4 min readI’ve lost count of how many times I’ve said, “I need a vacation from my vacation.” I like to get the most out of my time when I travel, and that means I schedule fun-filled but packed days. I’m usually tired when I get home, so I don’t know why I haven’t considered prioritizing sleep on my trips before.
But that all changed on a recent trip to Portland, Maine, where I checked into a hotel committed to getting its guests the best night’s sleep. The Longfellow Hotel has earned a spot in my sleepmaxxing lineup, and every relaxing detail made a difference.
The first thing that drew me to the Longfellow was its embrace of luxury alarm clocks. Each of the rooms in the 48-room hotel has a Loftie alarm clock at the bedside. This is the same smart alarm clock that totally changed my sleep routine, so I appreciated that it cared about my rest enough to ditch the typical hotel radio clock. It plays breathwork exercises, guided meditations, nature sounds, and soothing music of your choice, all to guide you to a restful night.
The hotel room’s sleep features don’t end there. Waiting on the chaise when I checked in was a welcome booklet with advice from Sleep Wise, a pediatric sleep training group, on getting the best rest possible. It let me know what to wear to bed, when to ditch my screens, and even the best temperature the room should be at night (60–68 degrees to allow your body temperature to drop slightly). That’s honestly a lot chillier than I set it at home, but following their advice, I drifted off easily on my first night. Sleep Wise Consultants also certified the design of the Longfellow rooms themselves. Blackout curtains, year-round down alternative comforters, a soft velvet headboard, and a luxury mattress from Mattress Concierge pull the room together.
Of course, I didn’t spend my entire trip in my hotel room. Arguably, Longfellow’s coolest feature is its Astraea Spa. Yes, you can get your typical massages and facials here. But the spa also offers sleep-specific services: the Mindful Dreams Massage and the Herbal Sleep Cocoon. The spa is open until 8 p.m., so you could take advantage right before bedtime. That’s the coolest turndown service I can think of.
The boutique at the entrance to the spa isn’t just peddling massage oil: It’s a one-stop-sleep shop. All of your sleep accessories are at your fingertips: mouth tape for snoring, sleep masks, heating pads to soothe back pain, mushroom chocolates for calmness, overnight skin care, magnesium supplements, linen spray, and even cervical neck stretchers.
During my stay, I opted for an hour in the spa’s sauna suites. Instead of sweating with strangers, I got a private lounge with an infrared sauna, a rain shower, and a relaxation area outfitted with calming tea and snacks. Even better, the sauna comes with chromotherapy lighting, where each color provides a different wellness benefit. True to my sleepmaxxing trip, I opted for blue, designed to enhance memory and regulate my sleep cycles.
The true star of the show was the zero-gravity meditation lounger. Astraea is one of the few spas in the Northeast to offer these reclining lounge chairs, which are like massage chairs on steroids.
I settled into one of these chairs with an included weighted blanket, slipped headphones over my ears, and reclined the head and footrests until I felt that floating feeling. The chair’s Mind-Sync menu offers different vibroacoustic meditation sessions, including ones named “Neo Nap” and “Delta Dreams.” I chose the 25-minute “Emotional Reset” session just to get a taste of the experience...and didn’t wake up until 90 minutes later, when I was about to be late for my dinner reservation. I immediately want one of these in my house.
Even dinner and drinks at the Longfellow’s Five of Clubs is primed for a good night’s rest. The light fixtures are dim and minimalist, which I prefer to a sweeping chandelier that makes me feel like I’m supposed to straighten up when I sit. It’s easy to be there, and it feels like an extension of my dream living room.
Alongside the small plates of your choosing, there’s a “Functional Cocktails” section of the menu. These are zero-proof drinks, with all the flair of a cocktail but none of the hangover. There’s the immune-boosting Golden Sour and the antioxidant-rich Vacationland Refresher. But my choice was the Amarelle, which is a sleepytime mocktail of tart cherry juice, green tea, and orange blossom.
My circadian rhythm has never felt so supported as it did at the Longfellow Hotel. The whole building felt like an extension of the peace in my bedroom. All the little details carried serious love for local artisans, from sipping Maine honey in the morning lattes to burrowing under Swans Island custom-woven blankets.
The hotel’s designers intended for it to function as both a staycation for locals and a haven for travelers, and I felt that at every turn. It showcases the kind of thoughtful design that puts your body at ease during the day—and helps you drift off peacefully at night.
