The Grand Hotel — Hotel in Kennebunk

Unfortunately, my wife and I had high expectations for this hotel when we stayed here a month ago. However, our experience was far from pleasant for a number of reasons:

When we first arrived our room wasn't ready so we waited in the lobby while it was being prepared. The hotel manager told us we needed to keep on eye on our two-year-old son (who was sitting on the couch watching an iPad), as the lobby was no place for children. The hotel manager was the coldest person, and I don't believe she has a nice bone in her body. She should find another profession as she is certainly not happy in this one. My wife and I saw her chain-smoking cigarettes on the side of the hotel the entire time we were there.

On our second day we had just arrived back from a walk around town and the same cold-mannered hotel manager made a point to call me over to the desk to point out in the hotel agreement that we were responsible for all damages incurred during our stay, all while staring at our child (meaning any damage he could cause). I found this rude and completely uncalled for. Our son is a well mannered child and did nothing to prompt the apparent alarm this woman had towards him.

Lastly, if you prefer privacy DO NOT STAY HERE. As if the above was not enough, my wife left the hotel to go for a walk while I stayed in the room as my son took a nap. I had the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the outside of the door. Well, the cold hearten hotel manager took it upon herself to open our LOCKED door while I was in there with my napping son. She must have thought well all left together when my wife walked out of the hotel. This was uncalled for not only because the room had already been serviced that day and there was no need at all for any more staff to enter the room, but what the hell was she doing letting herself into the LOCKED room with a "Do Not Disturb" sign hanging. What could she possibly want? I suspect she was spying on the condition of the room because she was unhappy we brought a child to the hotel. I would still like to know what she was doing or what she was thinking, as she bolted out of there once she saw I was in the room.

My wife contacted KRC, the ownership of this group and explained the situation. They sounded concerned and said they would be in contact with us as soon as possible. Well, ONE MONTH later and we have heard nothing.

Please, do yourself a favor and stay somewhere that appreciates their guests and respects their privacy. I am still in shock at the hotel managers actions; they were completely uncalled for and I believe we deserve some kind of explanation of her behavior during our stay. I would never feel comfortable staying at this...

Not So Grand - For all practical purposes, this is not a hotel. There’s no lobby, no luggage assistance, limited front desk staffing and no place inside to eat your continental breakfast (except for your room). We arrived early (1:30 PM) for our 3:00 check-in. We didn’t expect our room to be ready, we just wanted to store our luggage. There was no one at the front desk. We waited about 15 minutes and no one returned, so we texted the number on the desk sign. We never received a response. The woman working the gallery, called their designated number and did not get an answer either. We left our luggage in the car. This location likes to operate on a virtual check-in model and the only location with full-time front desk staffing is a sister location about a 1/4 mile away. If you lose a key, need luggage assistance or other front desk services, you may be disappointed, particularly in the evening or overnight. You cannot enter the hotel after hours without your key. The room was also disappointing. We booked a “cozy king” for north of $500/night. And it was cozy….The room had a bed, a very small armoire and a small table. There was not a chair or any other place to sit in the room. So, we couldn’t eat our continental breakfast downstairs or in our room. Pretty frustrating. There are some outside tables, but it was raining so that doesn’t work. Note, their website shows a chair in the room. There is not a service elevator so the staff shares the main elevator. I tried to return the luggage trolley we used to the main floor. I pressed the elevator button and waited for an extended amount of time. I could hear noise from the floor below and could tell the elevator was being held there. When it finally did arrive, it was full of trash and laundry to the point where I could not even get on the elevator, let alone fit a luggage trolley. I had to wait while it went downstairs and, was held again, while it was unloaded. When I finally got the elevator and returned to the main floor, all the trash and laundry was sitting in the entrance area there. I could not even get the trolley back where it belonged. The staff seemed unaware. The Grand Hotel has a great location and outwardly appears very nice. But if you are looking for a full service hotel, this is not it, particularly for the...

My husband and I recently stayed at the Grande Hotel in Maine, a charming establishment located in a picturesque area. We were looking forward to a romantic and peaceful getaway, and the hotel's location, charm, and room did not disappoint. However, our experience took a significant turn for the worse overnight.

Unfortunately, the restaurant below our room played deafening music long after closing hours, likely during their cleanup. The walls in our room vibrated, making it impossible for us to relax. After waiting two hours, my husband went downstairs to request that they lower the volume. He was confronted inappropriately by an agitated kitchen staff member, making us feel uncomfortable and unsafe.

Adding to our distress, the front desk was completely unstaffed when we called for assistance. No one was there to address our concerns about the noise. Later, the noise from guests in the room behind us escalated into a full-blown party. The walls were so thin that it felt like the party was happening in our bedroom. We tried to drown out the disturbance by turning up the TV, but it was futile. Once again, there was no staff available to help resolve the situation. We had hoped to find someone to ask them to lower the volume, especially considering the late hour.

When we checked out the following morning and shared our eventful experience with the front desk staff, they mentioned they needed to consult with the kitchen before addressing our complaints. This collaboration seemed unnecessary and frustrating because it delayed the resolution of our issue. Ultimately, they offered to remove the tax from our bill as compensation—$20—which felt hysterical given the disruption we experienced.

Based on our experience, I cannot recommend the Grande Hotel. It did not feel like a proper hotel. We were disappointed by the limited availability of staff, the lack of security during late hours, and the noise issues we encountered. If you are thinking about a peaceful getaway, consider exploring...