Simple independent inns

A cluster of five buildings just off Beach Avenue in Kennebunk, the Franciscan Guest House keeps things refreshingly plain: simple rooms, a free continental breakfast to start the morning, and an outdoor pool for the hours between. Parking is on site, which matters more than you'd think in this stretch of coastal Maine in July. Guests rate it 4.4 across 177 reviews — the kind of unfussy, well-liked place people return to season after season.

A modest roadside lodging on Saco's Main Street, in the thick of southern Maine's between-the-beaches country. With just 25 reviews and a steady 4.1 rating, it reads as a small, low-key stopover rather than a destination in itself — the sort of place you book for a clean bed and an easy morning start. Details beyond the basics are scarce, so arrive with practical expectations.