Freshly Redesigned, The Dunes On The Waterfront Opens In May In Maine

27.03.2024 - 00:51 / forbes.com / Art

Design forward cottages on the edge of the sand dunes. A restaurant for steamed lobsters next door and other options for dining and entertainment a few minutes’ walk away. That’s what guests will find when The Dunes on the Waterfront reopens in May in completely renovated form in Ogunquit on the south coast of Maine.

“This was a hidden gem,” explains Tim Harrington, owner of Atlantic Hospitality, a hotel management and design company that also counts other Maine properties such as The Claremont Hotel and Salt Cottages in its portfolio. The lure to buy it, he says, was obvious. “It was already beloved, it had been welcoming guests for 90 years and has a magical setting on the sand,” he says. “It’s like going back in time, gardens and the sea, sand dunes and the ocean. Ogunquit has a wide, sandy beach, regularly named as one of the top beaches in the country and is a buzzy town. You park your car and never use it again.”

The resort’s 23 accommodations are also self-contained houses, ranging from one to three bedrooms with kitchenettes, living rooms and fireplaces, also an advantage for Harrington. But design is a key element for the company so being “well-loved but tired,” they needed renovating. “Now they’re all new but made to look like they aren’t,” he explains, “with new bathrooms, wide pine interiors, a summer feel—joyful with bright colors. And every one is unique with original art and accessories. We sent our team to Hudson and they wiped out the antique stores assembling vintage finds so along with beautiful upholstery, they’re all different. And they all have screened porches and terraces that look out to the sea. People may not want to leave. Our biggest problem at Hidden Pond (part of the Kennebunkport Resort Collection where Harrington is also a partner) was getting the housekeepers in. People just want to sit on the porch and read a book.”

The porches here will undoubtedly be the location for breakfast—the coffee/croissants/ blueberry muffins, etc. which will be delivered to each cottage—so guests can start their day in their houses looking out at the sea. Due to the proximity of the Ogunquit Lobster Pound Restaurant and 40 others nearby, there won’t be another restaurant on the property.

The 12 acre grounds will, however, have a lodge with games, lawn games, a new swimming pool, a boat to take guests across the tidal pond to another beach, a floating cabana, yoga classes on the beach and complete beach set-ups to stretch out on the sand. For those who want to venture into the four square mile town in a motorized fashion, Harrington promises “tricked out golf carts” as transport. Apart from the cliff and beach views and assorted restaurants, worth exploring are the art galleries, a summer