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AAA Four Diamond Award / 1976 to 2008 ~ The Stage Neck Inn's exceptional setting at the mouth of York Harbor and its commitment to excellence have earned it the four-diamond rating for 30 years. [Stage Neck Inn is one of only 12 properties in the entire USA to have earned the Four Diamond Award since the rating system's inception in 1976.]

Autumn by the Sea / Down East ~ The Yorks are known as a lot of things -- havens of colonial history, contemporary resort communities, beach hot sports. But they are not necessarily famous as autumnal destinations which is a shame, because there are few better times than the fall to stroll the quartet of villages -- York, York Harbor, York Beach, and Cape Neddick ...Stage Neck Inn [is] one of the most well-appointed hostelries in the region. A sprawling and contemporary full-service complex of fifty-eight rooms, the Stage Neck occupies one end of a hammer-shaped peninsula in York Harbor ... The York River spills into the sea just west of the peninsula, the open ocean glistens to the horizon due east, and within the inn is all manner of amenity -- from sheer quietude to an indoor pool, fitness room, sauna, and a piano bar. Dining is either casual or formal, but the fare is consistently excellent -- among the best in southern Maine.

Frommer's Review ~ A hotel in one form or another has housed guests on this windswept bluff between the harbor and the open ocean since about 1870. The most recent incarnation, constructed in 1972, is furnished with an understated, country club-like elegance. Rooms were last renovated in 2000, with fridges and CD players added. [Innkeeper's note ... the hotel is renovated every year at the first part of January. Ongoing renovations were made since this time including hard wood floors, granite countertops, down comforters and more.] The hotel is modern, yet offers an old-fashioned sense of intimacy lacking in other modern resorts. Almost every unit has a view of the water. Pretty York Harbor Beach is but a few steps away, where you can sun or swim (if you dare), and the two clay oceanside tennis courts -- reserved for guests -- are quite popular as well.

Maine's Southernmost Coast / Travel & Leisure ~ On a peninsula between the ocean and a tidy harbor, this modern resort is ... quite comfortable, with plenty of facilities (tennis courts, two pools, a health club) and nice views from the balconies.

Must-See Destination / Yankee Travel Guide 2003 ~ Stage Neck Inn is a year-round, 58-room resort hotel situated at the mouth of the York River in York Harbor, Maine. In addition to seasonal clay tennis, 18-hole private golf club privileges, an oceanside pool and beach, the Inn offers an indoor atrium pool and Jacuzzi tub, fitness center, function facilities, and delightful common area with spectacular ocean views at every turn. The Inn also offers fine dining in your choice of atmospheres, the casual Sandpiper Bar & Grille and Harbor Porches, a setting reminiscent of the grand hotels of the 1920’s.

Places in the Heart / Portland Magazine / It's probably safe to write that many diners at the inn's Harbor POrches restaurant are here for the fresh seafood and great ocean views, not for the site's historical significance. Little do they know: they are only feet away from the remains of an old wartime fort. "During the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, a small fort was kept right here, directly in front of where our dining room is now, and was used as a lookout for spotting enemy ships. The inn is on a craggy point overlooking York Harbor and makes a great lookout point," says Phoebe Pressey, general Manager. "Today below water level, parts of the fort foundation still remain." In addition to two dining rooms, including Harbor Porches, the inn, situated right next to York Harbor Beach, offers guests both indoor and outdoor pools, an exercise room, and banquet and meeting facilities, as well as membership to two 18-hole golf courses. The newly renovated inn is open year round.

Recommended Lodging and Dining 2005 / Yankee Travel Guide ~ Swim, play tennis, or just relax by the pool. This resort complex is set on its own peninsula, where water views seem to be around every corner. Such is true in the elegant Harbor Porches restaurant. Request a table next to the glass walls that overlook the ocean. Rates: $140-$350. Dining rooms open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. Entrées: $16.95-$33.

Southern Maine Resorts / Down East / Built on the site of the old Marshall house, a grand hotel, the Stage Neck Inn is a sprawling contemporary complex looking out at the open ocean. It has every amenity imaginable, from an indoor pool and Jacuzzi to a masseuse. Out the door are an eighteen-hole golf course, clay tennis courts, and, of course, a beach from which to watch the rolling surf. The dining room is formal and highly regarded -- there is also a grill for those who prefer to eat in jeans -- and room service is available. Jutting into the Atlantic from it s own neck of land, the hotel can be a quiet , insular place if you want it to be -- it's set apart from the touristy goings-on in the area and everything a vacationer would likely need is on site. But the beauty of the Stage Neck is that it is within walking distance of the center of York Harbor and its historic homes and cottages. The rooms are well-appointed with individually-controlled heat and a pair of double beds (or a single king).

ABOUT.COM: Portland, Maine: Here are excerpts. View the full article with this link: A Deluxe Oceanfront Resort In a Beautiful Setting Just out of sight of Route 1A in York Harbor, Maine, the Stage Neck Inn sits tucked between the mouth of the York River and the white sandy crescent of York Beach on a small neck of land jutting into the Atlantic Ocean. The inn is tastefully appointed, from the cozy sitting room with floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the ocean views and invite you to linger in front of the fireplace with a good book, to the 58 guest rooms decorated in a mix of British Colonial and European furnishings.Two restaurants provide dining within the inn: Harbor Porches, fine dining with ocean and river views, and the somewhat more casual Sandpiper Bar & Grille. If you prefer the privacy of your room, full-menu room service is available throughout the day. The grounds are manicured and immaculate, with beautiful seasonal gardens, seasonal clay tennis courts, an outdoor oceanside swimming pool, and an 18-hole golf course. Inside, you can pamper yourself in the spa, work out in the fitness room and enjoy the sauna, lounge in the indoor atrium pool with Jacuzzi, or take advantage of spa services, including massage, Reiki, facials [NOTE from SNI management: we regret that we are unable to offer facials at this time], manicures and pedicures, and make-up services. Take a walk on York Beach, just steps from the Stage Neck Inn's front door, and search for sea glass, wade in the gentle surf, or relax with a book and enjoy the golden afternoon light. At the end of York Beach is the entrance to the famous Cliff Walk, a narrow public walkway that climbs the rocky bluff and takes you past grand summer "cottages" and dramatic views of the ocean.

Restaurant Reviews

Find A+ Ambience at Stage Neck Inn / Rachel Forrest / Spotlight Dining ~ "Harbor Porches is a lovely space with sky high ceilings and wacky yet endearing silhouettes of couples from another era in the faux windows up above. The best view is through the large windows with the gorgeous harbor leading to the wide open sea. You can’t see it at night but it’s there crashing around on the rocks and in warmer weather it will be lovely to walk around the grounds of this hotel either before or after dinner. The look and feel here is elegant and serene, a welcome change from more 'citified' trendy décor. The service is elegant as well and we were tended to by more mature waitstaff than I’m used to in the area, which in this case makes a difference because the older staff fits into the more grown-up feel of the restaurant. Another welcome surprise was the understated simple cuisine that uses wonderful fresh ingredients without that sometimes over-complex use of ingredient combinations. Don’t get me wrong, I love the intricate, creative dishes found in the city (be it Portsmouth, Portland or Boston) but simpler, yet also interesting meals are great too."

Fine Dining Takes Center Stage / Sysco Today July 2004 ~ Located on a rocky point with a view of the Atlantic on one side and a view of the sailboat-dotted harbor to the other, the Stage Neck Inn has drawn visitors from New England and across the nation for decades. Gorgeous views, a historic setting and gracious hospitality aren't all the inn offers, however. Fine dining, in both the elegant Harbor Porches at Stage Neck Inn and the more casual Sandpiper Bar & Grille, brings hungry hotel guests and local townspeople to the hotels' breezy confines. Executive Chef Lynn Pressey works with his staff to ensure that the offerings in both dining rooms remain distinctive and varied. "We change our Sandpiper menu a couple of times a year, just to bring in new ideas and keep abreast of trends, " explains Pressey. And to keep the white-tablecloth crowd on its toes, he says "we redo the Harbor Porches entrées every month." The consistent high quality of the food at the Stage Neck Inn is the result of an abundance of excellent ingredients (including fresh local seafood) and a talented and loyal staff. "I've got a great staff," says Pressey. "I strive to keep people here; my chef de cuisine's been with me 18 years." And he's not even the longest-serving employee -- Pressey himself joined the staff in 1978.

Stage Neck Inn does so many things right / MrBreakfast.com ~ The bright and attractive Harbor Porches room in the four diamond Stage Neck Inn is open to the public. It has salt water views on three sides and in this case the service and food match the view. There's a great breakfast brunch, including fruit, juice, cereal, eggs benedict, scrambled eggs, breakfast pastries, bacon, sausage, hotcakes or french toast. You may also order from the menu which includes a variety of omelettes, smoked salmon, corned beef hash, codfish balls and eggs any style. Stage Neck Inn does so many things right. Fresh raspberries in April and melt-in-your mouth doughnuts!!!

Stage Neck Inn Chef Keeps Menu on the Cutting Edge / Shirley Jacques / The York Weekly 2002 ~Lynn Pressey comes as close as possible to being born into food service. The executive chef at Stage Neck Inn since 1986, he began working in his parents' breakfast and lunch restaurant in the touristy Belgrade Lakes region of Maine when he was 12 years old. That was decades ago, long before he came to York 24 years ago.

Pressey is the executive chef, his wife Phoebe, the general manager, and Bob Martin is the chef 'd cuisine. With years of experience, Pressey has a very simple idea of food service. "Experience and education enable you to cook food to make it taste good, and the ability to present it so it looks as good as it tastes. "Bob (Martin) and I have the opportunity to take continuing education courses and seminars at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. This keeps us up with modern trends and on the cutting edge of culinary change."

Stage Neck is known locally as the special place for celebrations, special events and anniversaries of every kind. Pressey says, "We serve a wide variety of clientele - many are hotel guests, others come in off the street. Our goal is to please any person to the best of our ability. You have to stay current and have to be happy to do what you can to please the customer." Pressey says his satisfaction comes when it's been a very busy day and it just goes so well. "The fun is the people you meet. I've met some great people over the years." His style of preparation is fresh seafood, fresh produce and herbs.

Blackened crab cakes, a Stage Neck specialty, are always on the menu, and there is always a vegetarian entree. "Today we are complementing each entree with its own starch - flavored mashed potato, grilled eggplant couscous, jasmine rice, rice cakes, risotto or barley pilaf. "We try to do things people haven't tried and wouldn't do at home," Martin says. Sauces are among his favorite preparations, and the variety shows New England and Caribbean influences - strawberry and mango salsa, grilled lobster tail with mango-blueberry salsa. Conscious of the hotel guests who stay several days or weeks, Pressey says, "You can't eat rich food every day." The menu also includes five "Simpler Side" selections including pan-grilled sea bass served with lemon butter and baked Russet potato and grilled New York sirloin with Bernaise sauce and baked potato.

Stage Neck seats 100 in Harbor Porches, the main dining room; 50 in the Sandpiper Bar and Grill; plus 40 on the patio in the summer. Several banquet rooms are available and fully booked by guests who want their party, wedding, anniversary gala or company dinner to overlook the delightful Harbor Beach and waterfront activity.