City: Boothbay Harbor, ME

Category: Accommodations

Telephone: (207) 633-4152 or (800) 553-02

Address: Atlantic Ave.

Description: Smart Money magazine named the Spruce Point Inn in Boothbay Harbor as one of the 12 best getaways—not in Maine, not in New England, but in the entire country. And, as gamblers know, you always have to follow the smart money. If budget is not a concern, this is the place to stay in the Boothbay area, perhaps even in the entire Midcoast. The gardens alone are incredible. The inn sits on its own 57-acre peninsula, and it’s more of a resort than an inn, with the main building, condos, and little shingle-style cottages—each with various levels of luxuriousness—to choose from. This place began life as a 19th-century hunting and fishing lodge and expanded and added on until it reached its current 104-unit status. Every room has a private bath, private deck, fridge, and cable TV, and many also have a fireplace, whirlpool, and kitchenette. On the grounds there are almost too many amenities to list, from the expected pools (saltwater and heated freshwater), tennis courts, and fitness center to the neat touches like hammocks, a kids’ program and play area, massage therapy, and a private pier. You can dine fancifully at the inn’s award-winning formal dining room (“smart casual dress”) or enjoy more relaxed fare at Bogie’s Hide-away. Service, anywhere you go on the premises, is great, a Spruce Point hallmark. The inn is open from late May through mid-October. Get your reservations early because it tends to fill up fast.