The Dunes on the Waterfront

We just spent a wonderful weekend at the newly renovated The Dunes. The cottages are all beautifully decorated and comfortable. Ours had a very nice fully equipped kitchenette, a gas fireplace, a big screen TV, and a pretty patio where we could sit and look at the ocean. They provide everything you need, including the New York Times delivered to your door each morning accompanied by delicious muffins and hot coffee. The pool area is amazing with the most lovely views. The staff were all friendly and helpful. We made good use of the bikes and took them to Footbridge Beach for a day. We were able to easily walk into town for our meals. The snacks, drinks and wine provided in our mini fridge, included as part of our stay, were very much appreciated - including the glass of Vueve champagne offered upon arrival! 🍾 The cost is certainly high, so I do understand why someone who has stayed here prior to the sale and renovation would be a bit upset and disappointed. But it's not fair to give a 1 star review solely based on the fact that you're unhappy about the change without actually having stayed at the new Dunes. If you are looking to splurge and want a nice relaxing weekend away in coastal Maine, you will be happy with what The Dunes has to offer. We certainly were.

I read some 1 star reviews on Google. What those reviewers and past guests didn't realize and none of them stayed here since it's was renovated was the resort is no longer the same place. Its much better. The new owners spent 10 million on the renovation. Each of the cottages was torn down to the studs. I drove by last week prior to opening and there must have been 50 workers and 25 vehicles hard at it. The units are gorgeous. The grounds are gorgeous. Brand new pool. When u drive in they created sand dunes. Breakfast is delivered to your cottage each morning as it's all inclusive . The view is beautiful. The are only about 25 cottages. I don't know what they paid for the property but it wasn't cheap. The Anchrage and the Meadomere sold for 115 million.

We spent many great vacations at the Dunes. It was a lovely resort with real charm. The new owners have turned it into another "destination" location with imported antiques and on-trend bland West Elm decor. Thanks, but no thanks. Look elsewhere for the real Maine Coast experience.

Most of the photos shown here are of The Dunes before the renovation, when it still had Maine charm and was affordable. Now it looks like a suburban neighborhood and the prices are outrageous. Those of us who used to go here will never go back to this overpriced fake Maine experience.

In reading the last few reviews, I should start by saying this is our first stay at the Dunes and in Maine entirely. It is was truly a near perfect vacation for my family right now and from what I have seen of the renovations (even updates done during our stay), the new owners have invested quite a bit into thoughtfully updating the property as you’d expect at some point with a waterfront property. The sunset fire pits and s’mores were wonderful. We really loved being on the tidal river as opposed to the ocean. And we looked forward to the morning pastry/coffee/paper delivery! I do think removing full kitchens was a mistake considering there is no dining on property and the restaurant next door is only okay (and only open for dinner). I left a note with the design team to add table height tables for anyone who needs to work at a computer or doesn’t want to bend over a coffee table to eat every meal. The blinds also do not fully block out the bright 5am sun, but they seem very receptive to feedback, so hopefully that make those changes. But you may want to double check if you aren’t a morning person like me.

I think it is a public service to let people know that any review written more than 6 months ago is no longer valid for The Dunes under its new ownership. The new rates are 3-5X higher than previous years and the unique charm and quintessential Maine atmosphere has been lost. You will find no cottages with kitchens, few porches, and nowhere near the amenities you will expect if you are willing to pay the exorbitant rates they are asking.

It's sad to see what has happened to the resort we loved and returned to for 5 years. The new owners' rates are astronomical (booking at $1500 a NIGHT for a small king room), and "renovations" (removing kitchens from the cabins) render this place unrecognizable. The good reviews you see are from families that came here for decades...before this change. Beware. Why the new, mercenary owners didn't change the name, I'll never know, because the old Dunes is gone.

New owner has taken over and spoiled the beautiful atmosphere we enjoyed for 20 years. Not to mention quadrupling the rates so all their loyal clients cancelled their advance reservations for Summer 2024. $1900-2900/NIGHT at least. For what? There’s no room service or spa, and you have to walk across the tidal river or row a boat across to get to the ocean. Greedy new owner/developer ruins decades of family traditions. Theres not even a full kitchen to cook for your family anymore and so you have to fight traffic for takeout or eating out. There are better places to stay for a fraction of the cost. The Perkins who sold their family’s legacy to this greedy developer should be ashamed of themselves.