THIS AUBERGE RESORT IS A MUST STAY THIS SUMMER

Classic New England charm meets contemporary finish for a hotel experience that joins the old world with the new world at the White Barn Inn. A local landmark for more than 150 years, the property sits in the coastal Maine town of Kennebunk and while it’s small in size—White Barn Inn only has 27 rooms—it has become one of the country’s most desirable and distinctive getaways. 

The juncture between the past and present is seen and felt at every turn. Sometimes this balance exists in big, broad strokes, like at The Little Barn Restaurant, whose low-hanging ceilings and walls are lined with thick slats of well-knotted and darkly-stained wood that evoke a time capsule-like feeling to the earliest of New England’s days. This space exists in the same environment as the hotel’s modern lounge, awash in cool tones of soft grays, slate blues and finished with a vibrant zebra skin rug.

White Barn Inn’s rooms are divided into three categories: Guest Rooms, Suites and Cottages, each designed with its own indulgent touch, from clawfoot tubs to heated bathroom floors, double-sided gas fireplaces and dual-headed rainfall showers. 

When it’s time to unwind, guests indulge in White Barn Inn’s award-winning spa, which hosts a variety of treatments and modalities, such as authentic Thai Massage, raindrop therapy based on Native American wellness traditions, and a facial that incorporates a high frequency oscillating electrical current treatment. 

Naturally, the beating heart of this property is its namesake space, the massive barn which is the home to the fine-dining White Barn Restaurant. It’s one of the most celebrated restaurants in all of New England, which is reflected in the rarity of accolades it has earned, including being one of the few restaurants in the country with both the AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five Star distinctions. A true barn in every architectural sense, it's done in wood from tip-to-toe, and its ceilings soar beyond double-height, giving the room a cavernous, yet cozy, feeling. At one end of the barn is a massive dual-story, extra-wide window which looks out into a lush garden and acts as an organic centerpiece to the space.

While White Barn Inn is known for its design and comfort, it's the experiences on offer which truly set it apart. In the summer, sunbathers at the the outdoor infinity pool are presented with iced coffee shots, mint popsicles, or ice cream sandwiches, while beachgoers are treated to the White Barn tricycle cart, which offer beach amenities and even deliver artisanal picnic baskets to guests who have pre-ordered them. If a more outdoorsy excursion is desired, The General Manager personally offers private bicycle tours past miles of Maine’s sandy beaches and through the local wooded trails. The experiences go on and on—in the fall there’s apple cider making class, chocolate making with a pastry chef, s’mores by bonfire, and even dog-sledding through the wintry trails. 

This meeting of modern touches and cozy Maine coastal charm makes the White Barn Inn an authentic New England hideaway created for modern times, but if there is one word to describe its personality, it would be: grace.