Story at a glance:
- Uncommon Hospitality designed The Longfellow Hotel in Portland, Maine, to feel like home—but even better.
- Sustainable details are at every turn, from carefully curated art and furniture selections to zero single-use plastic.
- The hotel’s design team made choices that celebrate the region while being socially and environmentally responsible.
The Longfellow Hotel is warm, welcoming, and light-filled from the moment you walk in the door; it’s equal parts hip and homey, with intentional design choices at every turn. Within walking distance of popular bars and restaurants in Portland, Maine, as well as gorgeous historic homes on brick streets, the 48-room hotel feels deeply connected to the water and forest of the area, while operating with a real sense of responsibility, says Tony DeLois, cofounder of Uncommon Hospitality, which owns and operates The Longfellow. “From the beginning we wanted The Longfellow to be a place where guests could experience exceptional hospitality without compromising environmental or social values,” says DeLois, who runs Uncommon alongside his cofounder and brother Nate.
The hotel’s name is a nod to Portland’s own Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Maine’s rich literary and cultural history. “To me it represents reflection, creativity, and a slower, more intentional way of experiencing a place,” DeLois says. “These are all values embedded throughout the hotel. Longfellow is Portland.”
DeLois has been in the hospitality business for more than two decades and says his career has always centered on creating places that feel purposeful, with projects that are rooted in their communities and designed to stand the test of time. Sustainable strategies and design choices were a must from the beginning.
Making Sustainable Choices
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- TRNK provided the side chairs and daybeds in guest rooms at the hotel. Photo by Chris Mottalini, courtesy of The Longfellow Hotel
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- Summer Studio Design provided the bedside tables in guest rooms. Photo by Chris Mottalini, courtesy of The Longfellow Hotel
“We made an early commitment to eliminate single-use plastics entirely, which influenced nearly every decision we made, from filtered water stations on each floor and in-room glass carafes to real metal room keys instead of plastic key cards. Even small items like toothbrushes, combs, and feminine hygiene products were carefully sourced to be plastic-free and responsibly made,” DeLois says.
The team sourced décor and other items from local makers and purveyors as well as leaned on secondhand purchases. “We’re not buying mass-produced items,” says Jackie Sabol, sales and events manager at The Longfellow. In guest rooms dark wood furniture was made by a Portland-based company, custom-made for the hotel. Blankets from local makers Swans Island can also be found in rooms. “We definitely want to use as many small and local businesses that we can,” Sabol says.
She says guests can enjoy pours from local coffee roaster Burundi Star Coffee, who partners with sustainable coffee farms in Africa, and tea is from Grace Farms, a regional favorite, based in Connecticut. “It took us a year to find tea bags that didn’t have single-use plastic anywhere in the packaging,” Sabol says.
Portland-based Post Company helped to source a lot of décor from consignment and thrift stores. “We really wanted to go for that classic Maine vibe but give it a modern update,” Sabol says.
Beyond what guests see and touch, the team also invested heavily in behind-the-scenes sustainable details, DeLois says, including all-electric kitchen appliances, an electric heat-pump HVAC system, and a high-performance thermal envelope to minimize heat loss. “Our linens are organic and require less water to launder, and we’re in pursuit of the Oceanic Global’s Blue Standard certification, which would make us the first hotel in the Northeast to achieve it.”
Responsible Luxury
Luxurious spa treatments and private infrared sauna suites are among the offerings at Astrea, a wellness spa at The Longfellow Hotel. TRNK provided the casegoods and coffee tables inside the spa. Photo by Carley Rudd Photography, courtesy of The Longfellow Hotel
InCommonWith provided the sconces at corridor and guest room lighting. Rugs are by InResidence, and wood stools benches were custom-made by Jacob Dorpfeld. Photo by Carley Rudd Photography, courtesy of The Longfellow Hotel
DeLois points to a growing desire for hotels that are both beautiful and principled. “The Longfellow fills that space by offering a luxury experience that’s grounded in sustainability, social responsibility, and a genuine sense of community engagement without feeling preachy or performative.”
He says for them a luxury-feeling stay is the result of comfort, quality, and thoughtfulness in a design, emphasizing Longfellow’s use of natural materials, well-considered lighting, quiet rooms, and spaces that invite you to linger. “Luxury doesn’t have to mean excess,” he says. “When a place feels intuitive and welcoming and our guests feel seen rather than served, luxury follows naturally.”
Quiet rooms lend both to that feeling of luxury as well as adding up to a more efficient space. “One of the first things a lot of people notice, especially in the rooms that overlook Congress Street, is how quiet it gets here. We designed this hotel with a group of sleep consultants called Sleep Wise,” Sabol says, pointing to decisions to use things like double drywall and high-performance windows.
The hotel also has complimentary EV chargers for those who drive or perks like the in-town luxury car service for dropoffs within a three-mile radius.
All are Welcome
“Bicyclette’s tables help anchor the feeling of the lobby, giving the space presence and warmth,” says Tony DeLois, cofounder of Uncommon Hospitality, which runs The Longfellow Hotel in Portland, Maine. A comfortable, colorful couch from Orior invites you to sit and relax. Photo by Carley Rudd Photography, courtesy of The Longfellow Hotel
All-inclusive at The Longfellow means everyone is welcome, and the team clearly had design for equity in mind throughout the project. All-gender restrooms in the public areas and friendly service at the bar and café are just two ways this is clear. A rainbow flag flew from the hotel entry when we visited, long after Pride Month, and guests of all ages and backgrounds mingled in the inviting lobby over drinks. “We really wanted this to feel less like a hotel and more like you were going home,” Sabol says.
The gym at Longfellow offers community classes that are open to the public, while beautiful sauna suites and spa services bring in wedding parties and others looking to have memorable gatherings. Locals and hotel guests alike mingle in the café on any given day, Sabol says. “It’s calming to be in here,” Sabol says, looking around the open lobby area. The color palette of light greens, yellows, and blues alongside wood details and carefully curated and framed artwork lends to the relaxed mood, and high ceilings are a rarity in the neighborhood that everyone loves, she says.
The Longfellow Hotel is the first independent luxury hotel built in Portland, Maine, in 20 years. Photo by Peter G. Morneau, courtesy of The Longfellow Hotel
The Longfellow is the first independent luxury hotel built in Portland in 20 years, Sabol says, and the family-run hospitality firm’s intentionality transcends beyond design. In fall 2025 the hotel was arranging training with Equality Maine to emphasize creating safe spaces, for example. “We see The Longfellow as an evolving project. Beyond the physical space we’re continuing to develop programming and partnerships, from working with Leadership Portland to explore Portland’s industries and pressing issues to hosting educational initiatives around women’s health, sleep, and sustainability,” DeLois says. “Ultimately we hope guests leave not only just feeling well taken care of but also more connected to Maine and the community around them.”
