After the longest, most exhausting conference of the year ends (and nearly a year in prep work!) I always need a massive escape for some R&R afterwards. Last year, somehow I hopped on 17 hours worth of flights, 22 hours with a layover in Taiwan and headed to Bali. This year, I rented a rather beat-up Hyundai Elantra and hightailed it to Maine in just 90 minutes.

The first stop in ultimate relaxation is of course, the beach! With many a beach in Maine, Kennebunkport worked easily into my drive north and is home to Hidden Pond, a top US resort. In a dream world I’d stay the night (or three) at Hidden Pond, but maybe in another pay grade. For this trip, I selected the charming, Tides Beach Club, located on Goose Rocks beach. (Goose Rocks is also the main event in my favorite drink ;-). How charming is this sunny, yellow house of welcomes after a week in dreary Boston?

The front yard was a collection of Adirondack chairs, rockers, and fire pits.

Insert Macarons and Mayhem here.

The front porch was just darling with its fat fairy lights and cushy rockers. The charming bar staff served drinks and snacks out here and even brought me a blanket without asking. Retirement is looking good!

I tried to read, but found myself easily caught up staring at the horizon contemplating matters at hand. With this up and close Goose Rocks Beach view, how could you not? Heaven.

Low tide.

A collection of grey houses under a grey sky felt like a more modest Cape Cod.

Time to head back inside – it was freezing! What warms you up like red wine followed by a hot shower….

I went with a Portugese red blend and some peaky-toed crab dip that was served with wonton crisps. Indulgent and warming.

I could only be happy snacking, sipping, and checking out the bar decor which looks like a modern day ship aside from this wall of dogs with their heads out of car windows.

The other lobby seating areas were absolutely everything you could want in a beach house. It felt truly like a well-kept friend’s home and was just the right combo of shabby chic meets formal.

I need this whole foyer situation for my beach house. Also, I need a beach house.

Check-in sent me all the way up to the third floor with an embarrassing amount of luggage, but I managed. (No elevators if that matters). Along the way, there are nooks of coffee, books, water, ice, Kind bars, and crisps. It was a gratis communal minibar and was most thoughtful. Free unlimited water in a hotel?!? Unheard of.

I’d booked a basic room in the hotel, just wanting to be on the beach. I figured I could easily have the “town view” since I was so excited to sleep and didn’t know what time I’d be arriving in Kennebunkport.

You could imagine my surprize and utter delight and I was upgraded to an oceanfront suite in the front of the house. The long teal hallway and cozy, well-dressed room was designed by Jonathan Adler.

The bright room felt like something out of my teenage dream.

This custom pillow pretty much exudes it all and I’d love one for my own sun room.

The water view was so refreshing and uplifting after a very long and rainy week in Boston, really only interspersed with 8-12 hour days of time in the windowless convention center. Gimme that Vitamin D!

The bath was long and narrow, lacking any counter space. This was made up for with the world’s hottest shower and Malin and Goetz products.

I awoke in the middle of the night (as always) and opened the blinds to prepare for nature’s alarm clock – this spectacular sunrise! This photo was taken from underneath the cozy comfort of my duvet. I considered watching from the porch, but thirty degrees said otherwise.

Included with the room was brekky. There was a continental buffet and hot dishes to choose from. I’m a simple, scrambled type so I stuck with that and they were delish!

I absolutely cannot recommend The Tides Beach Club enough. I can only imagine how bustling and fun it must be in the summer when the beach is in full swing. Just check out their IG for yourself.

If you know me, (or have ever read this blog) you know that I LOVE a good hotel – posh, trendy, thoughtful, well-designed, charming but clean – you name it, I’m in. You also know that I love to find a deal – especially when it comes to travel. As mentioned, I booked with The Tides directly – just a basic room, but also with a package. I hadn’t recalled any of this upon check-in, but my $199 room included breakfast, a $35 credit to use at any of their properties including Hidden Pond, and round-trip transfer to dinner at Earth, as well as reciprocity for Hidden Pond activities that I didn’t have time for. Thinking through this and the amazing upgrade they gifted me, I was elated with the value. Others must be as well because on Google reviews, The Tides is rated as a 3 star hotel, but receives 4.6 stars in reviews. Deal.

The Tides felt exactly as it should, integrated with small-town coastal Maine, and isn’t that the best part? Feeling like you know a place a bit more than you probably do? Day one and I was already starting to get this whole Maine allure.