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July 16, 2024

2 Maine hotels crack Travel & Leisure's list of the top 100 in the world

File photo / courtesy, SARAH SZWAJKOS, DAMN RABBIT STUDIOS The Norumbega is one of two Maine hotels to be named to Travel & Leisure magazine's top 100 list.

Even in a state where hospitality businesses earn their share of accolades, this one stands out.

Two Maine hotels last week were named among the best 100 in the world by Travel & Leisure magazine. The Norumbega Inn, in Camden, ranked no. 52, and Quisisana Resort, in the Oxford County town of Lovell, came in at No. 85.

The Norumbega, at 63 High St., was purchased two years ago by New York City architect William Tims for an undisclosed price, after the property listed for $3.5 million. "Formally restored in May 2023, this 11-room inn is a year-round escape housed within a fairytale chateau originally built in 1887. The perfectly-executed cocktails, luxe rooms, and attention to detail from the staff stood out to our readers," the Travel & Leisure description reads.

Quisisana Resort, at 42 Quisisana Drive in Center Lovell, also ranked on Travel & Leisure's 2023 list (at No. 22), as Mainebiz photographer Fred Field noted in a picture essay last summer. The rustic getaway sits at the edge of Kezar Lake, and offers a variety of outdoor recreation.

"Sleep under the Maine pines, take in live performances by the talented staff, or grab a stand-up paddle board at the all-inclusive Quisisana," this year's Travel & Leisure description reads.

File Photo / Fred Field
The Quisisana Resort, on Kezar Lake in Center Lovell, was again named to Travel & Leisure magazine's list of the 100 best hotels in the world.

Travel & Leisure said this year's ranking was based on a reader survey that received over 700,000 votes. Hotels were classified as resort hotels, city hotels, inns or lodges based on their location and amenities, then rated by readers on criteria related to rooms, facilities, siting, service, food and value.

Among this year's top 100 were vacation destinations from Spain to South Africa and from Qatar to Kenya. The Maldives and the Indonesian island of Bali were particularly popular, with four and six hotels, respectively, in the top 100.

In the U.S., 16 hotels made the list, with the greatest share, four, in California. Maine, Massachusetts and South Carolina were the only other states with more than one property cracking the top 100.

While Quisisana Resort also made the top 100 last year, Maine has not always fared so well in Travel & Leisure's annual comparison. Previously, no Maine hotel had appeared on a list since 2016, when Inn by the Sea, in Cape Elizabeth, ranked No. 83 worldwide.

aerial of building woods bay
File / Courtesy, Sarah Szwajkos, Damn Rabbit Studios
The Norumbega, originally built as a private home, is in Camden on Penobscot Bay.

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