Cambria Hotel Portland Downtown is in walking distance from popular attractions, the historic Old Port district, and a mere 15-minute walk to East End Beach on Portland’s charming coast.
Going to the Chapel in Portland
While last year at this time, we were navigating (literally!) a series of destination weddings week after week, this year seems to be the “year of babies” not weddings. So, when we received an invitation for nuptials in Portland, my first question was … which Portland? There are dozens of cities named “Portland” spread about the United States from Oregon, Maine, Texas, Tennessee, Ohio, Connecticut and even New York. I was thrilled to be invited to attend a wedding in Portland, Maine.
Lighthouses and Lobsters
I’ve only been to Maine one time. We travelled to Bar Harbor near the picturesque Acadia National Park and loved it. Prior to that, I had two friends who left the hustle and bustle of New York to move to Maine, one to Biddeford and the other to South Thomaston. While I was unfamiliar with the attraction of Maine, neither moved back to New York so I knew Maine must be something special.
Portland is a metropolitan city with small coastal town charm best known for its lighthouses and it’s lobsters. In fact, the state of Maine has more than 60 lighthouses and there are six lighthouses in the city of Portland, great photo opportunities.
From what I learned during this trip, Maine serves approximately 40 million (yes million!) pounds of seafood annually.
Growing up on the East Coast, there’s something nostalgic about visiting a destination like Maine along the Atlantic Ocean. There are multiple islands off the coast of Portland including Casco Bay, Long Island, Cliff Island, Little Diamond Island, and Peaks Island.
Portland felt familiar. It felt like home. I guess I’m an East Coast girl at heart.
Selecting a Hotel in Portland
For such a small city in Maine, selecting accommodations in Portland was not easy. We had 15 different options. Narrowed down by room rate and location, we selected the Cambria Hotel Portland Downtown.
The hotel is situated in a prime city location, walkable to the major downtown attractions and the Old Port district, yet in a quieter setting. We loved that we could park the rental car and walk along cobblestone streets, to just about everywhere.
The hotel was not cheap but less costly than the more upscale hotels, inns, and bed-and-breakfasts set closer to the water. We visited Portland right before the seasonal prices typically escalate.
If you’re flying to Maine, Portland International Jetport (PWM) is two miles from the hotel. Or fly into Boston’s Logan Airport and take a 2-1/2 hour train ride to Portland.
The hotel is steps from the waterfront, surrounded by boutique shops, seafood restaurants, and cobblestone streets.
The scenery of this historic city on Casco Bay made it a wonderful location to gaze at boats and walk along the fishing piers. East End Beach is a 15-minute walk.
Amenities at the Cambria Hotel Portland Downtown
The Cambria Hotel Portland Downtown is modern and sleek. While we were in the area for a wedding, I could easily see us making this hotel our stay for business meetings as well.
The lobby, located on the fourth floor, is stylish and immaculately clean. The hotel features an indoor-outdoor rooftop bar with amazing views overlooking downtown Portland and Casco Bay.
Everyone that worked at the front desk was personable, helpful, and attentive to our questions, concerns, and needs.
The hotel offers indoor parking ($40/night). Note that walking from parking lot on the ground floor up to the lobby on the 4th floor where the front desk is located is a bit of a walk.
The fitness center was fully equipped but to be honest, this is a walking town so I preferred the fresh air and sunshine instead of the indoor hotel gym.
We did not travel with pets but this hotel is pet friendly with a pet fee of $75 per stay, two pets per room.
You may think this is silly but one of our favorite parts of this hotel was the bicycle rental onsite. There is something nostalgic about renting bicycles with friends. We must have been a sight as we peddled around downtown with lots of giggles and taking lots of breaks to rest our aging legs.
Beautiful Guest Rooms
The hotel offers 102 spacious guest rooms. Our room had a King bed with a picturesque harbor view but to be truthful, you can still see the roof of the building out front.
The room’s furniture is designed with warm-tones and coastal decor, spa-inspired bathrooms with Bluetooth mirrors, plush premium bedding, and modern amenities. The sitting area was cozy and such a nice place to just sit and take a breather between sightseeing and wedding festivities.
The minimalist design and the abundance of natural light made the room appear bigger and brighter. The mattress and pillows were comfortable. The room was clean and quiet. We appreciated the coffee/tea maker, mini refrigerator, desk, and television.
The bathroom was especially nice. The shower was amazing, hot water with the perfect water pressure, better than any hotel we’ve stayed in recently. The free PURE bath toiletries were great but the Bluetooth mirror was the coolest!
Note: Some guest rooms are located VERY far from the elevator. If you have mobility issues, you want to request a room near the elevator.
Hotel Amenity Fee
Some hotels charge an amenity fee and never explain the charge. At Cambria Hotel Portland Downtown, the fee is described in detail and the benefits outweigh the $25 daily cost.
Bottom line, they charge you a $25 daily fee but they give you a $25 credit for onsite food and drink. Of course, that is good marketing as it pushed us to dine at their restaurant and have a drink at the rooftop bar. Both establishments are top-notch and we loved them!
Hotel Dining
The hotel’s ALTO Terrace Bar + Kitchen is located on the 4th floor lobby level and serves American cuisine.
It really helped to have breakfast right at the hotel on the day of the wedding. The Eggs Benedict was delicious, made with fresh poached eggs, not powdered eggs as in many hotels.
For dinner at the hotel, we skipped the famous Portland lobster, but instead enjoyed the spinach/artichoke dip, meatball parmigiana sub, and the pulled pork sandwich.
We tried both the indoor seating and the outdoor terrace. The terrace (weather permitting) is a real showstopper! It offers an outstanding view of Casco Bay and the Old Port area, and the refreshing cool breeze made for a wonderful setting.
Our Portland Activities
Aside from riding bicycles around town and attending the wedding welcome dinner, ceremony, reception, and post-wedding brunch, we had a nice time exploring downtown Portland.
Here are a few highlights:
We enjoyed walking and riding bicycles on the cobblestone streets in the Old Port District. There are lots of boutiques, art galleries, candy stores, and plenty of places to buy souvenirs.
We took a ride on the Casco Bay Ferry to see the city from the water. It really made a good vantage point to see some key locations.
We picked up iconic lobster rolls at The Pier and grabbed a Dark Chocolate Sea Salt donut from the Holy Donut shop.
There was a visit to the East End Beach but it was very rocky.
We looked at the 86 foot tall Portland Observatory (octagonal wooden tower) from the outside. We didn’t opt to climb the narrow staircase to the top.
Takeaways/Final Verdict
While there are many hotel options in the area, I’m glad we chose to stay at the Cambria Hotel Portland Downtown. This hotel was a wonderful surprise, everything from arrival to departure was fantastic, exactly what you’d expect for in a downtown upscale coastal hotel.
- Guest rooms are modern and beautiful
- Spa-like bathrooms, premium bedding, and free Wi-Fi
- Location is ideal in the historic Old Port district
- Terrific restaurant/bar with outdoor terrace and skyline views
Author Bio: Originally from Long Island, New York, Donna Wright now calls Deland, Florida her home. An avid traveler, she has journeyed by air, land, and sea, to many cities in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean to exciting destinations like California, Arizona, Las Vegas, San Diego, Myrtle Beach, Lake Tahoe, Reno, and more.
This content is provided for general informational purposes only and should not be considered travel or consumer advice. Inn amenities, prices, policies, and availability may change. Readers should verify all details independently and use their own judgment when planning travel.