digs. The owners upgraded the lobby and added a brand-new Italian restaurant, outdoor pool, a lounge, three high-end guest cottages, and a seaside spa. Named by Condé Nast Traveler readers in 2012 as one of the twenty best resorts in the Northeast, the Samoset has become the kind of luxury resort the area deserves. 220 Warrenton St., Rockport. 800-341-1650. samosetresort.com

Splurge 
Hidden Pond
The noveau-rustic resort Hidden Pond in Kennbunkport responds to its customers’ desires for both outdoor and luxury accommodations. You can supplement your stay in one of the gorgeous rooms with morning yoga on the farm, nightly bonfires, gardening lessons, and even a spa eight feet above the ground, nestled within the treetops, overlooking a beach forest. In the evening, dine at the resort’s stunning hyper-local restaurant, Earth. 354 Goose Rocks Rd., Kennbunkport. 207-967-9050. hiddenpondmaine.com

Budget 
Deer Isle Hostel
Hostels generally don’t have the best reputation. That has to do with a combination of personal experiences, decades-old perceptions that are hard to change, and the Eli Roth torture/horror film Hostel. Fortunately, this bucolic eco-hostel on the Deer Isle peninsula with daily communal garden dinners and private screened-in huts, fits rather more snuggly into a scene from Eat, Pray, Love. Rooms start at $25 per person per night for a bed in one of the three dorm-style rooms. 65 Tennis Rd., Deer Isle. 207-348-2308. sites.google.com/a/deerislehostel.com/deerislehostel

Lazy Man’s Camping 
Frost Mountain Yurts
The Frost Mountain Yurts in Brownfield don’t provide electricity, plumbing, sheets, breakfast, or cellphone service. But these enclosed circular structures in the woods come with bunk beds, gas stoves, a port-o-potty, outdoor shower, access to scenic hiking trails, an outdoor grill, and even a fondue set. Think of it as camping, but without the stress, equipment, or that mid-trip panic attack when you wonder if you forgot to pack the fondue forks. 34 Farnsworth Rd., Brownfield. 207-935-3243. frostmountainyurts.com

Luxury Room 
Camden Harbour Inn
Overlooking scenic Camden Harbor, the Camden Harbour Inn is part Maine bed and breakfast and part European luxury getaway. We would have taken either, but once owners Raymond Brunyanszki and Oscar Verest managed to expertly blend the coastal scenery with their own Dutch styling, the inn became one of the finest places to spend the night in the state. 83 Bayview St., Camden. 207-236-4200. camdenharbourinn.com


Comfy Cabins

Take to the woods and get away from the crowds by booking a camp 
at one of these 
three spots.

Weatherby’s

Relax here before a day of what many consider the best fly-fishing in the state at Grand Lake Stream. 3 Water St., Grand Lake Stream. 877-796-5558. weatherbys.com

Daicey Pond Camps
A true wilderness camp with no electricity or stoves, Daicey Pond is worth roughing it for what may be the area’s most scenic view of Katahdin. Baxter State Park. 207-723-5140. baxterstatepark authority.com

West Branch Pond Camps
These 132-year-old camps near Greenville are part of the Appalachian Mountain Club’s lodge-to-lodge network, allowing you to ski, hike, or snowshoe in and out. Township A, Range 12. 207-695-2561. westbranch pondcamps.com