The Docent's Collection
121 Middle St, Portland, ME 04101-7123
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Room & Suite (127)
Dining (8)
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What you can expect during your stay
- All linens sanitized in high-temperature wash
- Face masks required for staff in public areas
- Floors marked for social distancing
- Hand sanitizer available to guests & staff
- Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
- Daily temperature and symptom checks for staff
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Updated 05/12/21 Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.
A note from The Docent's Collection
Updated 05/12/21 Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.
About
#1 of 8 in Portland
Location
4.8
Cleanliness
5.0
Service
4.5
Travelers' Choice
Experience luxury living in the heart of Portland’s historic Old Port. The Docent’s Collection offers a distinctive approach to travel for elite guests seeking to curate a culturally rich stay. An alternative to traditional hotels, Urban Homes fuse first-class hospitality with modern, mobile-first service. Woven into the fabric of the Old Port’s historic architecture, cobblestone streets and salty ocean air, each Urban Home in the collection has been thoughtfully placed within steps of a vibrant arts community, local boutiques, and nationally recognized cuisine. This local culture permeates throughout your Urban Home, with bespoke interior design and locally crafted exhibits from Maine artists. Guests booking an Urban Home may be seeking a weekend getaway, an extended vacation, or a home office for business travel. Unlike traditional hotels, The Docent’s Collection provides temporary lodging that feels like a luxury residence. Modern and fully equipped kitchens, large dining and living areas, and custom furnishings all provide a true home away from home for your stay in the Old Port. Our technology-forward approach allows guests to customize their preferred level of interaction with The Docent’s Collection’s professional hospitality team. Check in using your mobile device, come and go with no hotel lobby to maneuver and enjoy a quiet weekend. Or choose to engage our knowledgeable team to guide exploration both within and outside your Urban Home.
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Property amenities
Paid private parking nearby
Parking garage
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Wifi
Complimentary Instant Coffee
Non-smoking hotel
Private check-in / check-out
Room features
Blackout curtains
Air conditioning
Desk
Dining area
Coffee / tea maker
Flatscreen TV
Sofa bed
Walk-in shower
Seating area
Separate dining area
Separate living room
Sofa
Telephone
Laptop safe
Private bathrooms
Kitchenette
Dishwasher
Microwave
Oven
Refrigerator
Stovetop
Kitchenware
Bath / shower
Complimentary toiletries
Hair dryer
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Room types
City view
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL STYLE
Trendy
Languages Spoken
English, Serbian
Location
Full view
100Great for walkers
Grade: 100 out of 100
172Restaurantswithin 0.3 miles
78Attractionswithin 0.3 miles
Contact
121 Middle St, Portland, ME 04101-7123
Getting there
Rental CarsSee rental cars from $31/day
44Reviews2Q+A8Room tips
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Traveler rating
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Husband and I stayed here June 2022. I booked/ paid through their own site, $455 a night for 5 nights plus taxes- which was incredibly high but I wanted the kitchen and location. We arrived 6PM on a saturday. Everything was automated. An app opens building and apartment door. We go in and its beautifully decorated, except a worn in & uncomfortable couch- we draped it with a blanket from the closet. We settled and were overall pleased, with the exception of the view (explained below). Then we slept. A most terrible sleep. I had reserved a king sized bed as we have at home but this was noticeably smaller. And lumpy, oh so lumpy. My back was in pain the next day. But it was Sunday and there is no front desk, so we flipped the mattress ourselves. For $455 a night. We decided that we were fine until they open business hours on Monday morning. Except I receive a text Sunday morning at 10:24 to "Please take a moment to let us know about your first nights experience". Here's what I wrote: The place is beautiful but here are my thoughts/ first impressions 1. View is the back police parking lot/Garage. Why wasnt disclosed prior? 2.Windows are double sealed shut. Why wasnt this disclosed prior? 3.Window shades dont sufficiently block sun on sides, need drapes or wider shades 4. Many echos because of lack of curtains/barn type slider bathroom door that doesnt seal shut- loud unfortunate echos from bathroom 5. Too high tech. TV only streams. Husband is a tech guy and it took over an hour to figure out. Needed to use our home cable account to stream channels through 6.The biggest issue was the bed. Not a true King- what I believed I booked- and the bed was badly indented and terribly lumpy- The response I received 2 hours later while on a Sunday boat tour was in text form from "Avery" He gave reasons to why the windows were sealed shut and apologized for the lumpy bed and that they could send maintenance over on Monday- something we were hoping. He then wrote " Id like to learn more about your other concerns and how we can best communicate to our future guests" He ended the long text with "It is always our goal to exceed your expectations and provide you with great service. If you feel your Urban Home is not the best suited for your visit and you would like to leave, I can refund the remainder of your stay" How would that be providing us with great service? To automatically revert to "if you would like to leave, I can refund the remainder of your stay" is not how to address concerns about a stay. especially one that we had spent $2500 on. We were on a small jammed packed vacation, and the suggestion should be to rectify issues, not for us to leave early? I wrote back a text once we were back in Portland at 11pm and boy did I get the backlash of that the next day. On Monday morning at 9:15, what we thought were open business hours, I called the office number, hoping to speak to a more seasoned hospitality employee. Instead We got voicemail twice that they were not available. So when are they open? So I texted the number and politely asked when business hours were, and again Avery responded " Good morning, Our team is currently preparing for other guests, but I will try to give you a call a little bit later around 10;30am" This in our opinion is just unacceptable. We were current guests and had arrived 48 hours before and have waited patiently for business hours to address our issue of an ill suited and small mattress. We also had tickets for a boat excursion at 10. This was now impeding heavily on our little but expensive vacation. Avery called me and was highly emotional after I sent wrote that. He was breathing heavy and with a very high pitch voice told me that I had been complaining too much in my text on Staurday and that I had texted him at 11pm. Within the first five minutes of this phone call, Avery threatened to cut off our automatic front door and apartment keys and told us to vacate the premises by 11am. In my life, I have never been treated so emotionally and in such a volatile way from a "hospitality" host. He also stated that they used Hotel King Matresses- something else not disclosed. We looked it up- and apparently cheaper run places do this. These mattresses are made by Serta and are actually 4 inches smaller than a typical King. They should tell you this prior. But they dont. The conversation with Avery was so beyond the pale of professional, he seemed to be emotionally unstable. His response did not fit the task at hand. As a trained psychologist I knew this had nothing to do with me. I had to repeatedly remind him that I was not his family and he should tone down his emotions and the manner in which he was speaking to me. Since it didnt seem he was able to carry out what seemed typical customer service I asked to speak to someone else, he responded "there is no one else. There are only 3 people who run this business". I was stunned. I wish someone had told me this could happen, so Im writing it for others to know. Because Avery was so emotional on our call, he didnt realize when he threatened to cut off our keys, he also offered to refund my entire stay including the 2 terrible mattress nights previous - He ultimately hung up on me before I told him what we decided to do. My husband had to call back and although Avery at first denied offering this option, he ultimately conceded and refunded all of our money. So ultimately yes, we got our money back, but we had to unexpectedly pack our things, cancel our plans, and find a last minute hotel. An absolute and utter nightmare when you have a short and planned out vacation. I implore you to stay away from this The Docent's Collection or Condotel Urban home at 121 middle st. "company". And to those who own them, this Avery should be nowhere near customers or the hospitality industry. On our last day in Portland, I ended up going to the beautiful clothing shop a few doors down called Judith- definitely worth a visit- and funny enough, she said she had a friend also stay there and utterly perplexed about the supposed "king size" bed. The current reviews dont reflect the true nature of this place.…
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Date of stay: June 2022
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Helpful
Response from Tony Heim, General Manager at The Docent's Collection
Responded today
Hi Nicole, I am truly sorry to hear you had such a poor experience staying with us, this is not the level of care we strive to deliver to our guests. Please know I have personally had multiple conversations with the team members involved and am actively taking steps to address my concerns over the handling of this situation. I will do everything in my power to ensure the lack of consistent, quick communication will not occur for any future guests. Regarding some of your other concerns: 1. Because we are located in the heart of downtown with buildings surrounding us we do not advertise having any scenic views - we will be sure to note this in future communications to guests so they are not expecting ocean views. 2. We have heard from guests about the Chromecast system in the past and do apologize for the troubles. Since your stay we have installed Dish TV in all of our rooms so our offering has expanded in order to remediate these issues moving forward. 3. We are updating our communication to ensure it is clear we are also available 9-6 on Saturday's and Sunday's, not just during the week. We would never leave our guests without the ability to assist if need be - I do apologize that was not clear in our communications. I certainly hope you will grant us another opportunity to prove to you this is not the experience we want to create for our guests. If your travels ever bring you back to Portland please send us an email prior to booking and I will personally ensure you receive the level of care we expect for all of our guests. Thank you for sharing your experience with us so we can better our processes moving forward! Tony
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Loved it! Super clean and very close to commercial street. The parking garage was conveniently behind the hotel and right next to the airbnb was a police station. The bed was comfortable and the bathroom was very clean.
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Traveled
Helpful
Response from Tony Heim, Innkeeper at The Docent's Collection
Responded 1 week ago
Thank you for leaving us a review!! We will be sure your to pass your comments along to our incredible housekeeping team - they always appreciate hearing from our guests!!
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We highly recommend this as a place to stay in Portland 's Old Port area. We spent 2 nights in Suite 303. It was very clean, with a well-stocked kitchen ( salt, pepper, and coffee for a first pot) with great appliances. Bed was super comfortable, as was other furniture. TVs in bed and living rooms worked great after following instructions for streaming (only). Bathroom is better than photos with a 6 foot vanity, good sized step in shower, and plenty of towels. We walked everywhere after parking the car. Note: don't count on using the nearest garage for short stays, as it is the courthouse garage and was closed during this week to save space for jurors. We used a garage 1 1/2 blocks away at $40/night. We were offered a discount on another garage, but had to decide before arrival. You may want to consider that.…
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Traveled
Helpful
Response from Tony Heim, Innkeeper at The Docent's Collection
Responded 1 week ago
Hi Randy, thank you for sharing an in-depth review of your experience with us!! I'm happy to add that since you stayed with us we have added cable as part of our offering as well, so you will be able to stream from your favorite platform or watch live television. We hope to host you again soon!!
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If you are staying in Portland, Maine, there is no better place in the whole city to stay than here. Do not hesitate to stay. The entire staff at 121 are professional, cordial, and expeditious. The place is beautiful and location couldn’t be any better. Super modern units with high ceilings. I will be back many more times. My company is setting up a corporate account as soon as I get back home.
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Traveled
Helpful
Response from Tony Heim, Innkeeper at The Docent's Collection
Responded 1 week ago
Thank you for the incredibly kind words, we're so glad you had such an exceptional stay with us!! We're looking forward to hosting you and your company during your future visits to Portland!!
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Convenient mobile keys, nice accommodation (kind of an IKEA showroom feel), comfortable, and the kitchen has lots of room and tools. The best bits of Portland are a very short walk away. Rain fall shower, modern decor
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Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Traveled
Helpful
Response from Tony Heim, Innkeeper at The Docent's Collection
Responded 3 weeks ago
Thank you for sharing your experience with us to other travelers!! We're so happy you enjoyed your stay with us and hope to have you back soon!!
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121 Middle is perfect -- clean, beautiful, quiet, user-friendly, comfortable, and close to everything. This is in a great spot for a walk to the water, going out for drinks… I even got a table at the nearby Evertide and saw amazing artwork at Portland Art Gallery — only a couple of blocks away!
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Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Traveled
Helpful
Response from Tony Heim, Innkeeper at The Docent's Collection
Responded 4 weeks ago
Thank you for sharing your experience staying with us!! We're so glad you enjoyed our easy and customized check-in process. We agree with you - our location can't be beat!!
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Excellent accommodations, clean, open floor plan and conveniently located. Tony is a consummate professional and was responsive and super friendly. We would stay at 121 Middle again without hesitation.
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Date of stay: April 2022Trip type: Traveled
Helpful
Response from Tony Heim, Innkeeper at The Docent's Collection
Responded May 15, 2022
We're so glad you found your home-away-from-home here in Portland!! Thank you for the kind words - we look forward to having you back!!
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This was a superbly located, well-appointed apartment that offers the creature comforts you need in a beautifully furnished and comfortable environment. Really great for traveling with families, as I did a short trip with my 5 year old. (On impulse we decided to stay here instead of the usual hotel). She liked it a lot!! It’s rare you get to stay somewhere with such high ceilings and huge windows.
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Date of stay: April 2022Trip type: Traveled
Room Tip: It is helpful to arrange parking beforehand, which the property managers can help you with.
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Helpful
Response from Tony Heim, Innkeeper at The Docent's Collection
Responded Apr 22, 2022
Thank you for sharing your experience with us!! We are so happy to hear we thrilled everyone, including your daughter!! Hope to host the family again some time soon
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benlee500 wrote a review Mar 2022
Washington DC, District of Columbia12 contributions13 helpful votes
We love 121 Middle! The units are gorgeous and comfortable, and the management is super responsive when you text them. We have stayed twice in the past couple of months, and this is definitely our go to whenever we are in Portland. The location is also great. The only pain is parking, but there is a garage behind the building.
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Date of stay: February 2022Trip type: Traveled
Helpful
Response from Tony Heim, Innkeeper at The Docent's Collection
Responded Mar 24, 2022
Ben, thank you for sharing your experiences staying with us!! Love to hear that you've found your go-to destination when staying In Portland, cheers to your next visit!!
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Steve R wrote a review Mar 2022
West Palm Beach, Florida, United States63 contributions41 helpful votes
Not fair to compare to traditional hotels with suites. Full kitchen & dining table allowed us to order in and invite family for dinner & breakfast. Very well appointed. Location is within walking distance of the docks & old Port. The concept of doing everything via text , electronic locks & streaming takes getting used to to those of us who are older.
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Date of stay: March 2022Trip type: Traveled
Room Tip: The parking is covienently located right behind the building. Most everything is within walking...
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1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from Tony Heim, Innkeeper at The Docent's Collection
Responded Mar 19, 2022
We're so glad the whole family enjoyed there stay with us Steve!! Happy to report we are currently finalizing a contract to add cable television to our offering in order to streamline our television offering. We hope to host you again soon!!
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PRICE RANGE
$274 - $690 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
121 MIDDLE an urban inn
LOCATION
United StatesMainePortland
NUMBER OF ROOMS
19
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Claim Your Listing Frequently Asked Questions about The Docent's Collection
Which popular attractions are close to The Docent's Collection?
Nearby attractions include Casco Bay (0.2 miles), Casco Bay Islands (0.2 miles), and Old Port (0.2 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at The Docent's Collection?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, reduced mobility rooms, and free instant coffee.
Which room amenities are available at The Docent's Collection?
Top room amenities include a kitchenette, air conditioning, and a flat screen TV.
What food & drink options are available at The Docent's Collection?
Guests can enjoy free instant coffee during their stay.
Is parking available at The Docent's Collection?
Yes, a parking garage and paid private parking nearby are available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to The Docent's Collection?
Conveniently located restaurants include Gorgeous Gelato, Portland, Standard Baking Co., and The Gelato Fiasco Old Port.
Is The Docent's Collection located near the city center?
Yes, it is 0.2 miles away from the center of Portland.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at The Docent's Collection?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and Serbian.
Are there any historical sites close to The Docent's Collection?
Many travelers enjoy visiting The Wadsworth-Longfellow House (0.4 miles), Goddard Mansion (3.1 miles), and Fort Gorges (1.6 miles).
Does The Docent's Collection have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the city view available here.
Is The Docent's Collection accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access and reduced mobility rooms. For specific inquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.