Editor’s Choice -
“If you can nab a room, stay with Dale
at the Percy Inn, for comfortable rooms and great advice”
—Yankee Magazine
Travel Guide to New England
“If we had booked far enough ahead,
we would have stayed here.
- Chicago Tribune
"The moderately priced, gracious Percy Inn is a resounding success.”
- The Boston Globe
“'Choose from 14 restaurants within a five-minute walk,' Northrup tells his guests, and he's not exaggerating....”
- The Boston Globe
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PORTLAND MAINE
I hope you’ll be our guest this time around so we can offer you the skinny on everything Portland up close. Or if your travel plans bring you to other worldly locales along the way, perhaps you’ll let me guide you to the world’s best hotels and cruise ships by catching my travel commentary on syndicated travel radio or here in person when I’m not on the road myself.
Welcome
I'm travel writer Dale Northrup, and I've been telling people where to go for over 40 years. As author or co-author of nearly two dozen consumer travel guides from New England to Asia, I've seen many of the nooks and crannies we Maine natives often keep to ourselves. My background writing 23,000 hotel reviews for travel agent hotel guides in nearly 100 countries makes me appreciate the wonderful surroundings my hometown affords.
Surely you will appreciate the breadth and depth of our recommendations – accommodations ranging from traditional amenity-rich guest rooms at our inn in Portland to accommodations on the Southern Maine coast. Capture a few days in the innkeeper’s cottage overlooking the salt marsh and ocean in Wells, Maine. We can also steer you to a collection of historic apartment suites situated in our own neighborhood and on the peninsula available for long-term rentals.
We were delighted when NBC showcased the Percy Inn in a travel getaway segment on the TODAY Show and we’re always glowing over being reminded we were named Best Bed & Breakfast in New England by YANKEE, the magazine of New England. We were charmed when the editors of a Martha Stewart magazine included us in their editorial about the best of Portland. What a treat to be welcoming new guests to our door after such kudos. Anyone who has traveled New England extensively has a favorite place to stay and we’re sure many of our guests share our enthusiasm for the host of lovely inns to choose from around this region.
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Hello and welcome to The Percy Inn, a stylish and intimate 1830 urban inn, situated in the heart of Portland's West End Historic District at Longfellow Square. We're delighted you've come for a look, and hope you find everything here you need to make a trip to Portland an exciting and fulfilling one. We’re committed to offering you distinctive lodging and a breakfast buffet to introduce you to the area and leave you to explore like a native.
Glance at photos and our press room page – apologies for sharing the kind words the media says about us – but perhaps you’ll find them helpful. You’ve read about us in Vogue, Travel & Leisure, the NY Times, Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel Magazine, the Boston Globe, National Geographic Traveler, Fodor’s, BestFares, Passport, Chicago Tribune, Yankee, and more.
Not only will you discover fine lodging in Portland, but our city boasts an enviable selection of restaurants that run the gamut from cozy wine bar cafe to regional cooking venues to rival your favorites back home. You won't be disappointed if you want seafood on the water, at the shore, or atop the rocks with waves crashing before you.
On behalf of all of us in Portland and The West End, we welcome you to a town, and a neighborhood, you won't shortly forget.
Dale Northrup, CTC
Innkeeper
Emerson Room |
Walt Whitman Room |
Longfellow Suite |
John Keats Room |
ALL GUEST QUARTERS ENJOY:
Percy Inn Accommodations Enjoy their Own Personality and Each Shares a Sense of History Coupled with Modern Comforts
Private Baths • Queen Beds • Phones • TV • Air Conditioning • WiFi •
Refrigerators Stocked with Complimentary Soft Drinks
Percy Shelley Room |
Dorothy Parker Jr Suite |
Pine Studio Suite
Emerson Room |
Longfellow Suite |
Percy Shelly Room |
Dorothy Parker Jr Suite |
Walt Whitman Room |
John Keats Room |
Pine Studio Suite
Ralph Waldo Emerson Room - 102
Fashioned from a palette of turquoise and white, this ground floor room is ideal for those who want to minimize steps. Colorful area rugs sit atop the grey hardwood floor. Accessed three seasons from our side brick patio and garden, the Emerson Room offers a private entry and personal deck set with table and chairs for use in good weather. Within lies a fresh look combining cherry appointments with exposed brick, comfortable seating area for two, a generous cherry bureau, writing desk and roomy bath measuring 66 square feet accomplished in green stone on the floor and around the tub and shower. Two four by four foot north-facing windows overlook the deck. This room adjoins the breakfast prep kitchen of the inn (though breakfast is served upstairs) and is subject to hearing prep clatter or voices mornings to early afternoon but there is minimal noise transfer. A private (but steep) stairway could connect the Emerson Room with the Shelley Room above when both rooms are booked together. Advance reservations are suggested as this popular ground floor spot is one of only three offered in the entire historic district. Like all our rooms, this offers a flat-screen TV, summer A/C, complimentary WiFi, stocked refrigerator with complimentary soft drinks, and climate control. In winter, an interior passage is provided for guests as we close the courtyard for snow accumulation and icy conditions.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Suite - 201
The Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Suite is a generous light and airy second floor accommodation featuring a queen two-poster Charleston rice bed dressed with fabrics drawn from a palate of seaside tones. A marble bistro table is nestled before two eight foot windows overlooking Pine Street and the square. This is an ideal spot to enjoy a private breakfast for two or glimpse the holiday trees decorated in Longfellow Square at Christmas. The Longfellow is furnished with rattan and mahogany pieces. Thick rugs complement the decor and sit upon original 1830 pumpkin pine floors. The focal point of the bedroom is its original 1830 ornamental fireplace. The study of the suite adjoins with a wet bar and refrigerator stocked with complimentary soft drinks, and the study has a pine desk for sorting out business details and a second TV to catch the news. The floor is polished terra cotta tile. A small but handsome bath is faced in green and white marble, accented with mirror all around and has a shower. This room offers three eight foot windows, a ceiling fan, and climate controls, summer A/C, complimentary WiFi, flat-screen TV and is located on the second floor.
The Percy Bysshe Shelley Room - 202
The second floor Percy Bysshe Shelley guest room is a nod to an English Manor house with rich red walls, a two poster bed, pine appointments, comfortable reading chair, a walk-in cedar closet, exposed brick wall, and a wonderful bath with Kohler fixtures, fluted pedestal sink, and green stone floor and tub surround. This room is accented with wrought iron wine racks, has individual climate control, refrigerator stocked with complimentary soft drinks, summer A/C, flat screen TV, complimentary WiFi, and has two four-by-four foot windows. The Percy Shelley adjoins the breakfast room and is fitted with privacy drapes to reduce possible breakfast room noise transfer. The Shelley has a second private exit leading to the inn's backyard sundeck.
The Dorothy Parker Junior Suite - 301
The third floor Dorothy Parker Junior Suite is fashioned with raised panel walls with a mantle, and complemented by a two-tone caramel and beige scheme accented with navy draperies. Antique pieces sit atop deep blue and gold carpet. This room is outfitted with a two poster cannonball bed dressed with charming white and blue fabrics, and offers a pine chest, mahogany drum table, cherry bow back chairs, a leather reading chair, and a separate dressing room featuring a generous desk for working or to do make-up. Dorothy Parker features a refrigerator stocked with complimentary soft drinks, WiFi, FLAT-SCREEN TV, summer A/C, climate control, a cedar closet, and an ample bath with Kohler fixtures, fluted pedestal sink, and two person shower with double shower heads. This third floor room is positioned on a corner with four windows and steeple, square, and rooftop views. The stairway between the second and third floor is steep and circular.
The Walt Whitman Room - 302
A cozy favorite, our Walt Whitman espouses a masculine look accomplished with Autumn florals in a delightful top floor locale. This guest accommodation features russet red raised panel walls, a mirrored mantle, antique pine appointments and evergreen carpet. Like all rooms it features a queen bed, flat-screen TV, complimentary WiFi, and a refrigerator stocked with complimentary soft drinks. Guests may retire to select a book from the classics on the mantle and settle into the upholstered club chair. The full bath in this accommodation features Kohler fixtures, a pedestal sink under a skylight and red stone floor. This room boasts two windows with views of Mount Washington in good weather, summer A/C, climate control, and a ceiling fan. This room is on the third floor via a steep circular stairway between the second and third floor.
The John Keats Room - 303
Our delightful John Keats Room is situated on the top floor with western views to Mount Washington through three windows (yes, you can still see snow in July atop the mountain) and to the northeast see Back Cove (a water glimpse that improves post-foliage). You’ll appreciate the lovely exposed brick (a sherbert orange hue) in the bedroom, the calm sand dollar walls highlighted with robin’s egg blue accents, soft cinnamon berber carpet, a queen sleigh bed topped with a patchwork quilt, a desk for paperwork and a wing chair to take pause from a busy day to make the most of your leisure moments. The bath is generous in size with British pub-red walls capping coordinated wainscoting and a sandstone tile floor to anchor you. Besides a shower, the tub beckons you to relax amid the ivory marble walls and soothing vista of the historic district from the generous window facing west. You’ll see the spires of Sacred Heart Church and the summer fireworks whenever the Portland Sea Dogs win at baseball. Like all rooms at the Percy Inn, this room offers TV/DVD, summer A/C, WiFi, and refrigerator with complimentary soft drinks. This smartly-styled bedroom may be combined with the Pine Studio to make a two-bedroom suite.
The Pine Studio
The Pine Studio combines the best of all worlds: a traditional bedroom area, an adjoining full-size sofa bed for extra travelers, and facilities to whip up something light. In this studio, the focal point lies with the three windows overlooking Pine Street and the rooftops and steeples of the West End Historic District. With cinnamon-inspired berber carpet underfoot and a kitchen with red rock desert tile, this selection offers a queen bed anchoring one side of the suite and a sitting area on the other. A TV/DVD on a handsome mahogany drop-leaf table keeps you informed and entertained while a CD player offers a soothing background ambiance. The full kitchen (nearly, no stove but a microwave oven, refrigerator stocked with complimentary soft drinks, coffeemaker, dishwasher, sink) occupies one third of the studio with a dining table and a handsome ample bath with a shower completes this offering. You’ll appreciate the stone floor of the kitchen and bath as if sliced from Sedona’s Red Rock country. Summer A/C, climate control, and complimentary WiFi within. This studio may be combined with the John Keats Room to make a two-bedroom, two-bath suite which sleeps six. The Pine Studio is on the third floor.
Walk down State Street to Deering Oaks Park, 55 acres designed by the Olmsted brothers who designed New York’s Central Park. Next door is Hadlock Field where AAA baseball is played by the Portland Sea Dogs, farm team of the Boston Red Sox.
Continue walking two blocks from Monument Square and you'll find yourself in the Old Port Exchange where a plethora or restaurants, pubs, micro breweries, and boutiques await. Stroll Exchange Street and sample Maine products from vendors, retailers, and eateries. From the Percy Inn to the far side of the Old Port Exchange is about a 20 minute walk without stops.
From our corner in the first block of State Street heading from the square to the waterfront are several important structures. Among them is State Street Church used for worship and cultural events for its gallery seating, the Episcopal St. Luke's Cathedral, the Bangor Theological Seminary, and many fine homes housing mostly apartments these days. More fine brick buildings fall in line in the second block as does the former St. Dominic Catholic Church now used as the Maine Irish Heritage Center.
A short walk from Congress Square where Starbucks restored the landmark H.H. Hay Building and the restaurant Otto’s Pizza has been pleasing customers for several years is Monument Square where the Victory Statue stands as the focal point. A handful of restaurants encircle the square along with the Portland Public Library. The Cumberland County Civic Center (also called Cross Insurance Arena) lies between the two squares where big name acts such as rock bands and pop professionals, the circus, ice skating shows, and the Portland Pirates hockey team play.
The Percy Inn is ideally situated in Portland's West End Historic District encamped among other row houses of the early 1800s. In fact, the row house across the street was once the British Consulate. The West End hosts many of Portland's finest homes and mansions and is a perennial favorite of rollerbladers, joggers, and cyclists alike. It has a lively and healthy blend of students and professionals drawn by the nearby Maine College of Art, Mercy Hospital, and Maine Medical Center, both walking distance.
We are located at Longfellow Square, the anchor to the Arts District and home to One Longfellow Square, offering a revolving calendar of artistry of various mediums. Our neighbors on the square include a French restaurant, a tapas cafe and art gallery, an Indian restaurant, a Thai restaurant, a coffee house, and a neighborhood diner. Both corners on the block are home to local watering holes and another half dozen restaurants are within five minutes walk.
Two blocks away is Congress Square housing the I.M. Pei-designed Portland Museum of Art with its extensive collection of Winslow Homer and Wyeth Family paintings. Along these two blocks are antique shops, MECA, another delightful coffeehouse, and a clutch of specialty restaurants (Italian, Vegan, Barbecue, Mexican, Vietnamese). Sharing this long block is the 1929 Moorish and Art Deco styled State Theatre of Portland hosting musicians and name acts in a more intimate venue.
Breakfast and Other Noshes:Breakfast is served in our second floor breakfast room between 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Our Continental buffet consists of boiled eggs, a selection of hot and cold cereals, sweet breakfast bread, an array of freshly cut fruits, the inn’s signature bumble berry pie, a selection of bagels, breads, and croissants and muffins, yogurt, juices, and a choice of teas and coffee. Our third floor pantry provides ice and offers 24 hour hot drink choices you may prepare yourself. There’s a selection of board games and books on Maine and New England.
To Make You Comfortable: The Percy Inn is a non-smoking inn. We take smoking and vaping very seriously. Neither is permitted. Do not risk a pleasant stay attempting to mask it. For your comfort, each room has its own temperature controls. Though air conditioning is seldom needed, save a few days each year, all our rooms have cooling systems between Memorial Day and Columbus Day. Ceiling fans and our eight foot windows provide ample circulation in summer.
Check-in and Check-out:Check-in is 3 p.m. but we try to accommodate early arrivals by storing luggage and providing keys for your return later in the day. Check-out is 11 a.m. and we ask that you vacate rooms by then so we may prepare for the next guests. Luggage again may be stored until your departure. Sorry, we do not offer late check-outs.
About Our Location: Everyone loves our location. We are ideally situated in the center at Longfellow Square with a dozen restaurants steps from our front door. The airport is less than three miles and Amtrak and the Transportation Center are less than two miles from us. Be sure to click ‘Neighborhood’ for a full account of our convenient and entertaining surroundings.
About the Inn:The Percy In is housed in a classic Federal-style brick row house built in 1830, ten years after Maine became a state. A thorough renovation was undertaken to transform
Public Areas:
Besides the breakfast room and third floor pantry, the inn offers our landscaped side and back yard and provide spots for reading and enjoying Maine's all-too-brief good weather. Our sunny deck is furnished with Adirondack chairs and tables with umbrellas where you can sample the sun or shade with a cold libation.
Parking and Weather Considerations:
Parking in the West End is difficult but the Percy Inn has dedicated parking for all guests (one car per bedroom only) in our lighted and paved parking lot adjoining the inn. Good signage is posted and you may also park briefly on the street but be mindful of parking restrictions so you are not ticketed or towed. Upon arrival your welcome envelope will contain a parking pass for your car. Snow bans are enforced on the peninsula and downtown in winter so be sure to use our lots.
Children and Pets:The Percy Inn is not suitable for families with young children (under 10) because of the intimate nature of the historic building and the reserved atmosphere within. Rooms accomodate only two persons in a single queen bed. We do not have rollaway beds nor ca we accommodate a third person. Sadly, pets cannot be accommodated.
Smoking and Vaping:The Percy Inn is entirely non smoking. This includes vaping of any kind. If you travel with cannabis, be sure it is in a sealed container. Cannabis is not permitted inside or outside on the premises. We do permit smoking on the furnished rear deck and on the private deck of the ground floor Emerson Room.
About the Innkeeper:Dale Northrup, CTC, is currently contributing editor on Inside Hotels and Cruise Ships for syndicated travel radio. He is formerly contributing editor for Northstar Travel Media’s STAR service, a critical guide to hotels and cruise ships. The STAR Service critiques over 10,000 hotels in more than 100 countries for travel agents and corporate travel departments and Northrup has personally written over 23,000 hotel reviews in nearly 100 countries during his 20 years at STAR Service. Dale has sailed on and critiqued more than 100 cruise ships around the world. He has authored, co-authored, or contributed to nearly two dozen consumer travel guides for such names as Frommer's and Fodor's.
the building into an inn. All our guest rooms feature queen beds, flat screen TVs, telephones, complimentary WiFi, climate control, and refrigerators stocked with complimentary soft drinks, and private baths with hair dryers and two-person umbrellas. Rates include breakfast and parking.
During snow storms our plowing vendors do the best they can to clear for us but like any city under the duress of serious snowfall and inclement weather conditions, sometimes allowances must be made. City garages are nearby to seek alternatives. The Percy Inn lies steps from numerous restaurants, coffeehouses, and galleries so your car isn’t necessary much of the time.
The Percy Inn is located in the first building on the right - a three-story Federal-style brick row house. Complimentary parking is beside the inn, before our building
From the North: Portland is located 130 miles south of Bangor, 100 miles southwest of Camden, 52 miles south of Augusta.
From Bangor: Travel south on I-95 to Augusta and exit onto I-295 at Gardiner to continue the 50 miles south bypassing Brunswick and Freeport into Portland. (This route combination is 8 miles shorter than using the Maine Turnpike exclusively.
Approaching Portland on I-295 continue into the city over the bridge with downtown on your left. Exit at Forest Avenue South and stay right off the interstate to continue through Deering Oaks Park on State Street/RT 77.
Directions
From the South:
Portland Maine is located 100 miles north of Boston Logan Airport via Route One and Interstate 95.
From Downtown Boston: Take the Tobin Bridge north on Route One through Revere, Saugus, and Danvers to I-95 North.
From Logan Airport: Exit the airport following signs to Route 1A North past long-term parking lots to the traffic rotary. Circle halfway and continue to Route 1 North passing fast food establishments on both sides and a shopping center on the right. Join Route 1 North going through Saugus and Danvers until reaching I-95.
About 38 miles north of Danvers pass through the Hampton Toll in New Hampshire and continue over the Piscataqua River Bridge into Maine.
A state information and welcome center is located on I-95 in York, just before entering the Maine Turnpike at York. Exit in Kittery before the toll booths if you intend to avail yourself of the factory outlet shopping there. Shopping in Freeport (16 miles north of Portland) is classier but not as complete.
44 miles north of the toll house in York, exit at 44 marked DOWNTOWN PORTLAND/I-295. 3.5 miles further is Exit 5 marked CONGRESS STREET EAST. Leave I-295 here and continue through four traffic lights to Longfellow Square.
Stay right of the monument of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow by turning right on State street (a distance of about two car lengths) and turn right immediately onto Pine Street. Pine Street begins at the foot of the monument.
Continue up the hill on State Street to Longfellow Square. Go straight through the lights at the square and be prepared to take a fast and hard right onto Pine Street. Pine Street begins at the foot of the monument.
The Percy Inn is located in the first building on the right - a three-story Federal-style brick row house. Complimentary parking is beside the inn, before our building.
General Tariff & PoliciesLate-May through mid-October $129-$219Late-October through late-May $89-$219Longterm Rates $69-$159Excludes holidays, foliage, and special events
Last Minute Availability:From time to time we offer last minute availability at discounted rates for reservations accepted within 24-48 hours of arrival.
Reservations:Reservations are made online by clicking "Book Here" Please book online. For help with questions about rooms or to make changes to reservations call the inn before 8 p.m. at (207) 871-7638.
Confirmations:Your e-mail confirmation will contain an access code for our front door. This is important to give your access to our reception hall to obtain your welcome envelope and instructions upon arrival.
E-mail:You may e-mail us at: innkeeper@percyinn.com
Payment:We accept VISA, MASTERCARD and DISCOVER for payment.
Cancellations:Due to the intimacy of the inn cancellations and early departures affect us greatly. The Percy Inn requires a 14 day advance for cancellations when your travel needs change. When you cancel within 14 days of your scheduled arrival we must charge you for your full stay unless we resell your room in which case a $50 fee applies plus any shortfall in the rebooking rate for another guest. If you cancel more than 14 days in advance of arrival a $35 cancellation fee applies. If you rebook with us within 30 days, that fee is waived. Be sure to receive a written confirmation of your cancellation with the conditions and a cancellation number to prevent billing discrepancies. Your online confirmation will contain cancellation details and fees that may apply to your booking.
The Fine Print and Your Responsibilities:It’s up to you to get here. We are not responsible for delayed or cancelled flights. Buy insurance if you’re worried. We cannot control car, traffic, or train delays, nor cancelled babysitters, doctor appointments, or last-minute health issues. We sympathize with these but we cannot pay you for them. We are small; if you need flexible, go to the big chains. If you book many months ahead you should reconfirm in an email to set your mind at ease. It’s not our fault if you forgot you booked us. It’s rude and costly. Retain your confirmation. If you have booked more than one room or for a long stay with us, we may take a deposit to underscore your guarantee. Further, if your credit card is declined we may attempt to contact you but your guarantee to us is your responsibility.
No Show Guests:We take our job of providing our guests with attractive and comfortable accommodations seriously. Your reservations are important to us and we will hold a room for you all night when it has been guaranteed with a credit card. When you fail to arrive as scheduled it prevents us from providing a room to another and we must charge your account accordingly.
Late Arrivals:For guests who may arrive after normal check-in hours, a LATE ACCESS CODE is included with your email email confirmation. Plan ahead for driving times and traffic expectations to ease your worry. Late access will permit you to arrive in a leisurely manner.
Packing Tips:Remember as you reserve your room and pack: the Percy Inn is a three-story 1830 brick row house accessed by stairways. We are innkeepers, not teamsters so leave your steamer trunks at home unless you’re traveling with a longshoreman. Unfortunately, we do not have staff for luggage assistance.
If we had booked far enough ahead, we would have stayed here. When we peeked into the living room of this Federal-style rowhouse, which dates from 1830, it looked as though Charles Dickens had just stepped out for a moment, leaving his books, fireplace and exceptionally large cat behind. Lots of character and comfort, provided by an owner who is a travel writer and knows whereof he hosts. But it's probably not the best choice for people with young children (generally permitted only in accommodations in outlying buildings) and those who can't or don't wish to climb a steep staircase. Rates range from $129 to $275 during the summer and early fall months.
–– Chicago Tribune
"Dale Northrup, a professional travel writer, saw enough hotels and inns in his 20-year career that he knew what he wanted to offer in his hometown of Portland. He said he waited for years to find the right spot, and this 1830 Federal-style brick row house close to Longfellow Square caught his eye. The location is terrific, and Dale offers eight rooms and suites, all named for poetsincluding native son Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The Percy Room is named for Percy Bysshe Shelley, but the Percy Inn itself is named for Dales father Percy Northrup, who helped him with the rehabbing. All rooms have television, VCR, and refrigerator complimentarily stocked with soft drinks; phone, CD player, and weather radio, air conditioning, queen-sized bed; and private bath. It's a bit of a steep climb up the staircase of the main inn to the second and third floors, but the rooms are great. A second-floor breakfast room (open for snacks all day) is where Dale serves a continental breakfast including fruits, muffins, boiled eggs, breads, cereal, and yogurt. Double $89-$250.”
–– Weekending in New England
Getaway Choice for Empty Nesters.
–– NBC’s Today Show
"Owner Dale Northrup, Portland native and travel scribe (he has written guidebook hotel reviews for two decades), did a gut renovation of this Federal style house in the West End. Stashed in the rooms are the little touches he misses when on the road: fruit for midnight snacks, a trundle bed for an extra guest, Scrabble for rainy nights. Try the Longfellow Suite, with its Mexican-tiled study.”
––Travel & Leisure
"The moderately priced, gracious Percy Inn is a resounding success and Northrup now offers four larger “out suites” scattered around the neighborhood, a couple of them geared to families…A few years ago Northrup, who has subsequently traveled the world for his work, rehabbed an 1830 brick rowhouse just off Longfellow Square. His idea was to create a B & B, but he wired each of the five suites separately, just in case they needed to be sold as condos. He needn’t have worried…”Choose from 14 restaurants within a five-minute walk,” Northrup tells his guests, and he’s not exaggerating…
–– The Boston Globe
"This is a find: a restored 1830 brick row house a few steps from the restaurants and galleries in Longfellow Square but facing a quiet side street. Owner Dale Northrup is a Portland native who has critiqued thousands of hotels for his work as a travel writer and definitely knows what he is doing. This place has thought of everything…all you need to do is pick up the phone and the innkeeper will assist you, but this is a place where you have a lot of privacy, and not any coddling."
–– Maine – An Explorer’s Guide
"Travel Writer Dale Northrup, peripatic and unencumbered, transformed a vacant 1830 Federal-style brick townhouse in his hometown into the kind of B&B he finds travelers want…Period décor and designer fabrics vary, but common amenities include wet bars, stocked refrigerators, TVs, CD players, weather radios and candles…”
–– Getaways for Gourmets
"The handsome Percy Inn run by innkeeper Dale Northrup at the edge of Portland’s West End…is close to good restaurants and the Center for Cultural Exchange…The third floor Dorothy Parker Room has a Dickensian view of the brick skyline, along with a decent-size bathroom and dressing area. The second-floor Henry W. Longfellow Room has wonderful random-width floorboards, a small snack room with mini-fridge, and a corner sitting area with a marble café table.”
–– Frommer’s New England, Frommer’s Vt., N.H., & Me.
"Portland’s Number One innkeeper – you’re five stars in our book – and Parker makes six."
–– Eleanor Clift
Newsweek Contributing Editor
Editor’s Choice, State of Maine.
“ If you can nab a room, stay with Dale at The Percy Inn, for comfortable rooms and great advice.”
–– Yankee Magazine Travel Guide to New England
"Nice touches abound: all rooms have weather radios, CD players, VCRs, complimentary soft drinks, and coolers with beach blankets for day trips…”
––Frommer’s Portable Maine Coast
BEST OF NEW ENGLAND ISSUE: Best Bed & Breakfast in New England
— Yankee Magazine
"The Percy Inn is in a narrow 1830 brick row house in the city’s West End and has two guest rooms and three suites furnished in early Federal style. All are up a steep winding staircase. Those facing the street are a bit noisy, but brighter and more spacious than those facing the rear. Doubles from $89 to $169 with breakfast…”
––The New York Times
Send mail to innkeeper@percyinn.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Park Street Row:Architecturally praiseworthy; on the National Register. About 900 sf with a richly-toned living room with working fireplace, galley kitchen, bedroom with ornamental fireplace and full bath. Available for long term rentals only.
Longterm Residences
Let the Percy Inn direct you to fashionable accommodations that offer all the amenities of home in a distinctive stylish setting. Our suggestions can turn a corporate assignment into a memorable and welcoming adventure. Choose from studios to multi-bedroom signature residences. These may be located in historic buildings on the National Register, in the historic district, or feature water views, and you may choose from an array of amenities to meet your longterm needs.
Cathedral Studio:One of a trio of signature suites within the historic district, arranged in efficiency studio fashion with a classic cottage look. Available for long term rentals only.
Turret Studio:A clever design concept and a chic choice with views of the spires of the adjoining St. Luke's Cathedral and State Street Church from its breakfast bar. A queen bed is recessed in the turret of this architecturally-distinctive space. Longer rentals only.
For more choices and information Portland Maine Rentals.
South Beach Chic
Vacation Homes
Headed to warmer climes or want to appreciate a Maine summer by the shore? You’re covered with beach choices in Southern Maine and South Florida and we can steer you to historic suites for long-term rentals right in our own Portland neighborhood.
Whether your needs call for an efficiency in the center of beautiful Ogunquit or perhaps a cheerful self-contained cottage in a York County cottage colony, innkeeper and travel writer Dale Northrup has ideas for you. And too, if you’re up for wintering in South Florida a trio of choices await from the trendy sidewalks of Miami’s South Beach to resorty Hollywood Beach where you can choose a weekly rental accommodation to fit your needs.
In Southern Maine:
A fully-self-contained cottage overlooking the salt marsh and Wells Beach on the scenic York county coast 32 miles south of Portland available for Monday through Thursday multi day or weekly rentals only.
All the amenities of an apartment set into the space of a studio, right in the center of this romantic coastal town. Walk to coffeehouses on the square, restaurants on the rocks, and snag a a seat in an Adirondack chair on the beachfront.
In South Florida:
Two blocks from the beach in the center of happening South Beach lies a one-bedroom apartment suite decorated in Art Deco fashion with a rich choice of colors and streamlined decor.
Our largest South Florida suggestion: a two-bedroom, two-bath condominium with water views from every room. Ideal for beach lovers at 74th street. Shared pool.
Sandwiched between Ft. Lauderdale and Miami, steps from the intra-coastal and two blocks to the ocean.
The Ogunquit Efficiency
Hollywood Beach Retreat
South Coast Cottage
Mid-Beach Miami Modern
Trip Planning
A little advance planning will make your visit to Portland more productive and rewarding. Simple inquiries into such options as a ferry ride on Casco Bay Lines or a visit to a historic home makes your time here entertaining and adventurous. Here are some suggestions:
Greater Portland Landmarks
Learn about landmark buildings in Greater Portland including the nearby Portland Observatory open for visitors.
Maine History
Site of Maine Historical Society for information about walking tours, the charming Henry Wadsworth Longfellow House just a short stroll from the inn, and other notable aspects of the peninsula for those with a penchant for history.
Casco Bay Lines
Plan ahead with Casco Bay Lines to make your way to one of the Calendar Islands. Sail all day to Bailey’s Island and include a lobster lunch, or choose a ferry to Great Diamond Island. In summer there’s almost hourly service between downtown Portland and Peaks Island where you rent a bike and circle the island or dine on fresh fish overlooking Portland. The mail boat run will stop at five islands and the sunset cruise will afford a lovely chance to view sundown from the ocean.
LL Bean and Freeport
At LL Bean, only 20 minutes north of the inn in Freeport, you can shop 24 hours a day in the flagship of the world’s most famous outdoors specialty store. The campus of LL Bean is a wonder to see any time of day or night. It is especially spirited during the December holidays with Christmas trees and the entire town decked out in seasonal trimmings. In summer, look for Bean’s special summer concert series.
Amtrak - The Downeaster
Perhaps you’ll arrive or depart the Percy Inn on Amtrak, only a mile from the inn. Special fares are offered on this route to Brunswick and Freeport from Portland and south to Old Orchard Beach and Wells or onward to Boston.
WCSH-TV Live Shot
WCSH-TV has a 24 hour live camera overlooking the neighborhood so you can scope a bird’s eye view from your own home. Check our weather and traffic and who’s out walking in the historic district!
South Coast Cottage:
This intimate, self-contained accommodation is on Maine's glorious South Coast at Wells Beach, five minutes from Ogunquit, the quintessential coastal town.
The South Coast Cottage, once the post office of nearby Moody Beach, is now part of a 58-unit cottage colony spread over seven acres between the antique row of Route One and the ocean. The sloping grounds and generous lawn fronting this accommodation ensures a year-round set-back view of the salt marsh, the Ogunquit River, Wells Beach, and the ocean. This is a smoke-free cottage designed for a couple only.
The modern kitchen marries corn silk yellow and white with tile of the same tones. The white cabinetry and appliances are set off by yellow furnishings to make this a true Maine cottage flavor. Familiar names, like those in your own home are provided: a handmade English Dualit toaster, a cook's choice KitchenAid mixer, a colorful Waring blender for splashy summer iced drinks, Chantel pots and pans, and other comforts to make your housekeeping cottage a pleasure. You're not roughing it at camp here with a dishwasher, microwave and convection oven, electric stovetop and partially stocked refrigerator. A breakfast bar with coffeemaker separates the kitchen from the living/sleeping area. Outside is a gas grill.
Off the kitchen is a three-quarter bath softly toned in pearl white with Kohler fixtures and a shower. We've installed an instant hot water heater so you're never waiting for hot water from a tank again and we use plush Ralph Lauren towels.
The bedroom is your living room where a day bed doubling as a sofa converts to a queen bed with its trundle mattress. We stocked the cottage with a flat screen TV, WiFi, and a small collection of movies for the DVD. The original knotty pine walls have been preserved in the living room as they convey much of the rich historical patina this cottage enjoys. Rates from $700-$1200 weekly.
Ogunquit Efficiency
Right in the center of town, this ‘can’t miss’ efficiency condominium is part of the desirable Seasons Hotel Condominiums with its outdoor pool, laundry room, and on-site parking, literally steps from all-things Ogunquit. From your doorstep you can see the town square, the single screen theater contained in a white clapboard building fronted by an old-style marquee, and walk to restaurants and night spots. You’d be remiss not to hop the trolley for a five minute ride into the artist colony of Perkins Cove or arrange to see a summer stock performance at Ogunquit Playhouse.
The Ogunquit Efficiency is spare on space but has all the trimmings you’ll require for a comfortable week’s stay. There’s a queen-sized bed, comfortable sofa for viewing cable TV, DVD/CD player, a cottage-inspired kitchen replete with stove, microwave, refrigerator, dishwasher, and dining table for two. The full bath is finished in beach tones. The prime beachfront is a five minute walk with your lawn chair, and along the way you can collect cold drinks and sandwiches for lunch. The Ogunquit efficiency is ideal for beachcombers who appreciate sunset walks, memorable local seafood, and the quintessential coastal experience. Rates from $700 weekly, lower shoulder and off-season.
South Beach Chic
Consider the South Beach one-bedroom accommodation two blocks from trendy Ocean Drive where your space comprises a combined living and dining area, a separate queen bedroom with full white marble bath, and a postage stamp kitchen with all the amenities. Here your accommodations bridge Art Deco with Miami Modern. Parking is dedicated here at the complex but in this convenient locale you’ll probably be well-suited to go car-less and walk to all the happenings of South Beach such as Lincoln Road with its dozens of sidewalk cafés, fashionable Collins Avenue with designer shops set cheek to jowl, and photogenic Ocean Drive where the beautiful people stroll before historic landmarks. Rates from $1200 per week.
Mid-Century Miami Modern
North from the National Landmark Art Deco District lies Mid-Beach and the area made famous during the days of Jackie Gleason. This bygone era comes alive as you pass familiar names like the Fontainebleau and Eden Roc on your way north. This two-bedroom, two bath mid-beach condominium walking distance to the beach offers a water view from both bedrooms, a handsome new kitchen accomplished in white, terrazzo floors, and all the fittings to make a stay complete: air conditioning, cable TV, community swimming pool and parking. You are walking distance to a grocery store, coffeehouses, sidewalk cafes, ethnic eateries, and the local bus runs north and south if you want to partake in local color at arm’s reach. Rates from $1600 per week.
Hollywood Beach Retreat
Step back from the hoopla of Miami in this long-established beachside community slightly north of Miami Beach and Bal Harbour where you may opt for arriving at either Miami International or Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport. Your one-bedroom condominium lies one block from the intra-coastal waterway on a wide palm-lined residential street, only three blocks from the landmark Hollywood Beach Resort and the new Margaritaville Hotel where walkers, rollerbladers, and cyclists stroll the beachwalk bordering the shorefront. This comfortable ground floor one bedroom condominium is situated in a two-story historic building topped by a mission tile roof with lovely architectural styling. Three buildings circle a grassy courtyard shrouded by tall palms. This is an ideal neighborhood for a couple who appreciates walking and enjoys the handsome surroundings this upscale neighborhood affords. Within lies a modest apartment condominium with a cozy kitchen, living and dining area combined, small double bedroom and bath. The living area has a sofa bed for company. Ample streetside parking is available as are beach chairs and an umbrella if you want to be fully-outfitted for the beachfront. Enjoy the space of a private condominium for the price of a hotel room. Rates from $850 weekly.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning Room - 101
The ground floor Elizabeth Barrett Browning Jr. Suite enjoys a sunny locale with eight foot windows and ten foot ceilings. The focal point is the gas burning fireplace (decorative only Memorial Day through Labor Day) to warm cool evenings with a romantic mood. Decorated in Wedgewood blue and white with a gray-washed hardwood floor, this space offers a leather loveseat with ottoman, dining table and chairs drawn from a seaside palate and offers all the amenities of all our rooms: queen bed, private bath with walk in shower, refrigerator stocked with complimentary soft drinks, flat screen TV, and Wifi. Positioned at the inn’s entry on the ground floor, the Browning Jr. Suite has lovely street and square views but is also susceptible to the noise of street activity and guests entering or departing the inn. Light sleepers or those sensitive to movement or noise should make another selection.