Best Bower

My husband, son and I stayed at this charming guesthouse for one night. The room (loft east #5) was stunning! From the soapstone on the bar area to the marble in the spacious bathroom, the decor was top notch. The loft had a very comfortable king bed as well as an xl twin, and the downstairs had a pull out couch. The best was the multiple skylights that had remote control black out blinds. There was a delicious bakery across the street and for dinner we went two blocks away to one of the best barbecue restaurants we’ve had! The restaurant is Terlingua and has amazing outdoor dining areas, fantastic margaritas and delicious food! Highly recommend both the accommodations and the restaurant! Will definitely be back!

From the moment I approached the cottage-like gate, the simple charm of this mid-century gem captivated me. Stepping into the courtyard felt like arriving at the serenity I had been craving for my vacation. The vibrant arrangement of blooming plants and flowers created an incredibly warm and inviting atmosphere. Once inside our retreat, I was immediately struck by the abundance of natural light, which enhanced the calm and tranquil ambiance of the space. We stayed in the loft, and it was perfect—spacious and cozy, even for the three of us. If you’re looking to enjoy the pleasures of a relaxing getaway while feeling seamlessly immersed in the peaceful local community, this is the place for you. Just do me a favor and don’t book when I do! 😂 Melanie, our host, was exceptional. Her thoughtful recommendations—whether for a local coffee shop or a fantastic dining spot—added a special touch to our stay. I absolutely will be back and cannot wait to return. Enjoy your stay—you either already booked or are about to.

Best Bower is an excellent place to stay! The location is incredible—a maximum 5 minute drive or 15 minute walk to the best places in town. The accommodations are just what I like: extremely clean, up to date styling, comfortable bed, a touch of age given the history of the building/area, and a very safe neighborhood. The host was extremely responsive to all of our needs and accommodating every step of the way. We loved the private tree-covered courtyard just outside our door. Note that parking is not available and you’ll need to look for street parking along the main road (Congress St.) or side streets (St. Lawrence) but it shouldn’t be a hassle (just a little bit of circling for the best spot). Be sure to obey the traffic signs for parking. Another note: much of Maine does not have central A/C and this rental used a small ceiling mounted unit that was not the strongest, so be prepared to open a window or sleep with minimal covers in the summer. That said, we loved our stay and would most definitely recommend it to anyone traveling to Portland. We will be back again!

Beautiful stay at the Best Bower. The aesthetic, comfort and team behind this gem really made it feel like home. We spent our mornings and evenings in the garden, it was perfect. Can’t wait to come back.

Good location, nice room, but non existent service. The property is designed to be low interaction, it’s keyless check in, and the only person on-site is the housekeeper in the afternoon. We reached out to management multiple times via email and phone with a simple question and never received a response.

For the amount of money you pay, you get absolutely nothing more than a room. They only have expresso machines, so if you don’t drink expresso then you are out of luck. No water bottles in the room, so if you arrive late at night, you are out of luck. Usually at this price point when you stay at other Airbnb (this is place is basically that) hosts will leave a little snack for you. We arrived at 3am, this would have been a nice touch. No recommendations on anything to do or places to eat in the room. No extra towels. My rating is based the services you get a the hotel. You get a room with a bed and a bathroom. Nothing else. A hotel like this is 2 stars at best. You can’t pretend to be anything else if you don’t have services for your guests. And if you are paying $416 a night for a room in a place that doesn’t have any services available, the least you can do is properly stock the space so we have everything we could need/want. Clean, and very cute. Great location. But for the price I feel you can find better elsewhere.

Great room in a great location with helpful communications from the owner / manager. We really enjoyed staying here and wished we'd booked two nights rather than one. It was also very useful being able to park in front for free. The room had useful things in, like a proper kettle and drip coffee setup. The TV was mounted so that it could be watched from the sofa or bed, which was thoughtful. The shower was excellent and the blackout blinds and a/c worked a treat. It was clear that money had been spent making this into a high-quality space to stay.

Fabulous place. My husband and I were in the crow’s nest and loved it. Super clean and new. Beautiful bathroom. Great bed and sheets. The location is awesome. We were able to park all weekend right in front. Great coffee and bakery across the street. My brother took a room off the courtyard and we were able to have sit out there with a beer.

Nice self catered suite space in a quiet neighborhood on the East End. The space is very well designed. I loved the courtyard, the fridge, the pour over coffee/electric kettle set up. Pros: pretty courtyard, beautifully decorated, amazing amenities, huge lovely shower, comfy bed, sliding barn door separating the bathroom, keyless entry, responsive owner/host via text. Cons: street parking only, which can be an issue, and the noise level from guests in adjoining rooms. Sadly I think we were next to the family room, and the party next door had unruly kids that were loud and we heard lots of running, banging and noise, which was frustrating, especially since it is in an otherwise quiet/secluded area and has a very upscale boutique feel which wouldn't seem to attract larger groups. I couldn't tell if they were next to/above us/or both. It was annoying. The neighborhood was cute and some new businesses/food/coffee restos, But I felt it was a tad overpriced at $345/nite once you included the $75 cleaning fee and tax, especially since it's pretty far from downtown. However we realized Portland is actually very VERY expensive!

Lovely inn in a great location in Portland. Melanie, the host, is super friendly and helpful and can recommend many breweries and restaurants to choose from. Our room has a keyless coded entry. It's small but tasteful with all you could want for a short stay. Coffee in room. Nice wine fridge and closet. Bathroom is beautiful with nice amenities and heated towel rack!!!! We would absolutely stay here again!!!