Remote Control

A landmark renovation of Cliff House Maine allows the storied property to once again command a rugged piece of Maine’s coastline in grand fashion

Written by Bridget Williams

Upset that I’d roused before my 7 am alarm, I rubbed my eyes, groggily shuffled to the glass door of my oceanfront balcony, and peeled back the curtain just enough to survey the scene. After closing my dropped jaw, I sprang into action, groping the surroundings in my darkened room for any suitable articles of clothing that would make me (somewhat) presentable. Without even running a brush through my teeth or hair, I grabbed my camera and made a mad dash through the hotel’s corridors (the smell of freshly painted walls and new carpet still quite discernable), into the lobby and then outside to descend a wooden staircase that provides access to a jumble of massive boulders whose cleanly shorn edges look as though they were carefully cleaved at the hands of a giant.

Under the gradually brightening ambiance of a sherbet-colored sky, I scrambled to the edge of a towering rock whose lower half was worn smooth by the continual lapping of waves. Despite the hotel being completely sold out for the weekend, I existed in a state of blissful solitude, my legs dangling far above the water while I watched in wonder as the rhythmic pounding of the water seemed to keep time with the steady pace of the yolky orb ascending on the horizon. Magical doesn’t even begin to describe the experience… and it was only my first full day at Cliff House in Cape Neddick, Maine.

Nestled on 70 oceanfront acres on the southern coast of Maine, Cliff House is accessed via a windy two-lane road that traverses through the picturesque and gentrified countryside. Sunday drivers are rewarded with a titillating peep show in-between stands of mature trees of both the sea and covetable weathered-shingled manses positioned at the end of leafy drives.

Cliff House has a long history of determined hospitality in the region dating back to the late 1800s when Elsie Jane, wife of Captain Theodore Weare, had the foresight and gumption to purchase land on Bald Head Cliff and develop a resort after learning of expansion plans for the Boston and Maine Railroad into nearby York. The embodiment of a working mother, Elise Jane opened Cliff House in 1872, operated the hotel and farm, invested in real estate, raised seven children, and cared for her husband, who suffered from consumption. Rates for the 1872 premier season were $6.00 per week, per person, and included all three meals.

The property thrived as a retreat for the upper crust until World War II when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers commandeered it and constructed a radar station at the site to keep a round-the-clock vigil for Nazi submarines in the coastal waters. Following the war, the resort was left in a great state of disrepair. Elsie Jane’s son Charles, left nearly penniless following the seizure of his family’s livelihood, turned the property over to his son Maurice, who with his wife made it their life’s work to return Cliff House to its former glory. Common among the subsequent expansions and renovations up to the present day is a sensitivity to the changing needs and expectations of hotel guests and a willingness to evolve to meet them. While no longer under the control of the Weare family (Kathryn Weare sold the property to Rockbridge, an Ohio-based private equity firm, and Maine hoteliers Marc Dugas and Peter Anastos in 2015), there is little doubt that Elsie Jane would be more than pleased with the reemergence of the resort as a beacon of luxury and hospitality.

Farmer's Board at The Tiller Restaurant.

Fresh off of a first phase, $40 million landmark renovation (the property reopened in August of last year), upon entering the lobby today, one is immediately drawn to a bank of windows in the two-story space that provides sweeping views of the aforementioned boulder field. It’s a bit of a shame that Mother Nature steals the show, as the snappy “new nautical” decor (executed without a hint of kitsch), which is as crisp and fresh as the oceanic air, is equally worth ogling. The interior design of 132 ocean view guestrooms (up to 226 when second phase renovations are complete) mirrors the public areas, adorned in shades of grey, white, and navy with playful touches such as porthole-style mirrors on each doorway, shiplap paneling, and oversized nautical maps printed on the surface of a table in each room.

Nautical detail in an oceanfront guest room.

The owners of the hotel have adopted an ardent “true to Maine” philosophy, utilizing as many local partners as possible in all facets of operation. Flooring is comprised of 46,000 square feet of reclaimed pine sourced from old buildings throughout the northeast; Cuddledown comforters on the beds are made in Maine. Even the staff members are in on the theme, smartly attired in plaid J. Crew oxford shirts.

Breakfast from the Wellness Menu at The Tiller Restaurant.

The hotel is divided into two wings that hug Bald Head Cliff like outstretched arms welcoming the waves. A more generous setback from the cliff’s edge on one side provides room for an infinity pool and a large lawn dotted with comfy Adirondack chairs and fire pits, where nightly s’mores and storytelling bring guests together. Glass barriers on terraces and balconies preserve the view and provide just enough contemporary edge.

As one of the few hotels in the area that are open year-round, now, even in the dead of winter, guests and locals can nosh on Maine’s famed lobster roll at Nubb’s Lobster Shack. A native of Bath, Maine, Executive Chef Rick Shell takes his lobster rolls seriously, serving them up alongside fried clams, a raw bar, juicy burgers with pickled garden tomatoes, handcrafted cocktails with garden-picked ingredients, and a wide selection of local craft beers from regional brewers in a hip space complete with vintage arcade games, exposed ductwork, exposed brick, weathered wood and garage-style doors facing the sea that can be opened weather permitting.

Two types of Maine's famous lobster rolls are served at Nubb's Lobster Shack. Photo by Bridget Williams.

Chef Shell is also serious about supporting local producers, with the menu at The Tiller Restaurant listing “family farmer friends” whose products contributed to the meal. “Food is all about regional flair,” remarked Shell. “We have great fun with our food producers.” Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, The Tiller is suspended above the Atlantic to provide panoramic ocean views and spectacular sunrises if you aren’t up for scrambling across boulders first thing in the morning.

Debuting this past December, the 9,000-square-foot spa and fitness center boasts nine treatment rooms as well as a couple’s room with its own kitchen. Treatments incorporate four premium product lines: Elemental Herbology, Sciote, Red Flower, and Zents. Creative skincare and body treatments that bring the bounty of the outside in include an organic botanical poultice ritual and wild blueberry and sugar scrubs. A wellness philosophy created under the direction of Spa Director Dawn Page carries over to specialty items on the menu at The Tiller Restaurant (which are just as tasty and satisfying as the “regular” menu offerings) as well as daily morning yoga sessions. An adjacent semi-private 18-hole golf course is also available to guests.

Scenic lobstering cruises are one of many activites offered to provide guests with a "True to Maine" experience. Photo by Bridget Williams.

Recreation leader Alex Bousquet heads up a full program of activities geared at providing guests with a taste of Maine hallmarks. Scenic lobstering cruises, tennis, hiking, biking, sea kayaking, fishing, paddle boarding, ice skating, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and helicopter tours of the lighthouses and coastlines are a small sampling of what’s available. Quaint towns dotting the area provide ample day-tripping fodder for shopping, dining, and sightseeing. If there’s a performance at the Ogunquit Playhouse, you’ll want to be sure to get a ticket; 2017 will mark the 85th season for “America’s Foremost Summer Theatre,” which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Restaurants of note include the Roost Cafe in Ogunquit and the landmark Goldenrod Restaurant in York, which has been in operation since 1896 (you won’t be able to leave without picking up a piece of taffy, the colorful bands pulled, stretched, and cut into pieces for all to see in the streetscape windows).