Our journey of finding Lakeview Inn
As we drove along state route 302 and approached the Causeway on our first visit to Maine, we see a beautiful four-story building majestically sitting on a knoll. What catches my eye first is how this grand building is surrounded by tall pine and birch trees and stands out against the other buildings in the area in this classic New England village located in Naples, Maine.
It is late July, and Leila and I have come to Maine in search of a bed & breakfast. We started this journey going on two years now and have explored the west coast where we lived and have expanded our potential locations to include New England on the eastern coast of the United States. We discovered the Lakeview Inn for sale on the B&B Teams website in November 2019 and reached out to gather additional information. After speaking with Rick our broker, we scheduled a visit for March 2020 to visit the Lakeview and other Inns in Maine, Vermont & Massachusetts, but we all know what happened there with the Covid-19 outbreak. Our trip was canceled but, we continued to plan on visiting once we were able.
By July, we had 5 inns that we wanted to visit and finally were able to coordinate dates and times for our trip to work for all parties. Maine had one of the strictest travel restrictions, including providing a negative Covid test within 72 hours of our planned arrival in the state. So after we had our brains swabbed (just kidding, it just felt like it when you have a colossal cotton swab shoved up your nostrils) and negative tests in hand, we landed in Portland, Maine, which is approximately 30 miles from Naples.
We were excited and arrived early for our appointment. As we waited for Rick, we drove by the inn to check it out without looking creepy or like stalkers (Okay, we went by like 4 times, but hey, can you blame us? we have waited for months and traveled during a pandemic to see the inn!) Finally, we were able to have our tour of the Lakeview Inn. It was a fantastic experience from the covered veranda with its wicker lounges and rocking chairs to all four floors. We walked the property, asked tons of questions, took plenty of photos and video. When all was said, and done we finally left the Lakeview Inn, which overlooks Long Lake, and spent the remainder of the week visiting other inns on our list (That adventure will be a new blog on its own!)
As we flew back home and during the week afterward, we discussed our options and decided on two Inns that made our shortlist; one was the Lakeview Inn, and the other was in the Berkshires in Massachusetts. We decided to make an offer on the Lakeview, which was our first choice, and if negotiations did not pan out, we would pursue option two. After several days of talks, our offer was accepted, and we closed on the inn on November 25th of 2020, a year after we first inquired about it.
We relocated to Naples, Maine, on a one-way plane ticket on December 10th and opened for business on January 5th. If you have not had the opportunity to read about the inn on this site, please do. As she was built to house the workers from the casino and local resorts. She played a supporting role in the growth of this vacation town. While the casino is no more, nor many of the resorts that have been replaced by condos, homes, and some businesses, the Lakeview Inn still stands and is now the star of Naples hospitality and represents an iconic Inn that has stood the test of time since 1906. Leila and I are excited to be a part of her history and look forward to many years as her stewards.