Hidden Pond - Kennebunkport, ME: Report.
Jul 7, 2013, 6:35 am
Upon arrival you drive down a long winding driveway that sets the mood for the entire property. Lovely trees and landscaping surround the whole property everywhere you turn. The main lodge is the check in point. Smiles are seen as soon as you walk in the main entrance. To the left is a great sitting area with a large fireplace and comfortable couches and chairs. Just off the main lodge are the family pool and a bar. Because we arrived early (12:15 and check-in is 3pm) we grabbed a drink from the bar and took a walk around the property. The weather gods were looking out for us this weekend. Both Saturday and Sunday called for 60% chance of rain each day. It was a slight sprinkle but nothing that would make you want to seek shelter. We sensed the sun coming out so we walked back to our car, grabbed our swimsuits, and changed at the main lodge.
With our suits on and drinks still in hand we made our way to the adults only pool. The sun came out and we were able to lounge there for 3 hours before check-in. I heard my phone ringing (front desk calling to let us know the room was ready) but we couldn’t drag ourselves out of the pool. We finally did and got the check for our drinks. As we hadn’t officially checked in yet we didn’t know our room # and we wanted to charge it to the room. The waitress said she would find out our # and when she came back she let us know that the front desk was bringing us our keys to the pool. That was a great first impression.
We check into our bungalow number 40 and wow, we were very impressed with the accommodations. The screened in porch was great for our morning breakfast and for a nightly glass of wine and a game of scrabble. As you walk through the porch you open up a sliding glass door to the main living area. A floor to ceiling stone fireplace catches your eye right away and it is hard to look away from it. A very comfortable couch faces it with a chair on each side of the fireplace. Since we don’t have a fireplace at home the wife loves having them whenever we travel (yes, even in summer). To the left of the sliding doors is your king sized bed. After an exhausting day of doing nothing on the beach, the bed is the perfect end point to the night. The first night we were exhausted and slept like babies. I often wake up in the middle of the night and didn’t wake up once. A solid 8hr sleep and I was ready to take on the next day. The bathrooms are gorgeous and the outside shower is a great touch. Showering in the mid-day sun after being at the beach or pool all day is very relaxing.
Our favorite feature of the property are the “shuttles” that take you to the beach at their sister property called “The Tides” and the “supper shuttle” (a Mercedes Sprinter Van) that takes you into town from 5pm-10pm. We used both services each day. It’s great to go into town and be able to have some drinks and not have to worry about driving or trying to get a taxi (I’m not sure they even exist in Kennebunkport). We must have hit the supper shuttle at the right time b/c both nights we were the only ones in it. And special note, when Carl (the driver of the shuttle) says he will be at a spot at a certain time, he is at that spot EXACTLY at that time. He runs the service flawlessly and is great to talk to during the drives.
Another great feature of the property are the nightly bonfires at both the main lodge and outside the property of their restaurant / adult pool. If you want s’mores you can only get them at the main lodge fire and we feel that is a must do.
Now onto the restaurant on site, Earth. This is a farm to table that was established by well-known Boston chef, Ken Oringer. We were pretty impressed by the food here. My wife started with the crab toast and I had the meatballs. The crab was an official app and the meatballs are considered a starter snack. Both were delicious. For our entrée we both chose a half order of their homemade pasta. She had the “Vermont Ricotta Nudi” while I chose the “Wood Fried Lamb Paperdelle”. Very generous portion sizes so ordering a full is not necessary. The pastas were both delicious. I really have no idea how they made the nudi dish so thin and to hold as much ricotta as each piece did.
If you have scrolled through this post just skimming here are a list of pros and cons we thought about the resort:
Pros – Gorgeous cottages and bungalows that are all very private. The supper shuttle and the beach shuttle are great amenities. Every one has a smile on their face and it seems they will do anything to help your stay be a memorable one. The bonfires at night are gorgeous and the s’mores baskets are a great treat. The lounge chairs at the pools are super comfortable making it easy to lounge there all day. The freshly baked treats each morning with great coffee start your day off right. Their farm/garden is open to guests to pick whatever they choose (flowers or veggies) at no additional charge.
Cons – Slight nickel and diming. The one-day we were there they offered a cooking class for kids to teach them how to make cookies and it was $25 per child. We don’t have kids but I feel the room rates are enough to where they could offer this for no additional charge. There is also a $25 charge for each person to do SUP (stand up paddle boarding). Again, I feel this could be included in the price of the room.
Overall we really loved the property and will definitely return next year.
Now for some pictures:
Approach to our cottage
Screened in porch
Facing the room from the bed
Looking back towards the bed
Bathroom
Outdoor shower
Breakfast is delivered every morning at 8am
On-site farm.
Bonfire and s'mores
Jul 20, 2013, 7:37 am
Sep 22, 2014, 9:19 am
HIDDEN POND RESORT
354 GOOSE ROCKS ROAD KENNEBUNKPORT ME US 04046 KENNEBUNKPORT, ME US 04046
Hidden Pond in Kennebunkport, ME: Weekend in review. (0 Photo)
HIDDEN POND RESORT
Wife and I went last year for the first time so we decided to go back again this year. First things first, a few changes since our last visit. The bicycles are now kept down by the farm instead of at your cottage. We were at the cottage area furthest from the farm so we really didn't feel like walking down to the farm to get the bikes. Easier to just go on foot. Second, there is now a daily resort fee which I despise at any resort. For 1br it is $35 daily and for 2br it is $50 daily. My wife emailed when she noticed this on our bill at time of booking and they waived it due to us being returning guests. There are no new or extra features since last year that warrants a daily fee. Also, to charge a daily fee when you are paying a minimum of $475 a night is not needed.
Little quirks we noticed. They either rearranged art on the wall or removed art and didn't replace it because there were nails exposed. While this is picky, for the price guests are paying things like this should be noticed. Our friends said that in their cottage they had exposed nails as well. Also, when we first got to our cottage's, a gentleman who was responsible for the mini bar was coming around. Doors were open and he just walked right in our friends cottage without knocking. Luckily our female friend heard him and was able to hide b/c she wasn't decent at that moment. That was mentioned to Jill, manager at the Lodge, and she appeared genuinely sorry and embarrassed.
Positives: The staff is extremely nice. Jill was super friendly. She made it known that she was on all weekend if we needed anything just ask. Her friendliness felt real. The restaurant on site, Earth at Hidden Pond, is damn good. While slightly pricey, you are getting high quality food and great service. Our server was Matt. We arrived an hour early to get drinks but the hostess said we could seat now. Why not? Better than hovering over someones shoulder at the bar. We told Matt when we sat down we were early and were going to just drink for a bit. No problem at all. Not once did we felt rushed.
When I posted last year people wondered how Hidden Pond compares to White Barn Inn. We stopped at this resort on our way out of town. We personally would find it hard to pay the price that they command. The basic room is SMALL. To have any space you need at least a junior suite. I did a quick search and for the beginning of October, 3 night minimum, the only room available is $928 a night. That is a poolside cottage. That room was nice and had a real wood burning fireplace. But in the summer I can see it being noisy for the fact it is right at the pool.
Ok, picture time!
Sep 22, 2014, 11:14 am
The restaurant like I said is great but very dimly lit. Many folks were pulling out their iphone to light up the menu. The cocktails are great but like any resort, not cheap. Cocktails start at $13 but we enjoyed every one we ordered.
They also offer a supper shuttle. It's free for guests and takes you to downtown kennebunkport with stops along the way. It's great if you want to go downtown, have a few drinks, and not worry about driving or parking. They also offer free shuttle to the beach and the drop off point is at one of their sister properties, The Tides Beach Club. You can eat and drink there all while charging it to your room back at Hidden Pond.
Sep 22, 2014, 5:43 pm
Is that a gas or wood burning fire in the room? How's the privacy between cottages? Any outside lounging areas at the cottages? And/or is that a screened in porch?
Sep 22, 2014, 6:49 pm