Best Places to Stay in New England
The best places to stay in New England — five handpicked rentals in Portland, Bethel, Sugarloaf, Old Orchard Beach, and the Maine lakes.
New England is six states, but the best of it — for most travelers — clusters in three experiences: a walkable coastal city, a proper ski mountain, and a quiet lakeside reset. Maine delivers all three within a four-hour radius, and that’s why this list leans on it. Here are five rentals that represent the best places to stay in New England if you care about place more than brand.
The Bottom Line: Pick your New England base by the trip type: Portland for food, the White Mountains for hiking or skiing, the Maine coast for lobster and lighthouses. Five Everrow homes across those zones below.
The Five Experiences
1. A walkable historic city — Portland, Maine
2. A full-amenity ski resort — Sunday River, Bethel
3. A quieter ski-and-MTB mountain — Sugarloaf, Carrabassett Valley
4. A classic summer beach town — Old Orchard Beach
5. A quiet lake — the Belgrade Lakes region
Five of the Best Places to Stay in New England
1. State of Mind — Portland, Maine (West End)
- Best for: couples and small groups wanting walkable city life
Portland is New England’s food capital on a per-capita basis, and the West End is its most walkable historic neighborhood. State of Mind is the one you book when you want the city to feel like the trip, not the base camp.
- West End’s best block
- 10-minute walk to the Old Port
- Designer-level interior
2. The Epic Sunday River Getaway — Bethel, Maine
- Best for: ski trips and summer group getaways
Sunday River is the largest ski resort in Maine by terrain and the most amenity-rich in New England outside of Vermont’s big three. The Epic is built for the trip — big kitchen, gathering spaces, minutes to the lifts.
- Minutes to Sunday River
- Built for groups
- Year-round base for skiing, golf, and fall color
3. Summit Haus — Liftside Penthouse at Sugarloaf
- Best for: couples who want ski-in convenience
Sugarloaf is the quieter big-mountain alternative to Sunday River and Stowe. Summit Haus puts you on the lift, not near it.
- True liftside access
- Penthouse views
- Walk to lodge dining
4. Tideside House — Old Orchard Beach
- Best for: family summer week on the beach
OOB is unapologetically a beach town — seven miles of sand, a pier, and a season that runs Memorial Day to Labor Day. Tideside gives a family or a group of couples the space to actually settle in.
- Walk to the beach and pier
- Four bedrooms for groups
- Summer-ready setup
5. The Tipsy Moose — Mount Vernon (Maine Lakes)
- Best for: a quiet reset weekend
The Belgrade Lakes have been summer-camp New England for a hundred years. The Tipsy Moose plants you on the water with everything you need and nothing you don’t.
- Private lake access
- Two hours from Portland
- Pure “Maine cabin” aesthetic
How to Pick
First-timers: Start with Portland.
Skiers: Sunday River for amenities, Sugarloaf for terrain.
Families: Old Orchard Beach in summer.
Quiet people: The Lakes Region.
Fall trip: See fall-specific picks for New England.
Maine alone has enough for a dozen New England trips. This is where to start.
Keep planning: explore New England fall, Maine region guide, or White Mountains.
Looking for the right rental or considering hosting?
Whether you’re planning a stay or thinking about putting your own Maine home on the market, Everrow can help. Browse our curated collection of vetted rentals, or learn how our full-service management turns the right property into a reliable year-round business.
Stay close to everything in this guide.
A small collection of Everrow-managed homes within a short walk or drive of the places in this guide — chosen and maintained by a local team.
