Inn By the Sea

My family and I booked the hotel’s largest and most expensive room. We did NOT receive service or treatment from the hotel commensurate with the exorbitant nightly rate that the hotel so eagerly took from us.

Midway through what was supposed to be a seven night stay, we were summoned back home. Our dog had emergency surgery to save his life. When I informed the hotel, they promised to “try” to resell the room and inform me whether they were successful. The hotel never called. Predictably, they said their resale efforts yielded nothing. I asked for evidence showing the hotel’s resale efforts. The hotel refused to give me anything. My request for a future hotel credit for the 3 nights we had to forfeit was met with an equally inflexible response. “No,” they said. For a hotel that prides itself on being dog friendly, this was the exact opposite.

But that’s not all. For about half of our stay, our neighbor had one or two small, but aggressive dogs that barked incessantly. And when I asked for compensation for this nuisance, the hotel, again, refused to do anything. Instead, they said that I “should have complained sooner.” But this ignores the scores of hotel staff that walked by these dogs everyday.

Needless to say, we will never return to this hotel nor recommend it to anyone because when we needed compassion and simple understanding, we got nothing. Stay at your own risk.

Inn by the Sea is everything a luxury coastal retreat should be. We stayed in one of the Oceanfront Cottages, and it was absolutely spectacular. The accommodations were spacious, beautifully appointed, and the ocean views were simply breathtaking.

The food was outstanding, and one of our favorite parts of the stay was dining on the porch overlooking the Atlantic. There are few things more relaxing than enjoying a wonderful meal while looking at the beautiful ocean.

The service throughout the property was exceptional. Every staff member we encountered was warm, attentive, and genuinely committed to making our stay memorable. The entire resort was also impeccably clean and beautifully maintained.

What really sets Inn by the Sea apart is its welcoming atmosphere. It is incredibly family-friendly and one of the most dog-friendly luxury properties we've visited. The expansive green lawn overlooking the ocean is the perfect gathering place, complete with Adirondack chairs, lawn games, and evening marshmallow roasts that create a wonderful sense of community.

The heated pool overlooking the ocean is small but lovely, and while the walk to Crescent Beach is a bit long via the scenic boardwalk, it's absolutely worth it. The beautiful sandy beach and calm ocean make the stroll part of the experience.

This is a property that perfectly combines luxury with a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere. We left already looking forward to our next visit and would highly recommend Inn by the Sea to couples, families, and anyone traveling with their four-legged family members.

Our room was beautiful and spacious! The bed and pillows were so comfortable and sheets wonderfully soft. Our patio was steps away from the nature preserve which was a birding enthusiast’s dream. Bring your binoculars! A short walk to the path down to the beach. And we took a lovely bike ride to Dyer Cove at the end of Two Lights Rd (near The Lobster Shack at Two Lights) using the complementary bikes. Can’t wait to go back.

I can say the location was perfect. The atmosphere was wonderful. The suites were, two out of three acceptable. One of our suites had no air-conditioning first night and a leaking dishwasher within the first 30 minutes of arrival.Unfortunately this was a VERY hot day and night. My expectations were definitely not met from What one would think from a hotel like this.

We enjoyed a short stay here at the end of June. We loved everything. The food, the room, the beach, the service, the gym-everything. We definitely will be back and will come with our kids and other family.

Booked this Hotel in February for June stay. Asked for and was told we had a second floor Beach Suite. Called a few weeks later to confirm and again was told we had a SECOND FLOOR Beach suite. Upon arrival guess what, put in a FIRST FLOOR suite. After long discussion as to what happened, with no explanation or apparent interest, were told we could stay in first floor suite one night then move to a third floor suite the next day. So we were thrown out of first floor suite by 11:00 so they could clean for next guest, and moved our luggage out to car and sat by pool 4 hours waiting to get a room. Absolutely awful customer service. It was like that old Seinfeld episode when he says you know how to take a reservation but you don't know how to keep a reservation. At about $1300 a night they should know how to keep a reservation or make up for the screw up by the obviously badly trained and intellectually challenged staff who changed the original reservation. It's a beautiful place a bit on the small side as Hotels go with small pool, very small bar and the 6 tables that constitute a lounge and small, but looked like never full, very ordinary restaurant. We have been here before, last time 10 years ago, and it looks like things really haven't kept up with the times. So, if you plan on going here I would make many calls in advance to insure they put you in the room you would like and even doing so who knows where you will wind up. Good luck with that. There are many Hotels along the coast where you can get better, much better treatment for $1300 a night, they might even treat you like they want your business, instead of whos next in line attitude.... You might check out the Cliff House up the road, we stayed there last month and they actually treated us like they cared and we had a remarkable time . Good luck.

Location was ideal. The staff was so friendly, and all the extras like a reading light, binoculars, snores night, coffee, beach activities - it all added up to a wonderful trip. 100% family friendly

You will not find more beautiful ocean views in this gorgeous property. Very relaxed setting. Friendly staff. Ate there four days. Ordered different things from the menu. Each deliciously prepared. Everyone an instant favorite. Complimentary fire pit with marshmallows and smores was a nice touch. Friendly staff. Nice location between Portland and Ogunquit, making for nice day trips. Minutes from the Lobster Shack by the twin light houses.

Our extended family of 17 enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the restaurant. In a private room overlooking Kettle Cove we enjoyed terrific service and great seasonal food. Half of us were youngsters who enjoyed the chance to ramble between courses on the deck and well-kept lawn and gardens.

We have stayed here multiple times and in all seasons.
NEVER had a bad experience. Rooms and suites are all excellent.
The staff in all departments are extremely helpful. Even went out to replace ice cream and milk which mistakenly taken when they replaced our fridge.
Sea Glass is a fabulous place to eat.

From the first time we stepped out of the car we knew it was going to be a fabulous day. The grounds are beautiful the rooms are beautiful and most importantly the dogs felt comfortable the entire time we were there.

We had an amazing stay at Inn by the Sea. The suites were absolutely perfect for our family — having our own bedroom plus a pullout bed for the kids made everything so comfortable and easy. The staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming from the moment we arrived.

The beach was beautiful and so much fun for the kids, and the heated pool was a huge hit. The food was honestly some of the best we had during our trip to Maine. Every meal was fantastic. Overall, it was the perfect mix of relaxing, family-friendly, and upscale. We would absolutely stay here again and highly recommend it to anyone visiting the Portland/Cape Elizabeth area.

Fantastic time - great food service and amenities. The location is without compare, we hiked relaxed and explored the city. We will be back.

I wanted to treat my daughter to a spa experience at an upscale hotel that also had a restaurant on the premises. Inn by The Sea checked all boxes and was a total pleasure for all the reasons we went. We had a suite facing the water and enjoyed breakfast outside on our balcony each morning. The on-site restaurant was excellent and the spa treatment pure pleasure. I give the inn an A+

Beautiful setting and place. Wonderful, friendly staff and service. My wife and I went for a brief rest and some good time together. It was perfect. The azaleas and the view of the ocean and the cool breeze were beautiful.

Beautiful resort, staff was very attentive, loft suite was so nice and very clean. Property was very well maintained! Location was just right, not too far from many parks and lighthouses as well as Portland and Kennebunkport.

Wonderful escape. So nice to have the dog with the family. Brunch and walks along the beach road. Delicious food from sea glass.

This our 3rd return to Inn by the Sea and it will not be our last. We stayed in a Cove Suite again and it felt like a home away from home. The privacy of an Airbnb with the service and amenities of a fine hotel. Beautiful views, happy guests and a perfect Maine vacation.

Sadly, our arrival and check-in experience were among the worst parts of our most recent stay.

We arrived shortly after 3pm and were told our room was not yet ready, and that no upgrades were available, even as a Titanium iPrefer member. The front desk associate seemed bothered by our presence and told us someone would call before 4pm when the room became available. No call ever came, so we returned to the desk around 4:15 and were then told the room was ready. If it had already been ready, it’s unclear why we were never contacted.

After entering our room, we discovered the bedroom AC was not functioning properly. Although the thermostat was set to 68 degrees, the room temperature remained around 75. This should have been identified before the room was assigned to guests. It ultimately took multiple calls and visits to the front desk, along with more than three hours of maintenance work, to resolve the issue. The entire bedroom AC unit eventually had to be replaced. We even had to leave the maintenance staff alone in the room while we went to dinner.

During our stay, housekeeping came only once, the day before our departure. We vacated our room well before noon every day, making sure the do not disturb sign was removed. We alerted the front desk who acknowledged the room should've been cleaned.

The overall condition of the room was also somewhat disappointing, with several signs of wear and deferred maintenance. The rear screen door appeared to need repair or replacement, multiple floor planks looked damaged, and the bathroom shower glass seemed partially detached from the ceiling mount. In addition, the hair dryer and bathroom ceiling vents had a noticeable buildup of dust and dirt and could benefit from more thorough cleaning.

Wonderful experience at this hotel. Can’t say enough about the room, the staff, the food and the spa. The grounds were spectacular as well