Samoset Resort On The Ocean

This place is beautiful and well maintained. The grounds are stunning. The pool is really nice as is the golf course. Did not go to the spa. Room was spacious and very clean. Beds were very comfortable. My only issue was that the doors to the rooms are so loud when they slam shut. It was hard to sleep well here. You can also hear the flushing of guests toilets. Sorry to say but I would not return here due to the noise.

Samoset provided the perfect home base for our week vacation in Maine. We had a busy itinerary visiting Camden and Rockport, Acacia National Park, Sailing in the Camden Harbor, Lobster dinners, Farnsworth Museum and plenty of shopping. The Samoset staff were always there to help with recommendations and local tips. The resort offers a beautiful golf course, spacious pool and spectacular views. i accidentally left my new jean jacket. I called the front desk and they promised to keep an eye out for my jacket. Today i came home to a package on my porch in Texas. To my delight it was my jean jacket!! Thanks you Samoset for all the great memories and for finding my jacket. Hope to see you all again next summer! Julia

This is a luxury resort on the coast of Maine. One of the prettiest spots on the coast of Maine. The rooms have been remodeled and are lovely. The photos especially are great. Nice bathrooms, nice bath mats, nice shower curtains, towels, pressure, drains, vent. The linens are super soft and comfortable, beds dreamy. We were in a double queen/ bedroom/ pull out in the separate living room/ deck/ ocean view and kitchenette. The kitchen was insanely poorly equipped. I don’t know if people steal everything so they don’t stock it…. But it was a real bummer. No wine glasses, no cutting board, no knife, no salt and pepper,no actual coffee mugs. I did request wine glasses and they were supplied. Some basic things are needed in the kitchens. The pools are wonderful and all the varied sports equipment, tennis courts, horse shoe pits, disc golf, play ground…. All the options at this place are stellar and fun. It never feels crowded because there are so many things to do and it’s such a large property. The spa is amazing, spa shop has great things. So why the average review? They don’t have nearly enough staff. Is that on them? I don’t know. But something has to be done or guests will not return. This is my third stay and I spend quite a bit and again this is a luxury resort, and service is actually less than average. Dirty dishes sit in the hallways for hours. When tables are cleaned, not all the dishes get cleared. I was spending close to $1k a night and I had someone else’s left, dirty drink glasses next to my wine glass all night. Getting service is nearly impossible at times. I gave up at one point and ate popcorn in my room…. For the money I am spending that’s not acceptable. It was so bad, it was the topic of conversation among guests, I understand a lot of student help probably just left as it was Labor Day weekend, but at this point I will never return on Labor Day weekend. The menu is the menu, even though there are a few different places to eat. Breakfast buffet is worth it!! It’s great. Food is good but not stellar. Again, at the price point it should be better. Medium rare steak, was rare. Lobster ravioli, lobster inside dry. Waitstaff is so understaffed you can’t enjoy your meal. You feel the anxiety they have. The inside wood fireplace and outside gas fireplaces help make the ambience of this place amazing. Did I have a good time, I did, but again for it to be luxury, I should not be eating a bag of microwaved popcorn in my room because I could not get service. The gift shop is great, needs more snack/ candy/ food options and to be opened a bit later, especially since service to get food and drink is so difficult. The service by the pool is good, but they need to be trained better, if there is a wet towel on a seat and no belongings at the seat, the person left, pick up the towel so someone else can use the seat. I spent 20 minutes looking for a chair near an umbrella but could not find one because they all had dirty towels. I go on vacation so I don’t have to pick up my kids dirty towels, I am not picking up others while on vacation. The pool bar menu for food and drink very good. Ample parking. Amazing golf course, I did hear not for novices, even if no one is behind you, if you are more slow than they want you to be, they harass you to move along. That sounds fun! Not. I hope the service issues can be remedied because this really is an amazing property. The outside deck needed a good mopping and tables wiped down. I paid a lot extra for the amazing deck and view, it should be as clean as the room. The room was very clean.

Just got back yesterday.Arrived 8/24 and left 8/30 ( the Saturday of Labor Day weekend.) The best thing about Samoset is the beautiful property, which offers spectacular views that never get old. But I was disappointed by a few things given the cost of the stay. (We had two rooms, a King Oceanfront Superior and a King + bunkbeds with garden view. Rates on the King Oceanfront ranged roughly from $700-900 per night, before taxes and fees. The King bunkbed rate ranged roughly from $600-$799, before taxes and fees.) -We arrived on a Sunday afternoon at 4 pm (check in time) and there was no Bellman in sight. We grabbed a cart and loaded our bags and headed to the front desk. The desk staff never mentioned a bellman or asked if we wanted assistance getting to our room. So we did it ourselves. Thought this was odd. When we were leaving, we just got our bags to the car ourselves. - There really isn't a Concierge. When we decided we wanted to eat off-property, I got a list of restaurants from the front desk and the staff highlighted a few of their favorites. While I appreciated this, it wasn't the same as having someone call around and find reservations for you, which is what most resorts would do. Ditto for activities in the area. -As another reviewer mentioned, the dinner dining options are limited.Bella Vita and Enoteca Wine Bar are part of the same big space - with just the bar between them. A number of the menu items are the same at both restaurants. So it's hard for me to think of them as 2 different dining options. Offering dinner at the golf course restaurant would be a plus, for example. There is a porch where you can eat outside and that could be very nice. - Once we realized that eating at Samoset every night would be pretty boring, it was hard to get a reservation elsewhere. So I would definitely recommend working this out ahead of time. The hotel manager recommended 13 Oak, a small local restaurant, and we did like it a lot. Primo is another well known place,and the manager tried to help us with that, but we couldn't get in earlier than 8 p.m. by the time we called. Again,having a concierge available would have been helpful. -The pool and golf course only offer lunch and except for the really good burger at the pool, we thought the food at both locations was just OK. The best experience was the buffet breakfast at $25. We were impressed by the fresh fruit selection, etc. so we went that route. -The gym is a decent size but was always warm as if the AC wasn't up to the task. It needs spiffing up. -The decor of the large lobby reminded me of a dated ski resort. It wasn't the kind of place where you'd enjoy finding a comfy chair and reading, or meeting for a drink before dinner. It's a big space that could be so much more inviting. On the positive side: -Our King room on the second floor seemed recently re-decorated, and was very comfortable. Had a sofa, reading chair, desk area, etc. We had robes, toiletries, magnifying make- up mirror (a plus), safe, iron, microwave, refrigerator/freezer drawers, and Keurig coffee maker (yay - hate Espresso) --The pool area is nice and we never felt a need to stake out lounge chairs. Of course, there are a lot of small kids but that is to be expected this time of year. Pool staff circulate frequently to ask if you want something to drink or eat. -Reasonable cancellation policy - I think we had until the week before our arrival date to cancel. - The staff for the most part is really nice and tries to be helpful. I agree with another reviewer who mentioned Shari at the front desk. Restaurant servers were also all very pleasant. -We had a great housekeeping experience, thanks to Natalie. -The golf course staff was also pleasant and helpful. They have 9- hole and afternoon discounts which were a plus. -There was a coffee station set up in the morning at the Enoteca. All in all, Samoset offers a lot, but given the prices, it should be delivering more.

Can you say Pebble Beach of the East? At the resort with our tour group, we had a wonderful two nights on property. Gorgeous views, great golf course, lovely meals, and s’mores every night! We would consider going back if ever in the area again. Big thanks for supporting BackRoads!