Maple Hill Farm Inn and Conference Center — Hotel in Hallowell

I would like to preface this review with the fact that I don't like how much Google tracks personal data and information, so I have an account created for the sole purpose of having access to everything that requires a Google account. Therefore the name is Chris Spam due to not wanting to relinquish personal information.

We had been searching for wedding venues for several months and stumbled across Maple Hill Farm Inn & Conference Center. We are eternally grateful that we did. From our first meeting Scott and Vince were extremely accommodating and patient, offered great advice, and made it very clear that they both had a tremendous amount of experience with hosting these sorts of events. The timeline between our initial contact and our wedding date was slightly over a year, and during this time there had been a lot of communication back and forth and each time we called or emailed it was handled with as much care, attention, and patience as the last. We had a vision of what we wanted and with their help we were able to plan (and rationalize) our perfect wedding. I say rationalize due to the fact that we had our vision, and in discussion toned things down per their recommendation, and we are so glad that we listened to their professional opinion. However I would like to point out that it was mentioned many times that what had wanted to do would be perfectly acceptable should we have wanted to go that route, but we were very welcome to their advice and recommendation. Absolutely everything was handled with care and thought. The minute details that are not seen elsewhere make your experience (I refuse to say "stay") so much more welcoming. For example, even something as small as having a hand-written name card on each of the guest room doors, to Vince personally taking your breakfast orders as it is cooked to order (which mind you the food was one of our best memories of our experience), and Scott providing warming interactions when one may experience pre-wedding jitters and visit the in-house bar to calm nerves; just to name a few. My wife and I each had our own rooms the night prior to the wedding but, of course we could not stay apart, each time I would work my way to her room and pass by Scott, I decided I would partake in a nerve-calmer and always appreciated his fun conversation. The wedding itself was perfect. We had lucked out with the weather being in the middle of August, so we were graced with the ability to have our wedding outside and the aesthetic and scenery was wonderful. It was quiet, open, and beautifully maintained, and where the ceremony took place was around an on-site archway under two very large trees offering great shade from the sun. There is a separate building entitled the Carriage House that we had access to for the Bride and Bridesmaids to prepare in to ensure they were kept separate from the Groomsmen (as that is what we desired), but it also served as the avenue for the Bridesmaids, then ultimately my Bride, to make their reveal during the ceremony. After the ceremony we had a photographer that we were able to walk around the grounds and capture some wonderful memories that will last our entire lives (shout to Sarah Gagnon Photography). During this time as per our menu planning, hors d'oeuvres were served for our guests accompanied by a beverage service. Once we were ready to enter the reception Scott helped us coordinate our entry. The usual festivities ensued during the reception, but it is of note that we did not hire a DJ and did everything in house. The reception hall accommodated the ability to hook a Bluetooth receiver from an iPhone utilizing Spotify to the sound system to avoid the cost of a DJ. All in all, we would not have pictured our wedding taking place anywhere else and would strongly recommend Maple Hill Farm Inn & Conference Center to anyone looking for a perfect venue, not only for a significant event, but also for a...

We arrived quite late at night. Even though Scott was in the middle of getting ready to turn in, he took his time to give us a very informative tour. It made us feel comfortable and welcome. He showed us the snacks we could help ourselves to. They also have a well-stocked bar that you can buy nightcaps from. On top of that, if you find you forget anything like a toothbrush, razor, comb, etc, just ask! — The room was clean and the bed was comfortable. We got a room with a two person jet tub. There’s a jar of salts you can use in the tub, too. Unfortunately, we were only able to use it very briefly the night we arrived. It was still very relaxing after a long day of driving. — Breakfast was served between 7-9am. The menu is small, but has plenty to choose from. We both got the eggs Benedict and it was eggcellent. I asked for mine with maple bacon instead of Canadian bacon. I’d suggest you do the same. They also had things like cereal, muffins, fresh fruit, and yogurt out. The coffee was good, too. — We had to rush off in the morning but would’ve liked to stay to check out the animals, property, and trails. We tried calling the day after to see if we could be introduced to the farm animals but they were understandably busy. Scott actually called back and said Vince had a few minutes to show us around if we were around the corner, but we were too far away to make it work. We will definitely be back to make full use of all the offerings. — Bonus for anyone who has an electric vehicle - they have 4 charging stations. 2 are 40 amp Tesla chargers and 2 are 30 amp J-1772 chargers. They’re free to use if you’re staying there or attending a conference there. We looked for destination chargers and that’s actually how we came across this place. We opted for the bed and breakfast over a chain hotel like the Hampton and we were so glad we did. — Another bonus - there are two cats (Elmer and Timo) that roam the property! They were lovely to pet and very tolerant. — Thank you so much for your...

So I definitely wasn't planning on a mini-vacation. However, due to the December 2023 power outage that left the majority of Mainers stranded, the situation was pretty dire and, if I'm being honest, I wasn't prepared to go days without warm food or a hot shower.

I called several hotels in the area; some had power, some didn't, but all of them were at full capacity. My partner and I were starting to wonder how exactly we would proceed during the outage — then came along Maple Hill Farm Inn!

Scott, one of the two owner-managers, picked up the phone in a very warm, inviting cadence and said, "Oh yeah, we have plenty of room! We've running off of a generator." I was immediately relieved and booked a stay for one night and then hastily called them back to book for another night.

Upon our arrival, we met Vince, the other owner-manager of the Inn, who's equally kind and courteous. I had been to the Inn's Conference Center before for work reasons but had never had the chance to stay.

Simply put, the Maple Hill Farm Inn was a calm and quiet dreamscape — an oasis, if you will — during a time of crisis. Backdropped with pretty nature, starry skies, goofy llamas, and a secret pond nearby, you will absolutely find your own corner of the world to nestle into. Scott and Vince, along with their very helpful staff, were eager to facilitate the dream and I left feeling as though I'd understood the draw of central Maine more.

The place was so special that I booked for a third and final night, and I don't regret it at all.

I highly recommend this establishment for anyone, whether you're a Mainer, a visitor, or someone in-between like myself. 💕

Thank you to everyone, cats included, who made our stay so special and memorable. Much love from Mase and...