Dive in and enjoy the views from Maine’s best outdoor pools at these oceanfront inns, hotels, and resorts. I’ll update this list as I discover other outdoor pools with a view. Accommodations are presented from south to north along the coast.
Updated July 23, 2024
Dunes on the Waterfront
The updated and renovated Dunes on the Waterfront cottage colony in Ogunquit reopened in May 2024. Most of the one- to three-bedroom cottages share similar views of the tidal Ogunquit River backed by dunes with the ocean beyond. Guests can relax at the pool or paddle or row across the river at high tide to reach the beach.
Sparhawk Oceanfront Resort
Guests have been returning to the Sparhawk Oceanfront Resort for more than 100 years. It’s such a tradition that the hotel displays a “Happily Filled” sign through most of the season and maintains a seven-night minimum during July and August. Those who want to join the ranks can often get a few nights between week-long stays. It’s worth it. The Marginal Way starts/ends here, and the 6-acre property includes gardens and a tennis court.
Colony Hotel, Kennebunkport
The family-owned, cupola-topped Colony Hotel is a survivor, one of the last grand seaside hotels still standing in Maine. It retains a gentle, easy-going style yet was green long before it was a household world. It’s also pet-friendly. In addition to the heated, saltwater swimming pool, also on the 11-acre grounds are an 18-hole putting green, manicured lawns, and lovely gardens.
Inn by the Sea, Cape Elizabeth
The Inn by the Sea, a luxury boutique property, is another especially green property. Guests stay in rooms, suites, and one- or two-bedroom cottages, all of which open onto the back lawn with the pool. A path and boardwalk connect the inn to Crescent Beach State Park. This resort is also an incredibly dog-friendly inn, and if you don’t arrive with one, you might depart with a new friend from the inn’s adoption program through the Animal Rescue League of Portland. And here’s a treat for the dogs: On the day of the pool season, dogs can dive in for a swim (and, of course, you can order your pampered pooch a special treat from the doggy room service menu).
Sebasco Harbor Resort, Phippsburg
Sebasco Harbor Resort has been welcoming guests since 1930. While it retains some of that period’s rustic charm — I love the games hall with bowling — it’s been updated for the 21st century. Guests can choose from various accommodations peppering the resort’s 550 waterfront acres. Also, here are a nine-hole championship golf course and a three-hole regulation course for beginners and families, a full-service spa, two tennis courts, and a slew of resort-based activities. Note: This pool was replaced for summer 2022, so it will look different when you arrive, but the views remain the same.
Spruce Point Inn, Boothbay Harbor
Sneak over to the harbor’s east side to find the Spruce Point Inn and Spa, a 57-acre oceanfront treasure with easy-on-the-eyes views over the harbor and islands. It offers freshwater and saltwater pools, tennis courts, a games room, and use of bicycles and boats. Shuttles eliminate the need to hunt for a parking space in town. Some pet-friendly rooms are available.
Linekin Bay Resort, Boothbay Harbor
The outdoor, heated pool at Linekin Bay Resort, located smack on the oceanfront of Linekin Bay, offers one of Maine’s best outdoor swimming pools with a view. ©Hilary Nangle
What’s not to love about Linekin Bay Resort‘s oceanfront heated pool? This resort, on the east side of Boothbay Harbor, edges its namesake, Linekin Bay. Guests here have access to all sorts of water-based fun, and the resort’s restaurant, The Deck Bar & Grill, overlooks the pool and bay. Even better: The restaurant is open to the public and has dog-friendly outdoor tables.
Smugglers Cove Inn, East Boothbay
Many Boothbay Harbor visitors never loop around Linekin Bay to East Boothbay, which is so close and yet a world away. A few years ago, new owners renovated and updated Smugglers Cove Oceanfront Inn, which delivers on its name. Guests not only have access to this heated outdoor pool, with views of the sailboats cruising Linekin Bay’s waters, but also can launch canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards from the inn’s sandy beach or dock. Other perks include continental breakfast and 727 Ocean Pier Sunset Bar, which serves drinks, bites, and dinner specials. I took this pic from the restaurant’s deck.
Samoset Resort, Rockport
When it comes to Maine’s best swimming pools with a view, the Samoset Resort‘s outdoor zero-entry one ranks high. How can it not, with this view over the golf course and out the breakwater to Rockland Breakwater Light
/No windjammers when I snapped this pic, but seeing one or more cruise by under full sail ratchets up the overall pool experience. Facilities on the 221-acre ocean-hugging property include a fitness center with an indoor heated pool, an 18-hole golf course, lighted tennis courts, and a full-service spa. But really, why would you leave this spot?
Inn at Ocean’s Edge, Lincolnville
It’s easy to feel as if you could slide over the edge into Penobscot Bay when immersed in the heated, disappearing edge pool at the Inn at Ocean’s Edge. The park-like grounds, with shade trees and gardens, make it feel like you’re staying at a private estate. And yes, there’s a hot tub as well, also with an ocean view.
Claremont Hotel, Southwest Harbor
Ahhhhhh! Talk about sigh-worthy views; check out those over glacier-sculpted Somes Sound from the heated pool at the Claremont Hotel. The views frame sailboats and excursion boats skimming across the fjard. The pool, part of a multi-million dollar 2021 update of this 1884 property by a new owner, replaced one of the croquet courts. The renovations also included an onsite spa, updating the restaurants (that’s Batson Fish Camp in the background), and adding a bakery. Guests stay in the main inn or in cottages and houses on the property.
Asticou Inn, Northeast Harbor
In peak season, you can watch the yachts to and fro from the Asticou Inn‘s outdoor pool, sited at the head of Northeast Harbor. The property is currently under renovation with reopening planned for 2025. The inn sits across the street from the Asticou Azalea Garden, and it’s a short walk to Thuya Garden.
Harborside Hotel, Bar Harbor
At high tide, Frenchman Bay’s waters fill the gap between the hotel and Bar Island, home to a section of Acadia National Park. At low tide, a sandbar connects Bar Harbor to the island. This heated pool is one of two outdoor pools at the Harborside Hotel. The other offers glimpses of the harbor action. The resort fee allows access to the Bar Harbor Club, with a fitness center, full-service spa, and tennis courts.
West Street Hotel, Bar Harbor
It seems as if the waters in The West Street Hotel‘s rooftop pool merge into Frenchman Bay. Unless you stay here, you wouldn’t even know the pool exists. It’s a wonderful downtown secret. Guests must be 18 and older to use the pool. This hotel is a sister property to the Harborside Hotel across the street, another top choice for Maine’s best outdoor swimming pools with views.
Bar Harbor Inn, Bar Harbor
It’s easy to miss the heated pool at the Bar Harbor Inn, but it would be a mistake to do so. It offers lovely views over the harbor and Porcupine Islands. The inn occupies primo oceanfront property downtown, and the Shore Path wraps around it. Near the pool is the inn’s spa.
