Written by: Rochelle Lash, Freelance

As seen in the Montreal Gazette - Thursday, August 02, 2007

The gracious Nonantum Resort is a people place where guests and staff get acquainted, setting the scene for a visit with a personal touch and a folksy air.

At the reception desk, you'll meet concierge Rose Meier, who will organize your visit to Kennebunkport, a popular vacation town on Maine's southern coast. Bellman Justin Troiano will get you settled in your accommodations. Executive chef Steve True will help through the menu choices. Bar manager Michael McCrory is ready to play sommelier and suggest his favorite French Chardonnay or New Zealand Sauvignon.

Sink into a downy wing chair in the lobby and you'll spot general manager Tina Hewitt, a dynamic blonde, working the room, greeting guests and keeping the operations going. Once you're settled in one of the 110 guest rooms, you can call down to the concierge desk for information - and you're already on a first-name basis with Rose.

The Nonantum's quaint main building dates to the 1880s, when the resort was the centre of Kennebunkport's social whirl of tea dances and fancy dress balls. It is Kennebunkport's oldest resort, a Victorian treasure that first welcomed the carriage trade of Boston and New York who headed for the coast of Maine to escape the summer heat. The oceanfront temperature is a few degrees cooler than inland, and the Atlantic sea air and chilly salt water can be restorative.

Located on the Kennebunk River, the Nonantum faces the town's harbor. Guests can head for the sand and sea a half-kilometre away or use the hotel's heated swimming pool and hot tub. From the harborfront rooms, guests can hear the faint jingling of sailboats' lines flapping against masts and the rough purr of the engines of lobster boats as they head out to sea.

The ballroom still is one of the focal points of Kennebunkport's party scene. It's the site of dozens of weddings throughout the summer, and charity parties.

True, the Nonantum's chef, specializes in regional American cuisine, accented with chorizo sausage, chipotle spices, Maine blueberries, pesto and wasabi sauces. "It's an eclectic menu," he said. "Because it's an older hotel, we're strong on classics like steak and crab cakes, but I have made some exotic updates, too, like the lobster quesadilla and the bison burger."

Among the Nonantum's diners is George H. Bush, former U.S. president and father of the current president. He favours the filet mignon, and his wife, Barbara, likes the grilled chicken. (George Sr. has spent every summer but one - more than 80 in all - at the family estate on the outskirts of town.)

The Port Side wing of 60 rooms on three floors, built in the 1980s, houses the Nonantum's most comfortable accommodations. The decor is cottage-white furniture with sea-blue comforters, creating a sunny, summery feel. The large rooms and suites have expansive windows and such family-friendly conveniences as mini-refrigerators, microwaves, cable television, wireless Internet, and deluxe touches like double whirlpool tubs. The modernized Carriage House main lodge, with about 50 cozy rooms, has Victorian roots but is fresh and bright. Here, white wicker furniture and traditional decor create the feeling of a luxurious inn.

The Nonantum is one of the stops on the Kennebunkport InTown Trolley, a sightseeing bus whose seasoned driver spins an entertaining narrative about local lore. The sights include Dock Square, the commercial and spiritual centre of Kennebunkport since the 1700s, and Mothers' Beach, a delightful oceanfront outdoor playground with a swimming area. The Trolley provides a 45-minute overview of what's locally called "the Kennebunks" - the inland village of Kennebunk, the seaside Kennebunkport and the Cape Porpoise harbour with fishing and lobster boats.

It's estimated that 40 million pounds of lobster are caught off the coast of Maine annually, representing about 90 per cent of the U.S.'s lobster supply. A great way to experience the high seas is a tour on an authentic wooden lobster boat. The Rugosa, which docks at The Nonantum's marina, has a catch-and-release permit so that tourists can help set and haul in lobster traps.

If You Go:

Kennebunkport is a five-hour drive from Montreal. Take Highways 10 and 55 to the U.S. border, then Interstates 91 and 93 through Vermont and New Hampshire to Manchester. Take Route 101 east to Interstate 95 north, and Kennebunk Exit 25 to Route 35.

The Nonantum Resort: 95 Ocean Ave., Kennebunkport, Me., 800-552-5651, www.nonantumresort.com. Room prices (for two) including buffet breakfast, range from $189 to $329 Sunday-Thursday to $239 to $379 on weekends. Suites costs more. Packages available with dinner, pool-side lunch and InTown Trolley.

Rugosa Lobster Boat, 207-967-5595, has excursions starting at adults $30, children $20 ($10 discounts mid-week).