Dunes on the Waterfront
Maine · United States
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Reviews
Character and identity
A reimagined 1940s seaside resort on 12 acres at the edge of Ogunquit, the Dunes comprises 21 white-clapboard cottages with green shutters, copper-topped cupolas, and working gas fireplaces, set across lawns and pollinator gardens that slope down to a tidal river. A 2024 top-to-bottom redo by the Kennebunkport Resort Collection's Tim Harrington layers Portugal-made custom furniture, beadboard, cabana stripes, and foraged-shell vignettes over the old bones. There's no restaurant or bar (a light breakfast tote, afternoon cookies, and Veuve in the Lodge fill the gap), a 25-by-50 pool, a cabana boat, and a famously low-key, long-tenured staff.
Who's it for
Best for:
Couples and families chasing a New England summer with design polish: people who want a near-private beach reached by cabana boat at high tide, s'mores at the fire pit, bikes and kayaks on tap, and cottages with kitchenettes. Design-literate guests who'd find Serena & Lily cliches tiresome will appreciate the restraint here.
Should look elsewhere:
Anyone wanting a proper hotel restaurant and bar scene on site, late-night buzz, or full mobility access. Parents of very small children should note there are no bathtubs, only stall showers. Winter travellers are out of luck: the property closes from late October to Memorial Day.
Bottom line
What you're really paying for is the setting and the inclusions: a stretch of beach almost no one else can reach, a cabana-boat shuttle, breakfast and afternoon spreads built into the rate, and cottages that feel genuinely considered rather than catalogue-styled. Book a river-facing cottage with a screened porch (13 of the 21 have them), and aim for shoulder season in June or late September to dodge peak-summer pricing.
Location
What this place offers
- Wi-Fi
- Smoke-free property
- Credit cards
- Debit cards
- Cash
- Bicycle rental
- Watercraft rental
- Kid-friendly
- Front desk
- Housekeeping
