The Francis Hotel

Lovely and quaint SLH in a great location. The owners/staff were wonderful, thoughtful, and kind - we thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Would highly recommend to anyone visiting Portland, ME and we would absolutely stay here again.

My wife and I had a wonderful stay at The Francis. All the staff were so friendly and accommodating. Are room was welcoming and comfortable. It's in a quiet area but convenient to everything. The tasty coffee in the lobby was a nice bonus. We were across the street from Tandem Bakery so we were able to get tasty treats in the morning even though the hotel does offer a complimentary breakfast. We would definitely stay again.

What a great stay. Beautiful building, great room and great location to launch your Portland adventure. And free breakfast on top of all that.

I really enjoyed my two-day stay at The Francis. I was visiting the city for the first time since we moved away in June, and the location was ideal for catching up with friends in my old neighborhood (Yordprom Coffee is a great spot nearby, as is Pai Men Miyake). The staff was friendly and welcoming, and the common areas were bright, colorful, and open. I wish my room was not in the basement; it was spacious, but the bathroom felt like a locker room and the room did not get much light (it overlooked a patio). Climate control was good, and it was relatively quiet. I would definitely return, but spring for a room on a higher floor the next time.

Updating a review left last week with more details: There were plenty of pet-friendly options in Portland for our stay, most of which were offered for less than $426 per might, plus a pet fee. We chose The Francis based on their marketing promises, which we feel they failed to deliver for the most part.  Our room was like a dungeon (room 001). The absence of windows to allow natural light in meant that all of the interior lights needed to be on unless we were sleeping. Even with all the interior lights on, the room was dingy. Given that it was below level, it was also damp, even with the air conditioning running full time. Magazines and foilos we left on the table in the sitting area were wet after several hours. This felt both unhealthy and uncomfortable. It was even more disturbing when we learned on our last day that there are other room options at the hotel for guests with pets that are not underground. The absence of staff was concerning. With the exeption of check-in, no front desk staff was available at any time when we went to look for help (four times during a three day stay). And while the sign on the front desk suggesting that 'we're only a call away' yielded results when we called, it's alarming to stay at a "luxury" property and have no one available without making a call. While the staff did respond when we called, they seemed harried and stressed.  It creates the impression that the property is radically understaffed or underscheduled, and makes the guest wonder about the financial viability of the property. The website advertises that a complimentary breakfast is included; this creates an expectation of an actual breakfast. $15 at the cafe at the Longfellow does two things: 1) it buys two cups of coffee, and 2) it makes the guest wonder if they should have stayed at the Longfellow instead. I appreciate the local flavor of the pour-over coffee, but most people have never made pour over coffee. Even though I followed the directions to the letter, the coffee it produced was undrinkable. The coffee you provided behind the lobby was better, but only slightly. We learned quickly that if we wanted good coffee, we could spend our $15 on that, or brave the line at Tandem. On our first night, we found a contact lens on the rug under the table in the sitting area. This raised questions about the cleanliness of the room, which when combined with the dampness described earlier, created discomfort for us.  Finally, we have stayed at many luxury properties around the world, and don't mind spending good money for good accomodations. I am stunned that the hotel is able to retain a "luxury" rating; our experience was so far from luxury. Maybe the other 11 rooms are indeed luxurious. Ours wasn't. I feel like we overpaid by a factor of 2X at a minumum.

Fantastic hotel and building. Room was well appointed and very comfortable. Staff were attentive and helpful. The included parking and breakfast coupons for Twinflower cafe were appreciated. Will be back!