Enjoy Southern Hospitality in Ogunquit, Maine
The Hartwell House Inn & Conference Center
By Norm Goldman
Have you ever wondered what you would consider to be a
great romantic inn in Southern Maine?
 Prior to our recent trip to Ogunquit, I did in fact ask
myself this question and what I came up with was that it should be fairly small,
as we would want privacy yet not too much privacy. It should be reasonably
priced offering good value. Restaurants should be close by with at least one or
two top notch establishments where we could savor delicious Maine lobsters.
Absolutely not fast food chains!
The pace should be less hurried so that we can meander
about checking out art galleries and craft shops. Nearby should be an accessible
walking path overlooking rugged, granite rocky cliffs, white long sandy pristine
beaches and evergreens rising above birch trees. And as for my artist wife Lily,
it would be neat if she would have scenes of salt marshes and pine woods to
paint. And most of all the rooms, service, and ambience must be impeccable.
Did we find such an inn? Yes. Fortunately, we discovered
The Hartwell House Inn & Conference Center in Ogunquit that includes all of the
above and more.
We even felt it was built solely around our own particular
tastes and confidentially, we hoped that no one else would find out about it,
although I am sure the innkeepers would not appreciate our keeping it a secret.
The Hartwell House Inn & Conference Center is a cozy 16
room inn with a little history and a lot of charm. It is located forty-five
minutes from Portland, an hour and half from Boston and five hours from New York
City. The owners, Jim and Trisha Hartwell, first met in Ogunquit where Trisha
was a student working during her summer holidays. After they were married, they
promised each other that their first investment in property would be in
Ogunquit.
The Hartwells purchased the first of their buildings, now
known as Hartwell I, in the early 1970s. This property was originally a private
residence built in the 1950s. As pointed out to us, even though the home was
built in the 1950s, it does have some distinguishing attributes that were
incorporated into it by the former owner. Upon entering the inn you will notice
the 200 year old wide pine plank floors and a governor McClintok fireplace
mantelpiece located in the cozy living room.
In 1980 the property underwent renovation and was expanded
from four bedrooms to seven with two studio apartments. Six years later the
building diagonally across the street was purchased where the managers of the
property would reside. This was followed shortly thereafter with the addition of
four more bedrooms and three large suites, all with private bathrooms and air
conditioning. This is now known as Hartwell II.
Another property directly across the street from Hartwell
I, The Thompson House, was purchased in 1989 and it was renovated in 1993 for
commercial purposes.
The property was previously owned by Mabel Thomson who died
in 1980 at the grand old age of 103 and the Thompson's had owned much of the
land outside of Perkins Cove. The family had lived in the Thompson house since
the early 1700's.
It was in 1994 that the Hartwells constructed the Plaza
building and the entire complex became known as Thomson Green. At the time the
complex was designed, provisions were made for the Hartwell House Executive
conference room and function facility, incorporating design characteristics
found in both Hartwell House I and II. There is also the SW Swan Bistro that
presently is under renovation and should be opening within the next few months.
Recently, the Hartwells engaged the charming husband and
wife team of Todd and Maricela Lettman as their new innkeepers and managers. The
Lettmans come from Texas and with them they have brought an abundance of
southern hospitality, energy, enthusiasm and fantastic skills. This was quite in
evidence when we had the opportunity to meet them during our stay at the inn and
they definitely provide the impetus to the relaxed ambience that is so prevalent
in the inn.
Todd mentioned to us that he has worked as an executive
chef or sous chef for Omni, Embassy Suites, La Costa Resort and Spa, Ashton
Hotel, and Hyatt. Maricela has extensive experience as a sales and social
catering manager having worked for Embassy Suites and the InterContinental. And
if Todd's breakfasts and his "wicked" afternoon cookies served during tea time
are any indication of what he will be bringing to the SW Swan Bistro when it
opens, you can be assured that the place will be hopping.
Moreover, the inn presently is in the midst of expanding
their wedding destination options and they will be offering in-house catering
services under Todd's expert supervision- something they didn't do in the past.
Now, with the mixture of Todd's vast culinary expertise and Maricela's
management and catering skills, you have the makings of a first class wedding
destination.
The rooms in the inn have a cozy, romantic ambience that
attracts couples of all ages. Simple but elegant, they are roomy and tastefully
furnished evidencing a designer's touch with their gorgeous American and
European antiques. All are named after famous Americans such as John Quincy
Adams, James Monroe (a favorite with Honeymooners), Martin Van Buren, Dolly
Madison, Winslow Homer and other familiar historic personalities. There are even
two very large two-room suites with queen sized beds, separate sitting rooms,
even a kitchen area with a standard refrigerator, microwave, sink, and
coffeemaker. The luxurious bridal suite is one the second floor of Hartwell II
that comprises a two level sitting area, with skylights gracing the bathroom and
bedroom. Most of the rooms have French doors leading to terraces or balconies
that overlook beautiful flower gardens where many a wedding has been hosted.
 As a special bonus and without bothering with parking
problems that sometimes can prove to be quite a challenge, the Hartwell's guests
have easy access two of Ogunquit's prize venues, Perkins Cove and the Marginal
Way footpath. Both are a mere five minute stroll where the magnificent views
overlooking the ocean are stunning. The Abenaki tribe were right on the mark
when they named Ogunquit, "beautiful place by the sea."
Trendy Perkins Cove is known for its wealth of art galleries, quaint shops and
restaurants, as well as its unique foot drawbridge overlooking the small harbor
where boats can be seen bobbing in the water. It even has some history attached
to it as it was once a thriving art colony in the late 1800's when an art
teacher, Charles Woodbury from Massachusetts first set his eyes on the cove and
it is reported that he proclaimed it to be "an artist's paradise." It was
Woodbury who had been instrumental in setting up the Ogunquit Art Association
and many prominent artists of the day including Hamilton Eastern Field either
visited or worked at the cove making it one of America's most important art
colonies. It was Field who is credited today with attracting two movements of
modern art to the Cove, expressionism and abstraction and it was he who had
built the Ogunquit School of Painting and Sculpture. Even today artists swarm to
this area in order to capture on their canvasses the gorgeous beauty of the
area.
The history of the Marginal Way dates back to 1923 when the Town of Ogunquit
received it as a gift from Josiah Chase of York. The scenic foot pathway is over
a mile in length as it snakes along a rocky edge of the cliff overlooking the
ocean. As we took our exhilarating morning strolls on the path, we couldn't help
mentioning to ourselves that this was beyond doubt a incredible site of natural
beauty with its snarled bayberry and bittersweet bushes, fragrant pink and
white-sea roses, fascinating alcoves providing shade, and benches for those who
just want to sit and appreciate nature and observe the powerful energy of the
ocean.
And if you are looking for culture, there is plenty
available. Nearby you will find the well-known Ogunquit Playhouse which
rightfully promotes itself as "Broadway at the
Beach."
The playhouse in 2007 was enjoying its 75th Diamond Jubilee and what could have
been more delightful than attending a performance of The Full Monty starring
Sally Struthers of Gloria of the famous television show All in the Family and
Adrian Zmed, who is one of the most recognizable faces in the entertainment
industry. This is first class entertainment with most of the performers coming
from Broadway. The season generally runs from June until early October. Just
minutes away on Shore Road is the Ogunquit Museum of American Art. There is even
a system of trolley buses that connects the beaches with restaurants and hotels.
In every aspect, The Hartwell House, with its beautiful
grounds, homey guest rooms, outstanding warm hospitality, and ideal location may
well make your quest for a great romantic southern Maine inn end here- where you
will no doubt come away relaxed and renewed-ready to face the world with energy
and a smile.
Additional Information
The Hartwell House
312 Shore Road, P.O. Box 1937
Ogunquit, Maine 03907
Tel: 207-646-7210
800-235-8883
207-646-6032 (fax)
Email:
innkeeper@hartwellhouseinn.com
Ogunquit Playhouse
US RT. 1 Ogunquit, Me
Tel: 207-646-5511
Norm and Lily Azerad-Goldman are a unique husband and wife
team, writer and water colorist, who write and paint about romantic
destinations.
Basically, they meld art and words in order to create an
unusual travel story, which generates interest, particularly because of the fact
that each painting appears to have been ‘custom-made’ for the story-original
story and original art.
Many of their articles have appeared on various web sites.
You can contact them at:
l.goldman@sympatico.ca
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