Highlights: The White Barn Inn

•The White Barn Inn & Spa, located in Kennebunkport, Maine, is a charming property that features a cozy enclave of cottages, 1850s homestead, and two 170-year-old barns

•Lofty, candlelit Mobil Five-Star-rated dining room housed in two-story barn is about as romantic as you can get it, and serves New England and Maine cuisine with a European flair

•Meeting room can fit up to 12 people, and personal valet service can help with any needs before and during the gathering

•New spa as well as in-room massages and butler-drawn baths deliver inside pleasures while stunning infinity pool provides respite in the garden

•Within easy walking distance of Kennebunkport shops and restaurants

Amenities: The White Barn Inn

• 28 rooms, 3 story. Complimentary continental breakfast. Check-in 3pm, check-out 11am. High-speed Internet access, wireless Internet access. Restaurant, bar. Spa. Outdoor pool. Credit cards accepted.

General Impressions: The White Barn Inn

Kennebunkport is a well-known summer playground of many of the country’s affluent. Thus it is not surprising that the shopping, restaurants, and lodging cater to an upscale clientele. The White Barn Inn & Spa is no exception. An intimate complex of several buildings connected by flower-lined walkways, the 30 accommodations are housed in a historic mid-19th-century homestead; the restaurant is in a rustic antique barn. Built in the mid-1800s and welcoming guests since 1973. The White Barn Inn & Spa is a member of the prestigious Relais & Chateaux group.

With the smart sophisticated décor, fireplaces, and dining room exuding ambiance, The White Barn Inn & Spa is an ideal romantic or honeymoon destination, or an ideal place to celebrate any special occasion. For those looking to combine business with pleasure, the inn is also a good choice, as the communications services are excellent, including complimentary wireless Internet throughout. Just 700 yards from the shopping streets of Kennebunkport, The White Barn Inn & Spa is a wonderful base for exploring the village and southern Maine.

If you want to bring your kids and they’re into cannonballing into the pool and playing Frisbee in the gardens, this might not be your cup of tea: The White Barn & Spa likes to keep the pool an oasis of serenity.

(+) If Maine is your main game, this is a wonderful getaway and especially romantic
(-) Limited amenities for family travelers with children

Guest Services: The White Barn Inn

The staff at The White Barn Inn & Spa knows how to cater to your needs while respecting your privacy. When you wake up, a continental breakfast can be delivered through room service so you can truly move at your own pace and feel like you’re on vacation. You can even have a breakfast basket delivered to your door, filled with fresh-brewed coffee and teas and home-baked pastries and croissants.

A butler can be called to draw your bath and a valet is on-call to fulfill your requests throughout the day. By the afternoon, a special setup of tea and coffee, with fancy treats, are served in the common areas, so you can sit back and look out onto the scenic landscape. If you feel like a picnic, the staff can prepare a fine feast for you in a fitted, wicker basket. Complimentary bikes are provided to help you get around.

(+) Staff pampers without being obtrusive

Guest Rooms: The White Barn Inn

Each of The White Barn Inn & Spa’s 30 rooms, suites, and cottages is stylishly furnished. Think creamy, elegant whites and natural colors and textures that set off 19th-century polished traditional pieces like carved mahogany sleigh beds and Chippendale chairs, as well as hand-painted furniture. Original art, CD stereo systems, steam showers, pillow-top mattresses, and luscious down comforters and duvets set the mood. Suites, which are named (and decorated) for soft such colors as Lilac, Aubergine, and Chestnut, come with four-poster king beds, sitting areas, fireplaces, and whirlpool baths.

The Loft, the largest of the accommodations, has its own entrance and is one of the most private hideaways you’ll find anywhere. Colors are pale chocolate and naturals, and special features include a deck, a cathedral ceiling, a fireplace, a king-size bed, and a whirlpool bath big enough for two. The headboard is huge, white, and padded.

Or unpack your bags in Mays Cottage. Set in the gardens with a private brick patio, it comes with its own living room, king-size bed, double-sided fireplace, and marble bathroom with an oversized whirlpool bath and separate steam shower. Loon Cottage has two bedrooms and is understandably popular with families. In the main house, suite No. 8 is another winner with a king bed, two-person Jacuzzi, and steam shower. A double-sided fireplace allows you to see the fire from your bath or bed as well as the sitting area.

Just a five-minute walk from The White Barn Inn & Spa, you will find the waterfront cottages, more casual but nonetheless appealing. Here guests can enjoy wonderful views of the Kennebunkport River from their private patio. Available nightly or by the week, the cottages, which have private entrances, are equipped with coffeemakers, wood-burning fireplaces, VCRs, and MP3-equipped DVD players. Other appreciated features include full-sized closets and air conditioning, which is hardly needed but there for those who want it. The Cottage Compound is fully enclosed with a remotely accessed gate. Cottage guests can use the marina’s waterfront clubhouse, Friendship Cottage, which features a complimentary beverage bar. In addition to a breakfast basket delivered your cottage, if you want a heartier breakfast, you can head to the inn. And, of course, you have full use of the White Barn’s facilities and amenities.

As you might expect, The White Barn Inn & Spa’s amenities echo the luxurious level of everything else. I loved wrapping up in the inn’s plush bathrobes and appreciated the small portable book lights provided with the nightly turndown service.

(+) Beds and coverings are exceptionally luxurious and comfortable

Facilities & Activities: The White Barn Inn

The White Barn Inn & Spa’s infinity pool is a perfect place to spend a few hours, relaxing in the sun or reading in the shade. Order a pop of champagne served poolside. Then when you’re ready to go exploring, you have choices. You can walk into town, grab one of the complimentary bikes, or head to the Yachtsman Marina and paddle off in a canoe out into the Kennebunk River. For a less strenuous option, climb aboard the True Blue, the inn’s private yacht, for a leisurely, scenic cruise, perhaps to Casco Bay off Portland.

A new spa with four treatment rooms offers a variety of massages, facials, and other treatments while you’re lulled by music selected by you. The stone massage using warmed Kennebunkport river stones is wonderful. In-room spa services bring the treatments to you. Treat yourself to a fragrant bath drawn by a bath butler who also sets the mood with glowing candles and Molton Brown soaps and lotions. With music softly playing in the background, a Swedish massage by a skilled therapist soothes and relaxes. For the ultimate indulgence, go with the Four-Hand massage in which two therapists work together using long, rhythmic strokes. In the mood for some giggly fun? Try the Double Bubble Champagne Bath infused with warm essential oils of orchids, ylang ylang, neroli, and cinnamon. I suggest you order a bottle of Pommery champagne or another favorite bubbly from the inn’s wine list. Sink down into the water while fresh orchids bob on the surface.

(+) Rimless infinity pool, spa rooms, nearby shops provide ample recreational opportunities

Dining & Lounge: The White Barn Inn

The White Barn Inn & Spa’s lofty, candlelit dining room is the only Mobil Five-Star-rated restaurant northeast of New York. If ever you wanted the proper place to pop the question, this is it. The two-story barn features a huge window wall that frames a seasonal tableau of flowers, trees, and lights that take on the appearance of a huge piece of art.

Tables set with linens, crystal, and silver are positioned against weathered siding and beams, wide board floors, primitive farm implements, and antique signs. Papier maché cows, chickens, wooly sheep, and other farmyard creatures populate the upstairs loft “barnyard.” A pianist plays soft dinner music. Service is attentive, but not intrusive. Better yet, this is one place where the cuisine lives up to its surroundings.

Chef Jonathan Cartwright’s cuisine defies labels. It’s au courant and European, yet definitely draws from New England’s roots. Chef Cartwright, who comes from the United Kingdom, uses as much regional produce, fish, seafood, game, and poultry as he can. More exotic ingredients such as truffles, wild mushrooms, and quail eggs complement his dishes, which are artfully presented. For example, I loved The White Barn & Spa’s signature dish, Maine lobster set on a bed of homemade fettuccini with cognac coral butter sauce. Accompanied by a bottle of Chalk Hill Chardonnay from the inn’s 7,000-bottle wine cellar, it was a perfect meal. Save room for the sinful chocolate cake, a flourless dark chocolate wonder served with cherry jelly and double-chocolate ice cream.

I found the staff deftly accomplished the delicate balancing act of delivering attentive service without being intrusive. This is one place you can have a serious discussion without someone coming by to ask you if everything is to your satisfaction just as you are getting to the heart of the matter. Yet, if you glance at an almost empty wine glass, someone appears to quietly fill it.

(+) Dining areas feature rustic yet sophisticated décor and oh-so-decadent desserts

Business Services: The White Barn Inn

Just because you are staying at one of the most romantic places in New England doesn’t mean you have to be disconnected with the rest of the world (though it really might be a great idea). The White Barn Inn & Spa provides voice mail, complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access, and even a laptop on request.

The meeting space is intimate, accommodating up to 12 people, which makes it ideal for small meetings or retreats. A personal valet service can be assigned to provide help with a presentation or bring needed items during the meeting. The personal touch allows you to focus on your event and leave the little details to the staff.

After the work is done, this inn is a prime location for some group activities outdoors. Golfing, biking, and canoeing are just some of the possibilities that the hotel staff can help schedule.

(+) Amenities ideal for small corporate groups or individual travelers