Innkeeping is an art form. It takes talent, timing, and an intuitive understanding of people – and the infinite variety of them. For almost two decades, Andy and I made the Ogunquit Beach Inn our home-away-from-home whenever we stayed in Ogunquit. Greg and Mike started off as innkeepers and became friends through the years, so when they sold their place and completed their inn keeping journey, we skipped going to Ogunquit for a few years. Then Covid hit, life events got in the way, and soon it had been half a decade since we’d been to the Beautiful Place By the Sea. After missing the calm and enchantment that always formed the core of our Ogunquit trips, we decided to return, and I reached out to Greg who recommended the Scotch Hill Inn, promising that Innkeeper Anthony would take good care of us. As is often the case in Greg’s Ogunquit advice, this was a resoundingly happy success.
Originally built in 1898, the building became an inn in 1908 and since then has had several renovations, including a new porch that went in a few years ago and now grandly looks out over Main Street. We saw the sign from the street, accented by a brilliant lemon-hued azalea in full bloom, all of it resplendent against the blue sky. Beds of bearded Iris in gold and purple signaled the arrival of the transition from spring to summer.
Inside the house, delights of music and art quietly spread their charm – a dulcimer sat beside a screen of birds and flowers, mirrored by hanging glasswork in the windows. A charming woman named Rita greeted us and brought us around inside, explaining how breakfast worked each day then letting us make our way to Room #3.
There, a high four-poster king bed took center stage in a beautiful room filled with light and windows. A spacious bathroom was bright with white tiles accented by black, and one could look down Main Street toward town. The setting was idyllic on this sunny late-spring day, and marked a happy return to our favorite vacation place. Any trepidation I may have had about trying out a new inn dissipated the moment we set our bags down; this was a place of calm and respite, just as Ogunquit had always been to us on a grander scale, and we instantly felt at home.
Breakfast at the Scotch Hill Inn is served daily from 8:30 to 9:30, and this is where the real enchantment is conjured. Innkeeper Anthony is a chef with a quarter of a century of experience, and it shows from the first course of honey roasted pears with yogurt and granola. If this dish alone was all one ever got, it would be worth extolling its virtues. As it was, this was merely the preamble to the hearty dishes available. Each day brought one savory and one sweet, which was ideal for Andy and I as I usually went savory and he always went sweet. These breakfasts would come to be our favorite part of this trip, a delicious start to the day that made lunch all but obsolete and unnecessary, fortifying the hours to come with sensational offerings. There were eggs, roasted vegetables, pancakes of almond and banana, a wondrous breakfast casserole/soufflé (seen below), pecan waffles, slow-cooked beef hash, pancakes of lemon and blueberry, and a finale of Eggs Benedict with a homemade hollandaise. Yes, the Scotch Hill Inn should be on your list of places to stay for the breakfast alone.
If it’s relaxation and comfort you’re seeking, there are places to indulge in whatever passion or practice you are looking to enjoy. A pair of tables for dining or chatting inhabit the inside rooms, while more tables and rocking chairs line the front and side porch. This proved the perfect place for passing a sunny afternoon, and I set up shop reading and sipping tea on our last Sunday there. A garden path leads to a fire pit space, and a pair of Adirondack chairs in the front. Aquilegia, viburnum, and several species of ferns lent their grace and elegance to the surroundings, giving a sense of bucolic charm and beauty. Maine again reaffirmed its place as the way life should be.
Anthony and Rita provided guidance when needed, masterfully navigating the whims and wishes of each guest, and they clearly know how to run an inn and make everyone comfortable. As sad as we were to say goodbye to the inn at which we previously stayed, this no longer felt like a substitute, but a lovely destination, and a new home-away-from-home in its own right. Credit Anthony’s years in the hospitality and restaurant business for the knowledge and experience to back up such charm and ease.
Be sure to check out the Scotch Hill Inn’s website for room and reservation info, and make this one of your vacation destinations. It perfectly complements the relaxing escape that has always been Ogunquit to us.
