Retaining all the grace of the original 1860s home, The Inn at English Meadows is updated to 21st-century tastes, with the comfortable parlor and dining room finished in pale shades of blue, gray and white. Maritime scenes by local artists highlight the décor and the large windows fill the rooms with morning sunshine.

Without altering the historic exterior, the carriage house has been repurposed as additional guest rooms, with a large guest lounge on the first floor. Our room was the third-floor suite, with plnty of room for three of us. Although two the rooms opened onto each other there was some privacy as well, with a wall separating the sleeping area, but the rest of the room open.

The room reflected its origins as the loft of the carriage house, with exposed beams, but smartly updated with white walls, clean lines and a navy blue and white striped sofa as accent. The large sofa in the sitting room pulled out into queen-sized bed), but in the daytime joined the wing chair and large coffee table for a sitting area.

In the bedroom the king-sized bed had good reading lamps, and the suite featured a kitchenette with a refrigerator, sink, microwave and Nespresso machine. The large closet had two luggage racks and feather-soft bathrobes. Off the back of the room was a small private terrace overlooking the garden.

Between the house and carriage house, a sheltered terrace provided a lovely place to relax in the lounge chairs and admire the gardens, or enjoy breakfast at one of the tables.

Breakfast is a specialty of The Inn at English Meadows, beginning with two small courses to whet the appetite. One morning the dish of yogurt with fresh blueberries and watermelon was followed by banana nut bread and chive biscuits with cheddar and tomato; another morning it was a delicious breakfast cake of ricotta and raspberries.

The main course one morning was cinnamon-pecan pancakes with sausage; other days brought cheese and vegetable frittata with thick-cut bacon, and baked French toast with sausage.

The B&B was a thoroughly comfortable place to call home for a few days as we explored Kennebunkport and Ogunquit. These neighboring seaside resorts have a lot to keep us busy, each with long sandy beaches and plenty of galleries and boutiques to browse in.

Returning in the late afternoon, we stopped in the guest lounge to relax over tea and fresh-baked cookies. The latter were different each day – the lemon mascarpone cookies were divine, and the tea was made with Tea Forte silk teabags.

The Inn at English Meadows is a mile from the main beaches and an easy walk to Kennebunkport’s shops, art galleries, and restaurants. Just next door is a little cluster of cute shops set in separate cottages, including nautical antiques and décor, a bakery, and a bath boutique.

The B&B is a member of Inns Along the Coast of Maine, a group of prestigious inns extending from Kennebunkport to Bar Harbor.

We followed our hosts’ recommendations for dinner each night, dining at 50 Local in Kennebunk and Hurricane, overlooking the water in Kennebunkport. The beef carpaccio at Hurricane was delectable and enough for a main course. Chez Rosa is a newer addition to Kennebunkport’s dining scene, featuring a French menu based on local ingredients with inspirations from other cuisines.

My entrée was Cod Wellington, a filet wrapped in Portuguese chard and encased in
puff pastry to seal in the flavorful juices as it baked to a crisp golden shell. The cod was dayboat fresh and the crisp pastry sealed in the flavors of the sea.