Blind Tiger in Portland, Maine, has fascinating connections to the Prohibition era and tons of classic charm.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
I recently stayed at Blind Tiger, a quaint historic boutique hotel in Portland, Maine.
The hotel has fascinating connections to the Prohibition era and lots of classic charm.
I stayed two nights and found the comfortable furnishings and location perfect for a cozy getaway.
Quaint brick-paved and cobblestoned streets, historic buildings, and an incredible food scene—these are just some of the things I fell in love with during a recent trip to Portland, Maine.
However, my stay at Blind Tiger, a luxury boutique hotel located just north of the city's bustling Old Port neighborhood, had me dreaming about my next trip to Portland before I had even repacked my bags.
The hotel has two locations, but I stayed at the guesthouse on Danforth Street, which is the older of the two and cost me and a guest around $900 a night. The hotel has nine guest rooms and multiple public gathering spaces, from a breakfast room to a full bar and billiards room.
I visited in early August, at the height of tourist season, and many locals said this was likely the most expensive weekend of the summer to stay in Portland.
Here's what it was like to stay at Blind Tiger in Portland, Maine.
Blind Tiger was built in 1823 by Joseph Holt Ingraham, a local author born in Portland.
Blind Tiger was built in the early 1820s as a private home.
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According to the hotel's website, the building was sold again as a private residence to the Thomas family who expanded it and allowed it to become known around town as the site of large, lavish parties — even throughout Prohibition, at which time the basement became an informal speakeasy.
It then became a private school, a rectory, and a church office before finally taking on its new life as an inn in 1993.
Despite its centuries of history, the interior design style of the hotel was surprisingly modern.
The interior design was modern yet honored its historic roots.
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I was impressed by how the design style appeared to meld historic New England charm with modern details, like the classic woodwork seen throughout the entryway combined with a modern art piece and moss-covered light fixture.
The hotel was completely renovated in 2020.
The hotel was known as the Danforth Inn before being taken over and renovated.
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After being taken over by Lark Hotels, Blind Tiger, formerly known as the Danforth Inn, was born.
The name "blind tiger" is a Prohibition-era slang term for an illegal speakeasy or place where liquor was sold.
"When we were first made aware of this property, we were in awe of its history," Rob Blood, the president of Lark Hotels, said in a press release at the time of the building's sale.
"Today, Blind Tiger honors that spirit with a unique take on the urban guest house [that offers] space to gather and celebrate in your own way," he continued.
We checked in at 4 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon.
The check-in process was pretty seamless.
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When we booked the hotel, the minimum stay was two nights.
Before we got there, the staff communicated our check-in process clearly, including asking me to submit my information beforehand and giving me a code to be let into the building, rather than us simply turning up at the hotel check-in desk. The process felt safe and organized.
We were even able to check into our room a little earlier by texting the hotel staff, which was extremely convenient.
After we checked in and received our two sets of keys, we were shown to our room.
The hotel provided two sets of keys to our room.
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When we booked, we knew exactly which room we would be given. I booked the two-room Evangeline suite, which featured a king-size bed, a bathroom with a tub, and a separate living room with a couch.
The room was located in a part of the house designed by architect John Calvin Stevens in 1901.
It was named for a poem titled "Evangeline" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a Portland-based poet and friend of the home's original owner Joseph Holt Ingraham.
The room cost $781.50, plus $140.67 in taxes and fees. The cost of the room we stayed in varies depending on when you book, but price estimates vary from around $300 to $850 per night.
When we checked in, the concierge also gave us a list of local restaurants and bars in the area. We ended up trying one of the cocktail bars she recommended and loved the experience. Overall, we felt very welcomed by the staff.
The room's furnishings and bedding were stylish and extremely cozy.
The bedroom was very cozy.
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Again, the interior design felt modern but with a historic, classic flair. I immediately went online to find out where I could buy some brown linen throw pillows for my bedroom.
The bed frame was wooden but painted black to accent some of the decor.
The decor was really inviting.
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I thought the decor gave the feeling that we were in a historic home, without feeling dated or like we were at grandma's house.
There were two LED Smart TVs in the room.
The bedroom had modern amenities like two smart TVs.
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One was located on the antique dresser in the bedroom, and the other was located in the adjoining living room.
The living room ended up being useful as a separate space to get ready for nights out in Portland.
The living room was a good place to get ready.
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The bedroom was pretty tight due to the king-size bed, so having the living room ended up being almost a necessity for getting ready in the mornings and evenings.
The hotel was only a 10-minute walk from the Old Port, where most of the city's most famous restaurants and bars are located. However, we ended up taking a car service both nights.
This room also could have functioned as a space for one person or a child to sleep — the couch was surprisingly very deep and comfortable. However, the suite only accommodates two guests.
The bathroom was clean and modern, with some feminine details.
The bathroom had a gold mirror.
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We loved the addition of the gold mirror and found it a great place to get ready in the morning.
The room had a tub, which we both used.
We both used the tub during our stay.
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The tub added to the quaint vibe of the place — we could only imagine what it would be like to come back in the fall or Christmas season when the vibes would be maximum cozy.
After we looked around our room, we explored the rest of the hotel.
The hotel had a large grand staircase that led to the main living spaces.
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Downstairs from our room were the main living spaces, including two sitting rooms, a dining room, and a bar.
The living spaces all looked comfortable and thoughtfully designed.
There were two main sitting areas downstairs.
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The hotel was very quiet during most of our stay. Even though the place was fully booked, we hardly ever heard or ran into other guests.
We did occasionally spy a few other guests reading in one of the chairs or grabbing a snack from the pantry.
There was a bar fully stocked with everything you would need to make a specialty cocktail.
The bar had garnishes for cocktails.
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There was a freezer and minifridge for guests to use during their stay.
From frozen olives to fruit garnishes, the bar was stocked with ingredients to top off most cocktails. However, you'd need to supply your own liquor — it may not be Prohibition, but it's still BYOB.
The pantry also had snacks and drinks available for guests to grab.
The pantry was stocked
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The room cost included access to Blind Tiger's well-stocked pantry, which had everything from snacks like nuts and trail mix to homemade cold brew coffee. It also had a full sink, minifridge, and microwave for guests to use.
We made use of the pantry multiple times throughout our stay and especially loved making cappuccinos in the space's fancy coffee machine each morning.
Admittedly, access to this pantry was one of the best parts of our stay and something we'd never experienced at any other hotel.
The pantry had all different kinds of serving ware, glasses, and even more cocktail supplies.
The pantry came stocked with serving ware and supplies to make cocktails.
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We were especially impressed to find individually canned tonic waters, fresh fruit, and dried fruit in the pantry.
The pantry also had a collection of board games that guests were free to use.
The pantry had board games like Clue and Monopoly.
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Though we spent most of our nights exploring the city, playing a round of Clue or Monopoly could have been a fun way to pass a rainy day.
The hotel's Prohibition-related history lies in its basement billiards room.
The billiards room was located in the basement.
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By the time Maine passed the nation's first prohibition law in 1851, the home had come to be known as "Social Corners" due to its large-scale, debaucherous gatherings.
When Prohibition started, the family continued to host gatherings, simply moving their celebrations to an underground club hidden in the basement.
Guests can still entertain themselves and have a drink in the basement, which has been converted into a billiards room.
The dining room was where the hotel hosted breakfast each morning.
Breakfast was held in the dining room each morning.
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The space's main features were two long tables and the fireplace, one of 12 working fireplaces throughout the property.
The fireplaces in the common areas are lit once the weather cools down, and guests who have a fireplace in their rooms are given a Duraflame log to add ambiance to their rooms.
We were really impressed by the breakfast spread.
The breakfast was complimentary and had fruit, bagels, and other foods.
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After making our coffee, we enjoyed the healthy spread of berries, fruit, yogurt, bagels, and more.
The breakfast even appeared to appeal to an international crowd, as some offerings, like gherkins and olives, were not typical American breakfast foods.
We ate in the adjoining breakfast room.
The breakfast room was attached to the dining room.
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The space was clean and bright and, since we were the only ones in there both mornings, a space to catch up and plan the rest of our day.
After our two-day stay, we couldn't stop talking about how relaxing it had been. As two people who love historic properties, we felt at home at Blind Tiger and thought it was worth the high price tag.
From the convenient location and on-site parking to the historic charm, many gathering spaces, and free snacks, every aspect of our stay was comfortable and high-end.
We can't wait to return, hopefully for a cozy fall getaway to peep the Maine foliage.
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