Longfellow Hotel, a brand-new, 48-room boutique hotel from Maine-based, family-owned hospitality group Uncommon Hospitality, has officially opened its doors to guests. Designed in partnership with award-winning design studio Post Company, the hotel delivers distinctive design, wellness, and culinary experiences in the city of Portland. The highly-anticipated property is the first independent, full-service hotel to open in the city in more than two decades, deftly meeting the demands of the rising tourist destination, and serving as a gathering place for celebration and rejuvenation.
"We're thrilled to finally welcome guests to The Longfellow, a project that we've lovingly infused with Portland's proud, independent spirit, and the entrepreneurial ethos of our surrounding neighborhood," said Tony DeLois, Co-Founder and COO of Uncommon Hospitality. "Having been born and raised in Maine, we feel passionate about continuing to elevate the hospitality offering in our city through a focus on holistic wellbeing. Post Company truly delivered on a design-forward respite in the city, creating the perfect homebase after a day spent exploring our vibrant seaport restaurants, artistic culture and natural beauty."
Design
The Longfellow is named for Portland native Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, whose poems drew inspiration from the wild, untamed beauty of the New England coast. Much like the famed poet's enduring words, the hotel reflects the location's rugged charm and extremes of the environment - from cold, blustery winters to sun-soaked summer months. Post Company's design marries the historic allure of the port city with a residential feel that nods to the West End neighborhood's distinctive architecture and character. Interiors blend contemporary elements with traditional accents such as moldings, ceiling medallions, and wide-plank, hardwood floors.
"Our design for The Longfellow honors the city's history and wild beauty, and also nods to the integrity of the surrounding buildings," says Jou-Yie Chou, partner at Post Company. "The interiors feel familiar, yet impart a true sense of place, by blending contemporary elements with traditional touches to evoke a modern timelessness. The design establishes a sequence of spaces that invites visitors in, while handsome details encourage them to linger and indulge."
Post Company also imbued the hotel with artwork from local Maine-based artists and artisans. Commissioned tables and case goods by Kidwell Fabricators (Portland) and Bicyclette Furniture (Brunswick) are showcased in the bar and spa. Shaker chairs by Windsor Chairmakers (Lincolnville) ground the communal table in the lobby. Paintings by Timothy Wilson (Portland) and photographic prints by Jonathan Levitt (Lincolnville) hang throughout the hotel. Custom ceramic table lamps by ANK Ceramics (Camden) are also dotted throughout the spaces.
Lobby and Public Spaces
Stepping beyond the threshold, guests and local patrons are welcomed into a convivial lobby that acts as an all-day lounge, cafe and bar. Rich, textured leathers, velvets, oak, marble and granite speak to a sense of quality, while contemporary detailing lends an effortless undertone to the space. Counter-service style breakfast and lunch spot Twinflower Café was conceptualized in partnership with West End favorites Mike and Siobhán Sindoni of neighboring Wayside Tavern. The café places an emphasis on local ingredients, creating a considered food and beverage menu that both delights the palate and nourishes the body. In European-influenced lobby bar Five of Clubs, travelers are met with plush textured and patterned upholstered seating, warm brass elements and crisp natural stone, as well as corner nooks and small seating groups creating intimate spaces designed with conversation and connection in mind. Rail and stile wall paneling alongside mosaic pattern flooring give the space a presence of hand, while wall-hung artwork inspired by the natural landscape creates an organic ambiance. Inspired by the five-man literary society founded by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, which would gather to discuss literature, philosophy, and more, Five of Clubs serves classic cocktails, a selection of local beers, and an Old World wine list, as well as a health-conscious menu of functional and zero-proof cocktails.
Guest Rooms
The Longfellow's 48 guest rooms offer a restrained and balanced design scheme, with enduring, well-crafted details. Natural wood paneling and wide-plank oak floors are accented by monochromatically-painted trim, crown, and baseboard moldings. High-contrast doors, cabinet pulls and lighting finishes offer a striking balance to the neutral layers of textiles and soft finishes. Furnishings skew towards the elegant with a hand-hewn attention to detail; velvet upholstered beds, custom armchairs by TRNK, and luxury blankets by Maine-based Swans Island offer an inviting interlude, while simple side tables and the suites' Windsor-style chairs represent an honest use of materiality. Tiled floors, custom granite vanities and integrated wall hooks express a timeless, unfussy elegance. Guests can choose from an array of room categories, ranging from Back Cove views or inviting balconies prime for stunning sunrise views, to rooms with a windowside desk providing inspiration for writers, poets and wordsmiths of all kinds. For an even more elevated escape, travelers can book the Evangeline or Gabriel Suites, which offer freestanding soaking tubs and separate living spaces with TRNK-designed chaise lounges, adding the perfect touch of seaside luxury. The Longfellow also worked with Sleep Wise Consulting to create the ultimate sleep experience across all guestrooms, incorporating Mattress Concierge-selected mattresses made in New England by hand with high-density foam, Loftie alarm clocks, and darkened indicator lights to ensure a good night's sleep. An array of boundary-pushing enhancements are also available to book, including the PMS Package and Sleep Tight Experience, each promoting holistic wellness and taking guests' stays to the next level.
Astraea, A Wellness Spa
Astraea is a first-of-its-kind wellness spa focused on full body and mind health with private infrared sauna rooms alongside carefully-curated massage and meditation experiences. The minimalistic yet authentically warm 1,800-square-foot space eschews frills for function. Channeling inspiration from the paired back aesthetics of Scandinavian spa culture, the soft and serene space maintains a contextual character with surfaces of local granite, textured limewash walls, and natural wood flooring. The spa comprises two massage treatment rooms, two private infrared sauna rooms, and a meditation experience room with state-of-the-art meditation loungers. The spa also features a boutique highlighting VOYA products, as well as hand-crafted items by local Maine producers and artisans, including Alaina Marie and Becoming Jewelry.
VOYA was a natural product choice for Astraea; with years of expertise in seaweed bathing and organic skincare, the luxury brand recognizes the collective need for the raw goodness and therapeutic energies the ocean has to offer. The antioxidants harvested straight from the Atlantic Ocean's seabeds are the core ingredient for many of Astraea's new treatments, with each piece of seaweed being selected and cut by hand to preserve the natural healing powers of the plant. Astraea is the only spa in New England to feature the award-winning VOYA product line; signature treatments include the Herbal Compress Massage, during which warm steamed bags of orange, clove, ginger and Fucus Serratus seaweed are gently massaged into the body releasing precious seaweed oils, as well as the Seaweed Leaf Wrap, which envelops spa goers in Laminaria Seaweed leaves to detoxify, firm and soften the skin. Addressing more targeted wellness goals, Astraea also debuts as the first and only Maine spa to offer revolutionary NeoLifting© facial massage techniques. Sculpting massage and buccal techniques tone facial muscle, define the jawline, reduce headaches and jaw pain, and more. Astraea also focuses on the unique needs of women's bodies throughout various stages of life, going beyond its signature prenatal massage to also focus on perimenopausal and menopausal women's needs. The Grounding Earth Session combines guided breathwork, face and scalp pressure-point massage, and reflex-point foot massage to facilitate a deeper connection with the body during this transformative phase of life, and the Herbal Compress Massage also benefits women experiencing PMS symptoms.
The private sauna rooms are inspired by ancient traditions of cycling through heat, cold and relaxation, providing an all-natural, holistic remedy for myriad mental and physical ailments. The state-of-the-art infrared and saunas induce a calming state of being, with the added benefits of pain relief, stress reduction, enhanced immunity and improved sleep regimens. The meditation room is a flexible option for those short on time but still looking for ultimate relaxation. Astraea is among the first spas in the Northeast to feature the revolutionary vibroacoustic meditation loungers as part of their treatment menu.
A Pledge to Communal Well Being
The Longfellow extends its holistic approach to travel beyond its walls. Guests will find complimentary Priority Bicycles, several electric vehicle charging stations, and an electric luxury car service to the nearby Old Port to take in the surrounding seaside city and breathtaking natural shoreline. The hotel also opened with zero single-use plastics, featuring refillable in-room carafes, real keys instead of plastic electromagnetic cards, and bamboo- or recycled-packaging disposable amenities. In addition to the eco-conscious elements that guests can see and touch, The Longfellow also invested in modern, sustainable efficiencies including all-electric appliances in the kitchen, as well as a strong guestroom thermal envelope, which minimizes heat loss from the interior to the exterior.
Hotel guests also have the opportunity to give back to the tight-knit community. The Longfellow boasts myriad partnerships with organizations that are working to find solutions to homelessness in Portland: Preble Street provides barrier-free services to people experiencing homelessness, with a specific focus on building meaningful relationships with unhoused members of the community every day, and Spurwink provides behavioral health care, substance use disorder services, and support for people of all ages and their families. Astraea will also donate a portion of proceeds to local nonprofit FEED KIDS, a Full Plates Full Potential fundraising initiative, to help ensure food security for children and youth in Maine.
Located at 754 Congress Street, Longfellow Hotel's opening rates start at $499. The hotel also debuts as a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, putting an emphatic emphasis on Portland's world-class luxury hospitality scene. For more information or to book a stay at The Longfellow, please contact 207-800-3004, or visit www.longfellowhotel.com. Exciting news and updates are also available on Instagram: @longfellowhote l, @astraeawellnessspa, @fiveofclubsmaine and @twinflowercafe.
754 Congress St
Portland, ME 04102
United States
