Night Lines: Maine’s New Hidden Pond

Every so often Bostonista has a hankering for a road trip. Last week’s tropical weather—sunshine one minute, thunder and lightening the next—put us in the mood to skip town for a night, Boys on the Side-style. (Minus the men, natch; oh, and Drew Barrymore.) Lucky for us, earlier in the month we’d been invited to posh Kennebunkport for the opening party of Hidden Pond, that town’s newest luxury resort.

Created by power developers Tim Harrington and Juan Urtubey, Hidden Pond is like the Ritz Carlton of summer camps. Fourteen “cottages”—and these are cottages the way the homes along Newport’s Cliff Walk are cottages—dot a compound landscaped with towering birch trees and thick ferns. A paved walkway connects the two-bedroom houses, each of which was decorated by a different interior designer.

By the time we arrived, very fashionably late, the 400-person casual gala was in full swing. We were greeted by Boston realtor extraordinaire Ricardo Rodriguez, our host for the evening, and his partner, Menino right-hand man Michael Kelley. We sipped champagne-infused lemonade and cottage hopped, meeting local and national designers and the who’s-who of Kennebunkport.

The owners commissioned designers to put their individual spin on each cottage, while keeping a few things consistent. Every one has an outdoor shower, screened-in sleeping porch, full kitchen, and two bedrooms. Some are ranch-style, others two stories. Our favorite was “Lucky,” a modern cottage with goldfish bowls mounted on the walls and a grass floor on the outdoor porch.

Tour complete, we hit the buffets—finally, some tasty, substantial food at a party!—and, later, the dance floor. We mingled with celebrity party planner Bryan Rafanelli between songs and mini-strawberry shortcakes. We never spotted a pond, hidden or otherwise, but we did see a pool, pimped out with luxe lounge chairs and plush mattresses a la South Beach. (No surprise here as both Harrington and Urtubey hail from Miami.)

The end of the night came too soon; we’re already planning a upcoming weeklong sojourn. At more than $600 per day, with a minimum stay of several nights, a Hidden Pond holiday doesn’t come cheap. Still, we hope we get Lucky.

Hidden Pond, 354 Goose Rocks Rd., Kennebunkport, ME, 888-967-9050, hiddenpondmaine.com.