Welcome to our 1940s New Englander in Oakland, Maine—a comfortable, character-filled home in the heart of Central Maine and just a short drive from Colby College.
This is a true New England home: established, welcoming, and full of the charm and quirks that come with a house that has been part of the Maine landscape for generations. We’ve thoughtfully updated the home for today’s guests while preserving the relaxed, lived-in character that makes it feel distinctly Maine.
Inside, you’ll find plenty of room to settle in and make yourself at home. The spacious living room is an easy gathering place after a day exploring, visiting family, or cheering from the sidelines at Colby. The kitchen is stocked with the everyday cookware, dishes, and essentials for preparing meals at home, whether you’re making a quick breakfast or sitting down for dinner together.
Upstairs, comfortable bedrooms provide space to recharge at the end of the day. Throughout the home, high-speed internet makes it easy to stay connected.
Need to work while you’re here?
Our dedicated home office sits behind French doors, giving you a separate space for virtual meetings, emails, or a few uninterrupted hours of work. Close the doors, open the laptop, and skip the virtual background.
Outside, the backyard offers room to slow down and enjoy Maine at a quieter pace—bring your coffee outside in the morning, enjoy a meal in the fresh air, or settle in with a book.
A Great Home Base for Central Maine
The house is especially well suited for Colby families, alumni, visiting professionals, and travelers who want a residential home base rather than a hotel stay. From here, explore the Belgrade Lakes region, nearby towns, Maine’s outdoor recreation, and everything Central Maine has to offer.
Coming to watch a game, visit your Colby student, spend time with family, or simply escape to Maine for a few days? Settle in, get comfortable, and enjoy life in a classic New England home.
Please note: This is a genuine 1940s home, not a newly constructed or hotel-style property. Guests who love older homes will find plenty of character here, including the natural variations and quirks that come with an established New England house. We’ve chosen to preserve that character while providing the comforts that make it easy to enjoy your stay.
We’d love to welcome you to Oakland.
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Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Note from host: Case by case considered
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios and terraces, which may not be suitable for children; if you have any concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm that they can accommodate you in a suitable room
About the area
Oakland
Oakland is home to this holiday home. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Messalonskee Lake and Belgrade Lakes Chain, while Redington Museum and Common Street Arts are cultural highlights. Gordon Center For Creative & Performing Arts and First Congregational Church are also worth visiting.
How much does it cost to stay at The Modern Maine Retreat?
As of 4 Oct, 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at The Modern Maine Retreat on 16 Oct, 2026 start from S$1,282, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.
How much is parking at The Modern Maine Retreat?
On-site parking is available at the property.
What time is check-in at The Modern Maine Retreat?
Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.
What time is check-out at The Modern Maine Retreat?
Checkout is at 10:00 AM.
Where is The Modern Maine Retreat located?
Situated in Oakland, this holiday home is within 2 miles (3 km) of Messalonskee Lake, Belgrade Lakes Chain and Tree Spirits. Inland Hospital Diabetes and Colby College are also within 6 miles (10 km).
Reviews
8.6
Excellent
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Lots of bedrooms and bathrooms. Perfect place for a gathering of 4 “mature” women who have been friends for over 50 years. Back porch was a perfect place to hang out in our pj’s, chat and drink coffee in the morning.
House was clean ,stocked well with toiletries. Driveway was huge. Beds were comfortable. House was plenty big for the 4 of us staying. We had a couple of issues that were dealt with in quick order. The last night there we ran into issues with several spiders. Communication was good at first and then stopped. Hope is alright. Last thing was no grill and was told it wasn't a amenity. Went back on listing and it was.
Place was very clean, local to everything that we needed. Plenty of room for all 4 of us. I would definitely come back to this house if staying in Oakland again
Quick trip to drop off daughter for college. Great location. Newly renovated kitchen was wonderful! Great back yard and porch area. Easy check-in and checkout process.
The house is beautiful. The living room furniture could be updated, but the beds slept amazing and the house had big bathrooms. Plenty of parking space as well. The owner was super nice and easy to communicate with. It’s perfect place to stay if you are moving a child into Colby like we did.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 16 Sept, 2025
Thank you very much for your kind words. There’s a fine line between cozy cabin feel and out-of-date, you’re definitely right we can take a look . We will be looking into the living room furniture with your comments.
Thanks,
Bianca
Great spacious property. There was a minor issue and the owner took care of it immediately. Communication was very fast. Perfect place to stay. Highly recommended!
The overall experience was great. Plenty of room for everyone. Host did a great job checking in to make sure everything was going well and if anything was needed. The house was beautiful and a great neighborhood. The best part was it ended up being down the road from my son. I would definitely stay here again in the future.
Large house great for families. Plenty of parking space. Large bathrooms. Living room furniture is a little funky.One bedroom has to be walked through to get to master suite. Overall very pleasant stay.
Worked out perfectly for our needs. Owner responded immediately to assist us with minor issue. We would, and most likely will, rent this home again. Location was great for our purpose. Plenty of room.
Overall was great for our large family group. Only things we would have liked to see were room darkening shades or curtains for the bedrooms and a better couch. Otherwise we were very pleased with the appliances, wifi, air conditioning, laundry room, nice large living/dining space, the 2 1/2 baths and the office.
Starting with the positives, plenty of toiletries, tp, paper towels. Decently equipped kitchen. Nice size house and updated bathrooms. Plenty of closet space for longer stay. Misses: bathroom towel rack falling out of wall; missing curtains on window because curtain rod was missing; living room furniture was atrocious, lumpy couch with throw cover - seems like it came from goodwill; dining room table and several chairs rickety; only 2 forks in kitchen; ice and water not working on fridge - took 10 days and multiple requests to fix; cabinet doors falling off hinges; no propane with gas grill - had to go purchase ourselves. The house has alot potential, they just need to put about 2k in to get decent dining and living room furniture and fix all of the things falling apart.
Stayed 14 nights in Mar 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 17 Apr, 2025
Thank you Jennifer for your comments. We are glad you enjoyed our spacious, up-to-date and remodeled home. We appreciate your comments about the missing kitchen equipment. We have already ordered a new set to ensure that the silverware supports the large groups that we so regularly get. Unfortunately our prior guest pulled a cabinet door out and we happen to need remedy of the fridge water/ice system. Our property manager had a family emergency and was unfortunately delayed in response time. We pride ourselves on quick remediation and apologize for the inconvenience. I did want to address that per our welcome guide the grill is not available for use during this time. It is available for guests May-October only. We wish you would have reached out prior to going through the trouble of purchasing a propane tank and installing it on your own. We will make sure the equipment is ready for use May 1 as we do yearly. Thanks again for the feedback and we take all concerns seriously.
Verified review
4/10 Poor
Heather C.
5 Apr, 2026
Liked: Check-in, communication, location
Disliked: Cleanliness, listing accuracy
The good:Bianca was prompt in replying to all communication while I was there. Super easy check-in and check out. Great snowplow service while there. Also, this property has a lot of potential and I’ve already discussed with her privately all the things I will mention here.The issues:I asked before arriving if there were any issues I needed to be aware of or anything at all and was told no. Upon arrival there was a pretty old sign on the dishwasher (had obviously been there a while) that it was broken and could not be used. I was staying for 12 days and had no way to do dishes. I opened the silverware drawer and there wasn’t a single spoon and a few mismatched knives and forks. The plates and glasses in the cabinets were not clean bc there is no dishwasher.The home was not fully cleaned by any type of cleaning staff. We stuck to the floor walking in and socks were brown if walking without shoes. We found wrappers, empty water bottles in the office, dead bugs and hair in the bathrooms. Under beds we found floss picks, miscellaneous trash. There is no broom or mop to clean/tidy-up while there.Every towel in the house is stained or had hair on it. Unraveling beach towels were provided at bath towels.No blinds in any bedroom and only sheer white curtains throughout house. Super bright very early every morning.Washing machine needs a deep clean. Front loader full of mold/mildew.Furniture needs an overhaul, especially living room. So uncomfortable and old.