Brave G.
Yelp
All you really need to know, if you are going to Portland, Maine, is "stay here." ps, you can ignore all the reviews from 2011 and earlier, apparently it's been redone since then.
West End Inn is a beautifully detailed, clean, comfortable, homelike b&b. charm all the way. fireplace in the living room, couches you'll want to sit on, lots of light. heading back there after a day's adventures felt a lot like returning home, maybe because you get a key so you can come and go as you please. service was excellent, they offered lots of helpful ideas -- we were new to the city -- good knowledge about where things were, how to get there, what the deal was with all the places like which coffee roaster to try, how are they different, upscale vs downscale, etc. not the typical useless 'olive garden' info at all.
i admit i was a little worried going in since i tend to attract weird people when i'm in new places (some sort of twisted pied piper gene i think), but there was none of that. the other guests we only saw at breakfast and all were respectful, and the hosts had an extremely light touch yet were always at the ready with treats, info, suggestions, help, whatever. the interactions couldn't have gone better. what you get here is the "inn" vibe that you won't get at a corporate hotel. homey is the word, i guess -- it's about scale, smallness, simplicity, hospitality, personalization, comfort, being intelligently humane. you really can't beat it when it's done well, and it's done very well here.
Room: there are six rooms in total, of varying sizes, 4 queens and 2 kings. we got the big blue king on the top/third floor. there were only two rooms up there. obviously it's a very old house (100 years, probably more), and the staircase was narrow and a little creaky but well carpeted. wonderful. everything is fully renovated, thick carpet, wifi, flatscreen, and especially a skylight which was killer, since we could lower the shade for privacy and still have a warm indirect daylight fill the room. lots of extra space in the room with little tables, big chairs, a dresser, lamps, double bath sink, standard tub & shower with a window in the bath too.
the bedroom view overlooked the street and trees, our first afternoon we sat in bed and watched a two-hour blizzard with snowflakes the size of golf balls. it's quiet. the bed was firm, it's a four-poster (i think you have to bring your own handcuffs and chains), and it's kind of high, good for a six-footer like myself so maybe the idea is if you get a king, you're expected to have someone else there to hoist you up. clean, crisp, odor-free, lovely colors.
Breakfast: morning breakfasts in the living room/dining room were part of the package -- cooked to order! real quality food and great choices: omelettes, meats, pancakes, oatmeal, maine maple syrup, you choose from 4 mains plus a little starter - either a juicer juice or the apple crisp which is a must-have, overall it was as good and probably better than any bistro you might find on the outside, fine fine fine, no skimping on anything. at the same time there's also a continental breakfast on the open counter for the granola, yogurt, coffee, juice, etc. a lot of care goes into this, that's easy to see.
Location: West End Inn is in portland's west end, a seemingly up and coming part of town starting to hit its stride. a ten minute walk from the inn gets you to the big thoroughfare known as Congress Street where it intersects with Longfellow Square, a center of activity sort of like where Houston and LaGuardia meet. all kinds of restaurants, cafes, bars, music venues, community centers, thrift shops and a herd of bowery-type bums. but coming from nyc it was more colorful than bother - the annoying people are down here, not there. we can handle winos! it's a great walker's city since it's flat, small and full of good stuff. the feeling of history is everywhere.
the best comparable to the west end might be a mini version of a san francisco neighborhood like noe valley without the hills. small tree-lined streets, very very old beautifully maintained homes, fantastic architecture. a lot of red brick everywhere, shingled roofs. lots of detailing. the main difference from sf might be that the colors are more muted, earthy, befitting the northeast and its climate and curmudgeonly character. portland is a seaport first and foremost, and the town is dominated by the coast. there are seagulls crying out all over the city. crows too. the city has a fantastic soundtrack.
walking around the west end even in 20 degrees was strangely uplifting. lots of dogwalkers, just a few cars, no commerciality.
since this is yelp, there must be this caveat: the "Tiffany" people who get bent out of shape by the brand of soap or the thickness of the pile of the bathrobe may not get this type of place. i'd suggest you stick to the Regency and let the rest of us enjoy it here.