We had a wonderful week at the Hartwell House. The home was large, comfortable, clean and full of character. The owner is extremely responsive, friendly, and generous as demonstrated by amenities that come with house (kayaks, life vests, badminton net, beach umbrella, etc.). Location good for exploring island (especially liked General Store, Cozy Beach, and walking/running/biking loop of Beach/Salt Pond/Dogfish Head Roads) and would have been even better if some nearby places weren't closed during pandemic (e.g., Southport Lobster Pound). Boothbay Harbor is an easy drive as was our day trip to Reid State Park (sandy beach). Kayaking each day in the nearby coves was definitely a highlight of the trip. Thanks so much for a fantastic vacation in a beautiful part of Maine!

I can’t overstate enough how important it is to have a property owner who is responsive to all questions. Ree made herself immediately available and was instantly responsive to any question or concern we had. We felt completely at home in the property, and the layout of the house allowed for multiple generations to find their own little niches. I grew up further north on the coast of Maine, so this felt like coming home to me. It had the feel of an old farm house, but they updated it to include more modern amenities such as central air. It wasn’t really needed most of the days, but it was nice to have on a few of the scorchers. There were several kayaks available for use, and firewood for the fire pit down by the dock. The kitchen was fully stocked with any kind of cookware imaginable, and and it had the unmistakable feel of an old, Maine country kitchen. This property is the perfect place to go if you want to get away from everything and just relax! Not fancy, but absolutely beautiful.

This is a beautiful home which provides easy access to the beautiful Maine coast. The home is spacious and comfortable. It is full of character and well equipped. We were very comfortable, slept well, ate well. We also love the outdoors. Use of kayak's provided great opportunity to see many seals and osprey, a bald eagle fly 20 ft over our heads and we are sure a dolphin (fin and swimming clear but not sure if they are supposed to be in the area). We ended up walking to the General Store for breakfast most mornings (thanks for the breakfast pizza and muffin recommendations). Also had two great day trips to Popham Beach and Camden which were wonderful. We highly recommend this beautiful home for an awesome Maine vacation. Thank you Hartwells for the warm hospitality.

The Hartwell home is absolutely fabulous! The house is spacious, rooms comfortable, wonderful kitchen, and the kayaks right off the dock made water-play incredible accessible. Quick drive into town - love this home and vacation spot!

We all loved our stay. We used the kayaks every day. My son saw 4 seals in the bay when he went kayaking. The whole area is amazing and the location can't be beat. Rhee was extremely helpful and even left extra life jackets for us. Highly recommended.

We are just back from the most incredible week in Maine! Ree's house and property is absolutely magical. The house is very well set up for families - with the bedrooms very separate from the kitchen and the living room. We loved that two of the bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs also had a door (to the hallway) separating them from the rest of the house. We were two families so we each had our own areas. We had two 4 year olds and an almost two year old who went completely nuts over the kids house in the backyard - it was a huge draw for us in booking the house and we were right follow that draw! it gave the kids countless hours of entertainment which was a great break for the parents! We all enjoyed picking raspberries on the property and there were enough that we even made a full raspberry crisp. The proximity of the house to the Southport General Store was another amazing perk - we had a pizza night one night and got lunch there for the beach almost every day. It made for easy, charming living. We also enjoyed the kayaks - what an amazing treat to get to explore the Maine coast right from the house. We sincerely hope we can come back to this house for summers to come!! Thank you Ree!

THis was a wonderful home for a family reunion of 3 generations. We all loved the provided kayaks, also the fact that at low tide, sure-footed people could walk on some rocks down to the water’s edge (unlike some properties which are quite high off the water). The home was spacious and provided many sleeping options. I liked the fact that the kitchen, center of gathering & conversation was at one end of the house while most bedrooms were in middle, or other end, thus early risers could talk over coffee without disturbing sleepers. There is an “authenticity” to the place, in that it’s furnished with keepsakes reflecting several generations-worth of items, some of which reminded me of my own mother’s things (this house is not strictly staged for tourists - it’s filled with treasures from a lifetime of enjoyment). We enjoyed badminton on the lawn, also croquet (we happened to bring our own set along), some inside games, walking to the Southport general store for breakfast pizza (a MUST, even if it doesn’t immediately sound appealing - you’ll enjoy it), walking to Hendrick’s head beach, walking to Cozy Cove. Though roads do not have sidewalks, on this part of the island, drivers are careful & watchful for pedestrians, so we felt walking was a good way to get to these places. The owners recommended Robinsons restaurant, where we went for our last dinner out, eating up on the deck & watching lobsters being delivered by boats. Otherwise, the house’s kitchen was amply equipped to do our own cooking. An outdoor grill is also provided. There is plenty of parking space too. I highly recommend this home.

We had an amazing week at the Hartwell house. We look forward to coming back. It is on a beautiful cove setting with large back yard for running and playing. We loved how spacious and comfortable the house was. And the jam was amazing we all bout several jars to bring home. We rented a boat for the week, fishing, kayaking, swimming from the dock. Thank you !! Until next time.

We had ana amazing time thank you for Sharing your wonderful Southport home. Fun filled days and nights for all!

We loved the Hartwell House so much! We celebrated my Mother-in-laws birthday with a small family reunion and this home was the perfect location. Our family felt very comfortable here, and the property was amazing. Being so close to Booth Bay was fun for everyone (ages ranging 10-79). This is the perfect Maine home. I hope we can visit it again,

My friends, their families, and I all had a wonderful vacation at the Hartwell house! The house is lovely, the owners are very kind, and the location is beautiful, and offers the best of both a small Maine town and the bustle of a larger, neighboring town of Boothbay. One of my favorite aspects of this vacation was the kayaking—the rental provided six kayaks and there were beautiful places to kayak within short distance of the dock.

What a fabulous house. So warm and homey and the setting is FABULOUS. Right on a cove. Inexperienced kyackers can learn on the quiet cove in front of the house and the more experienced can go into the ocean or just go along the shore and see the beautiful homes and scenery. The grandkids love the playhouse and huge lawn to play games. In the evening you can come into a huge family room with a wonderful fireplace. A perfect ending to a perfect day. A real family experience with something to do for everyone.

The Hartwell House was everything we could've hoped for- and more! My husband, three children and I stayed here over the summer and it was such a wonderful experience. The owners are so nice and were very easy to communicate with. The house has amazing views of the beautiful sunrises and sunsets, and we could see them from almost every room in the house. The living room is large and very cozy. We spent many evenings watching family movies and playing games. The kitchen has a lot of counter space so we could cook lobster dinners and many other meals. The bedrooms all have character and the beds were all very comfortable. All three of my children fell in LOVE with the playhouse on the property, which we found out was built by the owners themselves! The playhouse has a set of built-in bunkbeds, a granite countertop, and a mini fridge and freezer. I was served many "meals" from my girls :) The patio is nice and large and includes a table, chairs, and a grill. There is a large lawn that rolls down towards the water- perfect for family kickball! One of my favorite things we got to do while at the house was take multiple kayak rides off of the house's dock. The kayaks are included in the rental, and we got to paddle all around the cove. The house is also a two minute drive to Hendricks Head Beach which we spent a lot of time at. Boothbay Harbor (a ten minute drive from the house) was bustling every time we went in, and they have everything from candy shops to used book stores. In the end, we absolutely loved staying at the Hartwell House- we couldn't have asked for anything better :) The whole family cannot wait for our time up there next year.

My family has rented this lovely Maine house for the past four summers. Located on Southport Island, the house has wonderful access to everything Boothbay Harbor has to offer. The house is perched above a quiet cove with gorgeous views of the water from bedrooms, kitchen and the large, comfy den. We enjoyed many afternoons on the pretty patio and watched beautiful sunsets from the lawn. An expansive lawn stretches down to the water and dock, perfect for letting children run and play. Raspberry bushes produce fruit in July, which provides a fun family activity. We actually collected enough raspberries two summers to a make cobblers! If you choose, you can kayak around some of the small islands which is lots of fun. This past summer we saw harbor seals and playful dolphins while kayaking just minutes from the cove! This house provides both life jackets and kayaks without any additional charge (which is a huge plus)! Also, my youngest child fell in love with the adorable playhouse...spending hours playing in it each day. All of the bedrooms are nicely decorated and cared for and have comfortable beds in them. Plenty of blankets are available for chilly nights. The den is a nice large size that can accommodate families playing games and relaxing at night. Plenty of books, games and puzzles are available. The den also has a fireplace, desk, daybed and a nice large plate glass window that looks out to the water. I loved the charming country kitchen with a view down to the water and out to the side yard. We cooked many of our meals in this kitchen and found it to be the right size for a family of six, with everything we needed from lobster pots to coffee maker. Also, there is a nice grill out on the patio that we used to grill fish and steaks. The island has a general store, library and two great waterfront restaurants and there are many more just a 5 - 10 minute drive. Also, you will find a hiking trail on the island down by the low water beach, Hendricks Head Beach. The owners have provided friendly customer service, responding promptly when ever we had questions. There is a caretaker who lives nearby who also promptly came out to the house the few times we needed his assistance. Bottom line: This home has so much character and is so comfortable, that I cannot imagine a better summer rental on the island.

We have stayed here several times in the last few years. House has everything needed. The owners' ongoing improvements and the beautiful setting are very special. Memories created here with friends and family will last forever.