Shining Sails Bed & Breakfast

Negative reviews be gone! Monhegan Island is a brilliant little place where simplicity and beauty reigns supreme! My friend and I are currently staying in the China Cap room for an artist retreat week. It’s a two bedroom apartment in the Fish & Maine building and it’s perfect. It’s spacious, very clean, comfortable and oh so close to everything. Nicely equipped little kitchen with a proper coffee machine! Right across the lane is the grocer for all your needs. Great little beer and wine selection too! You come to Monhegan to reset, relax, and leave the chaos, (and technology) behind. (Although if you NEED to not miss your Wordle streak, the Wi-Fi works great in the apartment) You are here for the views, the people, the quiet and quaintness. It’s the simple life here, and it’s what we ALL need once in a while. This place is a real treat.

I stayed in the Periwinkle Room at The Inn at Fish & Maine — absolutely brilliant. It’s a cozy, well-kept little apartment overlooking the southern end of the harbor with awesome views and an ideal spot to catch the sunset. If you’re not high-maintenance, you’ll love it. The location is perfect, and everything was clean and comfortable. Ignore the negative reviews — I’m actually pretty picky, and this place totally exceeded expectations. Honestly, I think the people leaving bad reviews just wish they could afford to have a second home like this. While you’re on the island, definitely hike the Island Loop — even if it takes you a while, it’s worth every step. Nite Nite Fatties at the Monhegan House is a must — don’t leave the island without trying it. Also, make sure to stop by The Fish House Market — fresh seafood, great energy, and some of the friendliest staff on the island. The girl in the camo pants running the counter is not only professional but also seriously gorgeous. Total island vibe.

Beautiful views from my deck. Room was clean and neat. The breakfast was filling and the eggs were delicious. A microwave in the room would be nice.

Welcoming all around. Pleasant & friendly owners & staff. Clean, comfortable, and well maintained room & common areas. Nice artwork & decor, fresh & satisfying continental breakfast. Beautiful backyard with flowers & new deck to enjoy. |We checked out at 10 but our ferry did not depart until 4 that afternoon. We were able to store our luggage while we hiked more of the island & use their common room.

Lovely and convenient location in the village, a short walk from the pier. Our stay was comfortable, friendly, and quiet. Breakfasts were ready on time, and included HB eggs, bagels with toppings, fruit, coffee and OJ. Everyone at the B&B was friendly and helpful. Bed was comfy. It would be helpful to know what each room has / does not have in the way of toaster, microwave, spices, coffee packets, etc. Efficiencies often include these, but not always, so we might pack for our trip differently depending on these details.|We'll be back!

We stayed in two apartments. One downstairs and one upstairs. Both are quiet, clean enough and if you cant find any where else to stay, the upstairs apartment is fine. It could easily have been a better experience but when we extended our island stay we moved to the Monhegan House. Everyone on the island loves the family that owns this property. They manage and own many properties on the island. With the exception of Megan who does a great job cleaning, they just don’t seem to care for this property. The chickens in the backyard are cute, the whole island is gorgeous, the backyard quiet and relaxing and great view from upstairs. But the place is rundown, paint peeling everywhere, the son of the owner sadly exudes an I dont care attitude and couldnt be less friendly and there are simply nicer places to stay. Breakfast has fresh muffins and maybe you could get one of the four eggs they put out but there isnt even a fresh water dispenser so tap water - which was fine to drink - is yellow due to the iron.

Shining sails is my favorite place to stay on Monhegan. The rooms are really nice small apartments. I enjoy having a full kitchen to cook in and a living space to unwind in. The best past though, having your own little terrace to overlook the harbor. The folks at shining sails are so kind and helpful. And Bjorn, the greeter, will make sure you never have a bad day! I will stay here again and again and again.

We stayed at this place based on someone's recommendation, but I think there must be a disparity between the apartments and the rooms in the older part of the building. We stayed in Room 7. Space-wise it was okay - not fancy, but we didn't expect fancy on an island. Someone else on here commented about the "bar of soap". You couldn't really even call it that. It was a mini-size facial bar (about 1" in length). So bring your own, as well as shampoo/conditioner. There are zero amenities here. ||||Our room was steaming hot, given its attic locale and small windows that do not face the water (it was the only room left). So when we got there, we opened all three tiny windows to try to get some air flow. Since it's an island, the air was pretty humid so the room was initially like a sauna. Later that evening, I finally went downstairs to see if I could find anyone who was running the place, since the not-very-personable man who checked us in wasn't around and the office was closed. There were four people in the common area having a happy hour, I guess, but they didn't pay me any mind until I began having a conversation with a sweet elderly lady who seemed confused by my asking if she was the owner or manager. Finally, the woman in the common room who was conducting happy hour or whatever asked if she could help me, and I introduced myself and asked if perhaps we could get a fan for the room as it was super hot and sticky up there. I advised that I'd opened the windows but it really wasn't helping. To which the woman replied, "Well, with the rain coming you'll probably need to close them." And then she turned back to her guests and her entertaining. Fortunately, her husband did get a box fan from the office for me (I think it might be the only one they have?) , and that was helpful in cooling down the room somewhat. It also was good for masking the sounds (a bit) of whomever was thunking up and down the stairs on our side of the building until at least 11:30 on Friday, when it sounded like someone fell out of the door across the landing from us. The next night, no one occupied that room, so no more thunking into the night. ||||Of note is that since this is an old building, the stairs leading to rooms 6 and 7 are steep and narrow, and not suitable for people with mobility issues. We don't have such, but I figured I'd mention it. ||||The bathroom is gross. You can just about turn around in the shower, but that's it. I'm not a large person, but it was tight. You get two towels, two washcloths, and two hand towels. We were able to request additional towels for our second day since the humidity didn't allow the first set to dry. I didn't think we'd get a response, based on earlier reviews, but I texted the number on the office door and we were presented with clean towels by check-in guy within minutes. ||||The web site indicates this room has a small refrigerator (it does), and a microwave (it does not). We didn't need a microwave but I'm just pointing this out if you have your heart set on it. ||||The room is not freshened up during the day. The fitted sheet doesn't fit well, and came off the bed in the middle of the night. The walls are dingy, as are the curtains. The view is of the street, which is fine, and there is a beautiful garden on the ocean side that every other room has a view of. ||||Finally, I am going to comment on the absolute lack of hospitality. Our hosts never introduced themselves - even when I went to ask for the fan. We were checked in by an employee, and the only times I saw the owners were when they were entertaining what seemed to be preferred guests that one evening and at breakfast. We went elsewhere for breakfast because it just looked awkward with one long table feeling like we would be intruding again on the hostess and her friends or whatever they were. No one asked how our stay was, or offered any information about island businesses or sights. It's basically a place to sleep, and we thought perhaps that's how everyone on the island is, until we met a couple staying at another B&B down the street who raved about the woman who runs it. I checked out her reviews, and it's true - she has a great reputation. This place is mediocre if you are not someone that perhaps is a repeat customer. And maybe that's because we were in the cheaper room, I don't know.

Simply no concern for the guest experience, and no pride in the place. The problem is that they have a "built in" audience, so it doesn't matter if they don't make the stay comfortable. 1. "Prison-sized" bars of soap. Literally, cannot hold them without them slipping out. SO stingy. 2. NO shampoo. 3. No room service. 4. Crappiest toilet paper imaginable. 5. Non-functional A/C. 6. Most uncomfortable pullout bed AND couch possible (so cheap). 7. All substandard finishes, save for the charm of the woodwork, etc. 8. THE WORST OF ALL: NON-FUNCTIONAL WI-FI 99% of the time. Other network available, but not allowed to go on it. 9. Lousy breakfast food. 10. Extremely overpriced for what you get. 11. In the "real world," this would be equivalent to MAYBE a Motel 8, and probably not even that good.

We decided to take a last minute trip to monhegan for one night and we were lucky enough to snag an apartment at fish and Maine inn. We stayed in the periwinkle. It was amazing. The location couldn't have been better! We had so much fun there. The WiFi worked perfect and the place was clean and accommodating. The ONLY thing I can say is if you are going to do some cooking bring your own oil/butter but if you forget, like we did, you can buy it just steps away from your door at the grocery store. We loved this place and this island! We will definitely be back!

Like going back in time, but with a fridge and Net access. This is island accomodation with total respect for Monhegan Island. Books, music, comfy chairs both in and outside. Gardens, and an over-arching buckeye tree. Sturdy beds with comfortable quilts and linens. Even a cat to demand entry at your door.

The first time I went to Monhegan, I stayed in Room 6 at Shining Sails. I had a badly sprained ankle. John and Winnie, took care of ice packs and helped in every way. After A week on this magical Island I went home walking. My room, clean and neat, the bathroom better than mine at home. I tehn returned year after year in efficiency 3. A fridge and stove in the kitchenette. A beautiful balcony overlooking the outlying rocks, and Winnie's beautiful garden. At breakfast each day, interesting conversation with visitors from all over. Birders in Spring and Fall, making breakfast like a University, full of information. Winnie and I can't figure out how many years I've been staying with them, but I see no reason to stay anywhere else. It's my home on The Island. Yes, you have to be careful with water, but... This island, is a sanctuary, and Winnie and John have a safe and comfortable Guest House for you.

Stayed at Fish & Maine for a few days, which is a secondary property of Shining Sails, made up of small apartments rather than the more traditional B&B. We had a small one bed with a lovely deck. The apartment was simple, clean, airy, and had all the basics we needed-- and then some, inasmuch as we were prepared to have little internet access but didn't have a problem the few times we did want to get online. Loved our view of Manana, the harbor, & the commercial lobster houses; lobstering is out of season during the summer on Monhegan, so the street was quiet but lined with the interesting paraphernalia of the major local industry that isn't hospitality or art! As is the case on most small East Coast islands I've been on, there are understandable water restrictions, so be prepared to bring your own drinking water (or to buy it at Brackett's Provisions, the excellent small grocer across the street) and to be careful with your washing water. There's no such thing as an inconvenient location in the small fishing village. We had a good fish & lobster house two doors down. Monhegan is a hilly island-- simply getting from the dock to the main road means walking up a not-too-steep hill. Nevertheless, getting to Fish & Maine was pretty level after that first hill, if that's an issue for you. The proprietors, John & Winnie Murdock, were very nice and professional in a friendly way. I look forward to renting from them again in the future!

I love the Shining Sails! It is my favorite place to stay on Monhegan. The breakfasts are wonderful, especially the fresh homemade muffins made daily!

I have been staying at Shining Sails for years. John and Winnie make the stay feel like home complete with home baked muffins each morning. The rooms are comfortable and relaxing complete with ocean and/or garden views.