Experiencing Hidden Pond in Maine

On our recent road trip through New England, we stopped in the eclectic town of Kennebunkport. We had spent the previous night in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, which is just a 40 minute drive from Kennebunkport. We decided to take the scenic route between these two quaint New England hubs and stop to share a couple of lobster rolls along the way.

We arrived in Kennebunkport around 2:00pm and tried another lobster roll at a famous restaurant called the Clam Shack. Known for its round lobster roll, this is a favorite eatery for the Bush family when they are at their vacation residence in Kennebunkport. The town is full of cute little shops, boutique hotels and restaurants. Yes, Kennebunkport really is as charming as you would expect it to be.

After our final lobster roll of the day, we decided to check into Hidden Pond. This attractive resort is only a few minutes outside of town.

As soon as you pass through the main entrance, you get the sense of a retreat-like setting. On the way to the lobby, we passed by other guests riding beach cruisers. There were colorful signs on the entrance road that guided us to the area where we needed to go to check in. 

The main reception space is a cozy family room area with fireplaces and sofas. The reception opens up onto the porch where you can grab a seat, have lunch, enjoy a beverage, or just play a game of cards. Around the corner from this porch is the pool, a fire pit and a lawn with games like corn hole and ping pong.

After checking in, we found our cottage on the map. Luckily, it was conveniently located around the corner from where we were. Our little blue house, which was named “Andrea’s Gate,” was like something out of a storybook.

The cottage had a white picket fence, a covered front porch with rocking chairs and massive hydrangeas that wrapped around the entrance. Andrea’s Gate is one of 16 two-bedroom cottages at Hidden Pond. There are 36 houses total: 20 bungalows with king bed and the 16 two-bedroom cottages. The cottages come equipped with a full kitchen, back porch and many other amenities.

After getting settled in, we decided to head over to “Pete’s Bikes��� and grab a couple of beach cruisers so that we could ride around Hidden Pond. Pete’s Bikes has dozens of cruisers available for guests to use whenever they want. There is really no need to get back in your car once you have arrived at Hidden Pond.

We first checked out the gardens, which were full of flowers and herbs. We found a shed with sheers and baskets. Guests can help themselves to these tools and cut some flowers for their cottage. Just next to the garden and Pete’s Bikes is a large lawn full of lawn games. This is also one of the spaces that can be used for weddings and events.

After our stop in the garden, we hopped on our cruisers and rode around Hidden Pond. We checked out the restaurant, Earth, where we had plans for dinner. We also took a look at the Farm Bar, the pool and the Tree House Spa.

The pool located near Earth is for adults only, and the Farm Bar stays open till 4:00pm each day. We loved the decor and the signature blueberry-infused vodka cocktails served at the bar. We decided to have a couple beverages before checking out the rest of the property.

Behind Earth, there are a couple meeting cottages and private dining rooms.These eclectic spaces have ceilings full of artwork. These places are perfect for a group of 10-12 for a lunch meeting. They can also serve as a private indoor dining room away from the main restaurant.

Just adjacent to Earth is the Hidden Pond Barn, a stunning contemporary barn event venue perfect for wedding receptions and private parties. An iron “boat” hangs from the ceiling and a driftwood bar is available for use. There is also a large outdoor patio, which is a perfect space for a cocktail hour before a wedding reception.  

After exploring the grounds, we made our way to the Porch Bar where a few other couples were enjoying pre dinner drinks before making their way to Earth. We decided to try one of their Moscow Mules. The drink turned out to be delicious. 

While reservations at Earth are strongly recommended, we did not have them and chose to take a risk and see if we could find a couple seats at the bar. We had no problem doing this and found two seats right away. Earth is a popular restaurant in Kennebunkport. So although their are only 36 cottages at Hidden Pond, the restaurant fills up nightly with locals and vacationers staying at nearby hotels.

We decided to order a variety of items to share. We started with the crab toast and wood-fired shishito peppers. This was followed by the charred broccoli appetizer. For dinner we shared the seafood paella. Everything  was so tasty; it was easy to see why Earth is a local hot spot.

After dinner, we made our way to the fire pit area. First, however, we stopped at the Porch Bar to grab our s'more kit. These marshmallow and chocolate kits are available for all guests until 10:00pm every night. We were joined at the fire by a few other couples. It was the perfect end to a day in rural Maine.

The next morning, we woke up to a fresh thermos of coffee hanging on our door along with the newspaper. Every day at Hidden Pond, the team will drop off coffee and the paper at 6:00am and stock the refrigerator with yogurt and fresh granola. It was perfect! We decided to get some work done in our very cosy family room while we enjoyed our coffee and breakfast.

Before departing from Hidden Pond, we paid a visit to the fitness center and then went to check out the Tree Spa. While we did not have enough time to test out the spa, we did check out the three treatment rooms. These were individual “tree houses” spread out behind the main spa entrance and fitness center. The rooms were elevated 8 feet above the ground.

The spa treatments incorporate herbs from the Hidden Pond gardens. The fitness center, meanwhile, has plenty of cardio and weight lifting equipment. They also offer daily classes including yoga, aerobics, pilates and more. These features mean that Hidden Pond is ideal for health retreats.

After a quick workout, we headed back to our cozy cottage to pack up and depart. Our stay was short, but we took advantage of almost everything Hidden Pond had to offer, we are already looking forward to our next visit to Kennebunkport and Hidden Pond.

Final Thoughts

Hidden Pond is ideal for retreats, weddings, corporate travel, honeymoons and family travel. With just 36 cottages, Hidden Pond is small enough that you could take over the entire property for a destination wedding, corporate retreat or any other large gathering. The cottages are all very private, which makes Hidden Pond a great option for honeymooners as well. The grounds are so expansive, and there is so much to do on property that having a three-day weekend wedding or retreat would be ideal. 

There are 36 houses total: 20 bungalows with king bed and the 16 two-bedroom cottages

Event spaces:

The Event Barn - Accommodates up to 80 guests

The Main Lawn - Accommodates up to 200 guests

2 meeting cottages - Accommodate up to 10-12 guests each

Other gathering spaces: Earth (restaurant), the Farm Bar, gardens, the Porch Bar and game lawn