We just got home from 2 nights at this hotel. It was a great getaway. The staff was very nice, helpful and efficient. We stayed in the main hotel on the 3rd floor in room 6 which was spacious in both the room and more so in the bathroom. It was plainly decorated but that was my only con. There is a great deck area for dining or you can sit in chairs overlooking the water. We borrowed bikes and rode around the area - which I highly recommend. This place was not cheap but it was well worth the money. A relaxing getaway with my husband. We also used the fitness center and had a spa treatment which was very nice. I would highly recommend staying here!

I chose this hotel because we previously stayed there 8 years ago. The breakfast is great, best coffee I have had in years. It's a buffet style breakfast with fresh fruits, muffins, bread, eggs, cereals. I loved to sit on the adirondack chairs at the end of the day with wine just watching the fisherman on their boats come in. It's a great location. Nice walk into town.

We had a very spacious room. It was an older building and when the air conditioning turned on and off there was a very loud bang. The bathroom tile was a bit on the moldy side. Otherwise, it was nicely appointed in a nice, scenic area. The linens were nice but it was hard to relax with the air conditioning noises.

To give you a little background, I was looking for a modern hotel with a restaurant, bar, walking distance to downtown, waterviews and a patio. I do believe I picked the best property in Kennebunkport based on that criteria and am overall pleased; however, there are some opportunities for improvement. I am also including observations on other properties in the area as this is the info I was looking for (and could not find) before I booked. As a point of reference, I regularly stay at Ritz Carlton/W properties and was looking for a Kennebunkport property on par with White Elephant (ACK) and Harborview (MVY).

Positives:
-Absolutely amazing views if you are willing to pay for the room (I paid over $400 a night but am not complaining, far cheaper than ACK this time of year.)
-Large, modern room that was very clean and well decorated.
-Food at Stripers envies some of the best restaurants I have been to in the country. I had the chicken in a seafood restaurant and that was amazing. The dessert and wine list were great as well.
-Staff was very kind and tried to overcome blips.

Opportunities for Improvement:
-While room wasn't ready for early check-in (totally acceptable), the front desk said they would call me when it did come available. 3PM check-in came and went so I called around 3:30 only to find out they forgot to call me. In fairness, they made up for this by bringing my luggage (that they were holding) to my room before my return.
-Still on a room key (not "credit card swip style") system. I would have found this charming except for the fact the key has the hotel name and room number on it. There are nutjobs everywhere and even though Kennebunkport is exceptionally safe, even White Elephant and Harborview use credit card style keys now for safety. At least, try to code the keys and take room number off, anyone could dupe the key.
-Shower (see pic) was in desperate need of renovation. Shower head was hanging from wall with caulk falling off/showing.
-Was given incorrect information on intown trolley pick-up across the street and missed it on first day. When I called downstairs on second day, I got same info and probed more only to get "I don't know" as an answer. The correct answer was "May I check and call you back?" which unfortunately did not happen.

General Observations:
-Draws either a slightly older (50+) crowd or young couples with nannies. It did turn to the 30-something set at the end of the week, but clearly this is not their primary demographic. Surprising to me based on price point, but for all I know Kennebunkport may draw an older crowd.

Other Properties Nearby I Made a Point to Check Onsite:
1.Colony Hotel: Amazing, grandious old hotel with curb appeal that is across the street. And then you walk in and it smells like mold and looks like it was modeled from Dirty Dancing set (had mold smell not been so strong, this would have been charming). I was told there is no AC there but can't verify that - don't let anyone sell you on the breeze, it was 100% humidity for a good portion of my trip - you need AC. Made Breakwater look like a nursery school in terms of age, pretty much everyone there was knocking on God's door.
2. Nonantum: Steps closer to downtown than Breakwater. I think it was cheaper but it definitely is not as modern as Breakwater. It gets rave reviews, but I am honestly not sure why. Had dinner at Heckman's (the 6 seat pub) one night. Food was less than stellar.
3. Tides: Beautiful property on the water but you are a good 10-15 minute drive from downtown Kennebunkport.
4. Hidden Pond: Completely out in Timbuktu (I went to Tree Spa - the spa in tree houses which was worth the drive). Be forewarned, your GPS will turn useless at entrance. It does look amazing to stay at, but it is WAY out there. If I ever want to get away from the world within driving distance of Boston, this comes to mind.
5. The Grand: Smack in downtown with access to everything. If I don't do Breakwater again, probably where I'll stay.