Gourmet Get – a- way.
From the moment you step into this bastion of excellence to the moment you sigh and drive off the property, you can count on the most relaxing and tranquil of times away from home.
The entire property seems to operate on a different time. I am not speaking of East Coast/West Coast time differences; I am speaking of a time from a more genteel era. A time when knowing your guest’s names and their preferences are of the upmost importance to EVERY member of their staff.
The White Barn Inn & Spa is a multi dimensional property with the Inn being the centerpiece, but there are also quaint cottages, waterfront cottages, and garden suites. Any of the accommodations will certainly meet any expectation for relaxation that you may have. They are comfortable and beautifully decorated, many with fireplaces.
The property is great for strolling or sitting in a chair and reading the day away. There is a wonderful infinity pool that is set in the summer for lunches and cocktails. You need only order and sit back and enjoy the afternoon or because you are within minutes from the beautiful shoreline of Kennebunkport, the staff will happily provide you with a picnic to take and enjoy.
Back at the Inn, the afternoon provides a delightful tea service. With only fabulous choices for teas and treats, you must once again give into the service and the food. The tea time at the White Barn Inn could make the anglophile come out of anyone. There is also port and sherry available all day and evening in the living room area for the guests to enjoy.
Their restaurant is constructed from two barns and decorated beautifully in an old world, down east, American way. Chef Jonathan Cartwright brings his own brand of excellence to every meal served here and his service staff is knowledgeable, competent and extremely helpful. Restaurants of this caliber can be intimidating but not this one. You are made to feel welcome and encouraged to indulge. The desserts are beyond “dying for”. I would die, come back and die again for something called a Pistachio Parfait. Trust me on this, save room!
The menu choices are creative and delicious. As with many great chefs, Chef Cartwright uses only the best local products available to create a meal that will stay with you for a very long time. I have read that Chef Cartwright can give you the family history of the lobster you eat. Now even though this may be folklore, it is impressive to be thought of in this way.
You can enjoy this culinary gem even if you do not stay at the Inn, just call ahead for reservations and call way ahead during the summer season as this restaurant boasts the only combined AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five Star distinction north of the “Big Apple”.
For the true aficionados of fine living, after your dinner, indulge in a Butler Drawn Bath. When desert is served in the restaurant, I suspect the maitre’ de alerts the valet. How else could you walk into your room to the scent of roses and candlelight? A wonderful bath is then filled with steaming hot water and sprinkled with rose petals that also lined the floor for a most dramatic presentation. They filled the tub with fabulous Molton Brown Bubble Bath (Molton Brown products are provided in each of the White Barn’s fabulous rooms) and I could bet there is a bubble level that they strive to achieve because it was perfect! We had Champaign glasses and candy treats set on the side of the tub as well. The Champaign was chilling, laid out like a picture.
Now perhaps some of you travel savvy readers will have heard of this type of bath service before, but I was blown away by it. It is a MUST do addition to any stay at the White Barn Inn & Spa.
The Inn boasts a terrific spa and while I did not enjoy a service on this trip, my tour provided me with a glimpse of the sophisticated yet comfortable treatment rooms each framed with fireplaces and private showers. Their treatment list is comprehensive and many of the treatments can be done with your significant other.
The White Barn Inn & Spa is part of the very exclusive Relais & Chateaux collection of very fine hotels. To find an Inn like this in the relaxed yet beautiful Kennebunkport Maine nestled between the woods and the rugged shore is a fantastic surprise. To stay and enjoy all it has to offer is pure magic.
The White Barn Inn & Spa
37 Beach Avenue
Kennebunk Beach, Maine
866-369-3834
-The Grateful Traveler
