The Samoset Resort Reviews

Our wedding coordinator Linde was simply amazing! She took all the worries and stress and made the weekend perfect. We could not have asked for a better experience!

Linde has been a joy to work with, very responsive

I knew almost immediately that we had made an excellent choice when we booked the samoset as our venue.
Will, the wedding coordinator is beyond fabulous. He was attentive to every request I made and every email I sent. In the days before our wedding he helped keep me calm and put out several small "fires".
The resort was a beautiful location. The staff was amazing at every turn (accommodating every request and helping to make everythingness exactly as I imagined it). The food was incredible both for our rehearsal dinner and at our wedding. Many guests said it was both the best and most beautiful wedding they had ever attended.
I always perceived the samoset as much too expensive for me to ever imagine having my wedding there. But due to the off season and the small(ish) wedding we wanted, it was very affordable and worth EVERY PENNY!

Will Clayton was our Group Contact during the planning and on our Wedding day. Will was so easy to work with and always understanding and open minded to our ideas. His knowledge of the industry was comforting to both myself and my now wife. Will was a superhero on the Wedding day! While I (the groom) was running around and tayloring the final touches Will checked in with me and took on anything he and his team to could take off my plate. When it came time for me to leave the ballroom and get ready myself Will went through any last minute touches that were needed and executed them beautifully! The Samoset Resort has been doing this for decades and is so accustomed to elegant presentation and service that it takes away any stress one would have. We were thrilled with the outcome of our Wedding and would highly recommend the Samoset and Will Clayton.

Living in New York, but having grown up around the corner from the Samoset, we decided that it was a perfect venue for our wedding. Not only did we have the ceremony and reception there, but decided it was a perfect spot for our rehearsal dinner as well. Will Clayton is such a gem and truly a great wedding coordinator. He always made us feel like he completely understood what we were looking for, and his kindness, and flawless day-of organization really were over the top and more than we could have hoped for. Will really went above and beyond for us with drilling our chuppah together, holding my lipsticks, finding something for me to stand on during our outside photos, and making special mock-tails for family members that do not drink. We really can not express our gratitude for all of his help and all that he did for us. Our wedding day, as well as the entire weekend, were so magnificent, and in large part thanks to Will and the Samoset.

The Samoset's front office staff, restaurant team, and all of the resort employees were also really spectacular and extremely professional. All of our guests (many of which from Manhattan, and in hospitality themselves) complimented each and every person they came in contact with over the weekend. The Samoset has such a fantastic staff, exceptional food, and how could you ever beat the view? A definite must for your wedding!

We changed our venue at the last minute due to unprofessionalism and poor quality of food and rooms at the planned venue. Luckily Samoset was available to host our reception. There are two pools on the grounds (indoor and outdoor), tennis courts, child's playground, and, of course, amazing golf course. I could not be happier with the decision to move venues. Samoset staff was fantastic. Venue was beautiful. Food was delicious. We had a tented reception on the grounds, with picture-perfect views, huge lobsters, great cocktail hour. At the end, the staff efficiently organized removal of cards and personal items back to our room. Only slight negative I can think of is that the rooms could use some freshening up in decor, but were clean and definitely at a higher standard than our original venue. Common areas were well kept and resort was well staffed with very helpful attitude from all members of the team. Will Clayton in particular is fantastic and gets things done. He's the Samoset's ace in the hole. One guest told me ours was the best wedding he ever attended. I think that says it all. If you are considering Samoset for your wedding, you will not go wrong.

Will Clayton did a great job to make everything perfect for our wedding day! I would not go back and change a single thing. Everything was perfect!

I live in NY but grew up in Maine and wanted a wedding with a view. After looking at three locations in person, we chose the Samoset and we are so happy with our decision. The guests raved about the view from both the ceremony location and the tented reception. Customer service is excellent. When we viewed the venue we were driving from NY to northern ME and had our dog with us. Instead of making us wait outside with the dog, Will Clayton, the event coordinator, let us bring her all over the resort with us on the tour. Later in the summer my mother dropped by unannounced to show the resort to my in-laws. Will dropped everything to give them an hour long tour. Planning from afar was easy as the Samoset hosts a Grande Tasting where couples can experience a mock wedding, choose food, linens, etc; and also meet vendors. We were able to choose our florist, DJ, and tent rental from that one event. The day of the wedding the bridesmaids got a huge room with champagne and music provided by the Samoset to get ready. The service was excellent, the wedding was seamless, and the guests raved about the event and how perfect it was. I couldn't have asked for a better day and only wish that I could do it again and again. Several of my unmarried bridesmaids told Will that he had sold them on the venue for their own weddings and I would definitely recommend the resort to other brides. It can be pricey in comparison to some other Maine venues but was definitely worth the value. I'm so happy with my decision!

Will Clayton and the staff at the Samoset went above and beyond to make our entire wedding experience so perfect. From the planning process to the big day, Will was responsive, reliable, and quite frankly our "Yes Man". If there was any wish or need we had he couldn't say yes to he sought the appropriate personnel and made it happen. We realized throughout our stay at the Samoset that the facility was beautiful on the inside too! We were sold on the views at the Samoset, but the rain and fog unfortunately prevented us from this on the big day. Will and his staff coordinated our rehearsal dinner, ceremony , cocktail hour, and reception to be almost as stunning as the views on a sunny day. We can not thank the Samoset enough!

We recently got married at The Samoset, and could not believe the level of service we received from Will Clayton and the staff. We were treated with five-star service, and the amount of effort everyone expended on our behalf was just amazing. Will went out of his way to make sure that every detail was taken care of, and that we were nothing less than thrilled with the resort. From the food to the setting, everything was spectacular. We look forward to going back every year for our anniversary, and hopefully more frequently!

All I can say is that the Samoset went above and beyond for my husband and I. Our original date had to be changed due to a deployment to Afghanistan, so we had to reschedule, but that was no problem for the staff at the Samoset. Will Clayton was the event planer, and made everything happen with no issues. The only other date that we could pick was going to have to be during the off-season time because my husband and I were scheduled to move overseas shortly after my return from deployment. Again, they acted like this was no problem. Even though the resort was in the process of going through major renovations, you could hardly tell. They brought in enough staff to make it look like they were up and running for the season, were able to house all of our guests from out of town, upgraded many peoples rooms at no extra charge, let Mike and I check in to our room before they had planned, upgraded us to the Presidential Suite, they went out of their way to make it all work. Will was there at the drop of a hat when I needed something, and made the event 100% stress free. If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't change a thing. Mike and I look forward to making the Samoset a vacation spot for many years to come. The area is beautiful, the accommodations are exceptional, and the staff is the best!

My experience at the Samoset could not have been more perfect! The staff is INCREDIBLE and the wedding planner, Will Clayton, is one of the most amazing people I have ever met. He is hard working, motivated and always smiling! I can't say enough great things about the Samoset and about how hard they worked to make our day all that it was!!

Wonderful venue, wonderful staff, and wonderful experience! I recommend it highly to others frequently.

Choosing the Samoset as the venue for our wedding ceremony and reception was a no-brainer from the very beginning. From the first day we arrived to check out the site, the service we received was impeccable. They treated us to dinner as well as a comped room for the night since we had traveled from Boston to visit. Aside from the fact that the resort is absolutely beautiful (and recently renovated), the staff were an absolute pleasure to work with. Our wedding coordinator Will Clayton went above and beyond to make sure that every aspect of our wedding was exactly what we envisioned. During the wedding planning experience, I learned first-hand how difficult it can sometimes be when working with vendors, but working with Will and the other staff at the Samoset was always a happy and calming experience. Will knew exactly what to say to make my husband and I feel at ease whenever we began to stress about the little details, and was so incredibly flexible and accommodating to our needs that we dubbed him "the yes man":). Furthermore, we never expected to be able to afford the wedding of our dreams at such a gorgeous venue, but once again the Samoset worked with our budget to help us make our vision come true in these hard economic times. I should also add that we both come from foodie families and the quality of our reception dinner was very important to us. The chef at the Samoset hit the mark, using fresh local ingredients and timing serving the dinner perfectly so that everything was hot and fresh. I received many compliments from guests who said that it was the best meal they had at a wedding. Clearly I can't say enough good things about both the resort, and especially Will and the other staff there who truly made our wedding the special event we will remember forever.

everything was superior

Yesterday I completed this survey. After completing it, I saw that I had accidently marked "responsiveness" at a 4.5. That was not my intention. I thought I had marked a 5. The responsiveness of the staff at the Samoset Resort was beyond any I have encountered previously. In particular, Wil Clayton, was wonderful. I felt like he could read my mind as to what we needed. The reception staff were also very helpful and gracious.
If you want a fairy tale wedding, go to the Samoset Resort!!!

We had our entire wedding weekend at the Samoset. I didn't have a lot of free time to plan the wedding, so I really appreciated that the staff at Samoset was so helpful and flexible. From picking linens to food to seating arrangements I never felt rushed or forced into a decision and everything came into place beautifully. From start to finish it was a high-class, high-quality affair without any pretense.

In the spring they invited all of the future couples to come and stay for a night. We sampled food, met vendors and had a blast!
Most of our guests stayed for the whole weekend of the wedding, and the staff helped us greet them with gifts when they arrived. They organized keeping the indoor pool open for two extra hours for a "pool party" for our guests. (Which my husband and I didn't officially request until noon on that day!) They helped organize a golf tournament the morning of the wedding. (Although it rained so only a few people ended up playing.)

We had planned an outdoor ceremony with indoor cocktails and dinner. However, we knew it would be iffy in October so part of what we loved about the Samoset is that they assured us they would be flexible with us and we would be the only wedding that day. If things needed to be moved forward or backward during the day to catch the weather, or move the entire thing inside they would help us. The event coordinator, Will, gave us so many options ranging from completely outside, to partially covered on the porch, to inside depending on the level of the storm. He ended up setting up our ceremony inside in their restaurant which they kept closed until after our ceremony. (By the way he handled this all so smoothly that I felt zero stress on the morning of.) It was a great location because of the large windows, so we were still able to take advantage of the beautiful view. They also provided a six-person golf cart so my husband and photographer and I braved the weather for some gorgeous pictures!

Our cocktail hour was in an upstairs room off of the lobby which also took advantage of the great view. The food and the service was great, and the staff was so friendly. (One server even put aside a plate of two of each of the appetizers for my husband and I so that we would not miss out on the food while we did the meet and greet.) The chef was very accommodating. We were allowed to pick from a variety of menus, even though our "package" had a menu associated with it. He even cooked up mini kobe beef sliders to serve at the cocktail reception which my husband and another husband-to-be thought of at the reception for future couples.

Our actual reception was in the smaller ballroom. Again, the food and service were fantastic. We opted for a buffet so that our guests could sample all the great food. The food was phenomenal, not "buffet-like" at all! The accompanying service was not "buffet-like" at all either! I don't think anyone had an empty wine glass the entire evening. The same waiter who had set aside all the appetizers for us kept checking in with my husband and I to make sure we were doing ok. The cake was beautiful and delicious.
Will shuffled the musicians from our ceremony to the cocktail hour to the reception. He also moved our guests from all three locations as well. Everything was done so smoothly my husband and I didn't have to think about a thing.

We had a send-off brunch the next morning, which again was great. I can't say enough good things about the Samoset.

Besides the good food and great view, I think the thing we talk about the most is how as soon as my husband arrived at the Samoset the afternoon before our wedding we were totally relaxed. All the stress of planning in the last few days leading up to the wedding were totally wiped away. We knew we were in good hands and everything was going to be taken care of. We were able to really enjoy the fantastic weekend, our friends and family and each other. Everything was light and fun, but the details and service were impeccable! Our "theme" for the feel of our wedding was casual elegance. We wanted all the details to be perfect, but we wanted the atmosphere to be light and fun. The Samoset nailed it perfectly!

Our friends and family are still talking about what a perfect weekend it was!

I am a Maine girl and grew up going to the Samoset every year with my family for my Dad's business conventions. From the first time i went there, it was a special experience. It is the most beautiful and professional, yet family friendly, resort Maine can offer.

The easiest decision about planning our wedding was choosing the Samoset as the venue. The event staff at the Samoset really made our wedding planning an easy process. They have great resources to make your wedding just how you have always dreamed!

Everyone from the front desk staff to the waiters were the most professional and friendly staff you will ever encounter. My guests are still taking about what a great wedding it was and how much they LOVED the SAMOSET!!!!

I am thrilled to be able to write a review for The Samoset as they were EXPERTS on guiding me with my wedding plans. I was engaged in May of 2009 and my fiance and I wanted to wed in the fall of 2009. We had limited time to not to mention this was also a destination wedding and most of my planning would be done via email and phone. I wanted to find the perfect person at the right venue to take on my vision and make it happen! Will Clayton, was that person. He was the most incredible wedding coordinator whose unswerving responsiveness, attention to detail and the patience of a saint, was able to help me create my unforgettable day. I met with him once to start the initial planning and continued to plan over the next few months via email and phone. We met again two days before my wedding and Will didn't miss a beat. Everything was in place and ready to go.

Will helped prepare my rehearsal dinner which was held in a private room. Fire places were lit, wine was served and the dinner was spot on! Even when my father wanted something that wasn't offered on the menu, Will was quick to hunt it down and deliver! Will always made sure that my husband and I were satisfied along with each guest. He over saw everything to insure that not only his standards were met for The Samoset, but mine as well.

The wedding packages offered make it easy on your wallet and all packages come with perks a bride wouldn't expect! The food selection is distinct and delectable! My guests were blown away by the presentation of not only the ballroom, food and staff but of course by the striking and picturesque views of the grounds. We were married outside on the lush lawn surrounded by the sparkling ocean and exotic flowers that made for picture perfect wedding photos on any camera. The rooms are clean, large and very inviting! The bridal suite is a MUST SEE!
This is one venue that truly goes beyond typical wedding planning. I was very satisfied with everyone at The Samoset and my guests continue to rave about how grand and distinguished my wedding was. I know my husband and I will be back well before our 1 year anniversary and we plan to share the other endless amenities at The Samoset with our kids in the future.

Thank you for making my ceremony the most amazing part of the day!

The Samoset Resort, Rockport Maine is the one of the most breathtaking Resorts to host your wedding day!
It's an Oceanfront Resort with a gorgeous award-winning 18 hole golf course along the water.
Being able to have my guests stay in their beautiful newly renovated rooms as well as have my cocktail hour, ceremony + reception all in their amazing ballrooms - was very convienent for us as well as for all our guests!!
Everything is right there - golf, restaurants, pools, breakwater...it's a perfect for guests who want to make your wedding a weekend getaway.
Our wedding pictures were taken outside with the beautiful ocean in the background - and 20 of our guests (including the groom and his wedding party) - played golf the morning of our wedding!
Jessica Nixon, the wedding coordinator at the Samoset is AMAZING. She is very calm + soft spoken which is so wonderful when you are a stressed out bride to be :-)
All the staff at the Samoset are wonderful as well.
I highly recommend the Samoset Resort to anyone!

I was married at the Samoset on Friday July 25th. It is 10 days later and we are still getting compliments on how much fun people had at the wedding. We held our ceremony down by the ocean and had a tented reception outside up by the hotel. The views and atmosphere are breath taking. We had perfect weather and everything was beautifully put together. We worked directly with Will Clayton and I really can't compliment him enough. He is very down to earth and personable but also very professional and knows what he's doing. He was so helpful with any questions we had and was always quick to make recommendations. The wedding day was organized and just amazing. I had a great experience and would highly recommend getting married at this venue. It was everything I wanted for my wedding.

We had my Son and daughter in law's rehearsal dinner at the Samoset. I had to arrange for this event from afar. Will Clayton was very helpful and accomodating in setting up the event. Once the event details were set I was able to forgot about it until the date. When we arrived everything was perfect. The Venue (Schooner Room) was perfect size and the set up was great. My only regret is that the event was at night and because the daytime view from this room is spectacular.
The food was excellent and presented nicely.
Mostly, I cannot say enough about the service. The wait staff and bar tender went well above any expectations I had. They brought food and drink to the tables for the elderly (we did a buffet style meal) and were incredibly attentive, friendly and truly appeared to want this to be the best event we would ever experience. I would return to Samoset for any event I had to arrange in a heartbeat.

The Samoset was an amazing place to have a wedding.

I can not say enought about the Samaset Resort. The entire staff was outstanding, the facility was great, food great, service great, golf course great, a picture perfect wedding site. If you want to have a wedding that everyone will rave about the Samoset is the place to have it!!!

I attended a wedding at The Samoset and I can’t say enough about how beautiful it was. The coordinator was very energetic and interacted with guests as needed. The day was so beautiful and the food was amazing.

Will Clayton was extremely helpful in orchestrating our ceremony and reception. He helped us plan details that I didn't even think to include and made sure that we were happy and everything was perfect on our day. The Samoset is a beautiful spot to get married and the staff went above and beyond to ensure everything went off without a hitch.

As an event coordinator, I wanted the perfect wedding that I had been planning since I was a little girl while watching weddings from my balcony at the Samoset. The Samoset Resort and its staff created the wedding of my dreams! With the constant help from Will Clayton and his staff, I was able to let go of my event coordinator role and just be a bride for the day without a worry in the world.

A HUGE thank you to the entire Samoset staff for making my wedding weekend (all the way from a quiet night on Thursday to Sunday brunch) so perfect and making all of my guests so happy! We're ready to come back and celebrate every year!! :)

I have been going to the Samoset since I was a young kid and was so excited when we decided to get married there.  

I'll start with the positive: 99% of the staff was beyond kind, attentive and professional throughout the whole weekend.  We especially loved the staff working the bar - we got to know them over the course of the weekend as they also worked at our welcome party.  The entire staff at the front desk was great to work with - our guests had great experiences with them!  The renovations at the resort are fantastic.  The food was spectacular.  I would recommend the resort itself with no hesitation.

Linde, the catering sales manager, left much to be desired.  Initially, we loved her, and she was one of the reasons we booked there to start.  Over the course of the process, while helpful at times, Linde lacked communication (trying to get us to pay our final bill weeks early and trying to end our room block a month early) and was fairly disorganized (we often received information with incorrect rooms listed or other couples names instead of ours).  Two weeks before our wedding, I received an email from Linde letting us know that the resort would be closed for the days leading up to our wedding.  Our guests (and us) would be able to enter through the backdoor.  What was most disappointing was that instead of calling us to let us know this was the case, she sent us an email trying to claim that we already knew this.  She later admitted this was news to us and that she didn't handle it well.

What was most disappointing was the way she treated our guests at the wedding.  We had at least 10 guests let us know that they were accosted by her during the course of the day (speaking in a raised voice and telling them they needed to move it along or they would ruin the event).  She did not set enough placings or chairs at a few of the tables, one of them being the mother of one of the grooms.  Instead of apologizing at first, she said there "was no way that could happen" and that the mother of the groom must be mistaken and not be sitting with the family.  Linde eventually realized she was wrong but didn't apologize.  The attire for our wedding was formal but instead of following the dress code, Linde wore leggings, boots and a plain top.  Many of our guests commented on how unprofessional she looked.

While she was very kind to us over the course of our time at the resort during the wedding weekend, I was disappointed to hear this feedback from our guests, with many of them traveling over 4 hours for a "destination wedding" at a four-star hotel.

We loved everything about the hotel but if we had to do it again and work with Linde, we are unsure if we would have chosen the Samoset.

The food was amazing and the staff was lovely and very accommodating to guests’ needs. The bellman were great about making carts accessible and during photos one kindly shuttled my mom and flower girl back down to the photo location. The property is beautiful and is clearly meticulously and flawlessly maintained. The housekeeping staff was very thorough and was able to tidy up rooms very promptly and efficiently. Our guests all noted that the property was gorgeous.

Overall our experience was great and the resort was lovely; however, the planning process would make me hesitate in recommending this as a venue. There was a significant delay in responses to email (greater than one week on several occasions) and required a lot of effort on our end to ensure things that were promised actually happened, and even then things slipped through the cracks. For the price (and 20% service fee) I was sorely disappointed in the level of service.

We specifically selected the Samoset based on the perceived ease of use and service, and while the day was great, the process was challenging and disappointing. There were several noticeable glitches during the event (bar ran out of the “signature cocktail” fifteen minutes into the cocktail hour; many dirty plates and glasses; the kids meals were plated despite a conversation that there be a “kids buffet” to help parents enjoy their meals as well; the majority of our personal effects were lost; our wedding topper finally showed up a month later after three on site visits and a regular phone calls. While none of these issues are a big deal, had the planning process been less frustrating these glitches would not have been so aggravating.

I originally had my wedding planned for September 2020 at Samoset with 125 guests. Lindy Schwartz is the day of coordinator, who we met the first day we toured the venue. Long story short, we ended up canceling our wedding here 3 months before due to covid and we did not reschedule with them. Lindy is incredibly unprofessional, always acts too busy to help, and lacks responsiveness. At one point she called and yelled at my Dad and I over the phone because we accidentally went with a different tent company. I couldn't believe it.

The only good part of working with this venue was Conny, the General Manager. He was extremely kind, understanding, responsive, and patient. I truly hope they hire someone else for the coordinator position because it is a beautiful venue.

Overall, very poor customer service from the wedding coordinator, overly expensive with high minimums, great views, decent food, recently updated hotel rooms. I don't think I would recommend a friend using this venue unless they hire a new coordinator.

My hubby & I were looking forward to our wedding at the Samoset. We’d planned it for over a year with their coordinator, Sarah. We should’ve known from the start when she sent over the wrong packages that things would go horribly wrong.
After she sent over the information we initially requested, we planned a tour and drove 3 hours to meet with her & explore the venue. Upon arrival, she handed us a folder of info- she never mentioned the $50/head increase from the package she sent us a few weeks prior. We let that go as she was new to the resort, and we loved the idea of getting married at the Samoset so we ended up signing the contract for a smaller wedding. She then sent over the wrong contracts and almost charged us for someone else’s date/wedding.
When asked about the prices of hotel rooms for our guests since they no longer do room blocks but provide a group discount code, we were told by Sarah that they would be $299-$400 a night. Come to find out this was off by several hundred dollars per night which ruled out many of our guests. At this time, it was too late to back out since we’ve already signed the contact and paid a deposit.
Fast forward to our wedding weekend, we emailed Sarah a week in advance of checkin to confirm we’d be bringing our dog with us. We check in with our dog, spend 2 nights with him and on Thursday night (2 days before our Saturday wedding) Sarah texts us saying the GM has asked we find somewhere else for our dog to stay since they messed up and didn’t put us in a room on the first floor. We are not from the area and were forced to find a stranger to dog sit for us so we didn’t get kicked out of the hotel on our wedding weekend. This was incredibly stressful and an additional expense.
Our rehearsal dinner got rained out so they had to set us up inside and they were short two place settings so here I am as the bride and I don’t have a seat at my own rehearsal dinner. Sarah and her assistant, Michael, then told us there would be shuttles to help our guests get from dinner to the welcome party.They were then nowhere to be found and the front desk had no communication to have shuttles ready so our guests and my husband and I had to walk in the pouring rain. At this point I’m unbelievably disappointed, but put a smile on since I wanted my dream weekend.

On our wedding day, nothing had been set up in the bridesmaids room like we had agreed upon with Sarah (no plates, cups, silverware) & I had to chase the front desk to get those delivered for us. Ceremony was fine and cocktail hour was great for guests, but no one brought me or my husband drinks or appetizers…I had their staff walk by me without offering food, at my own wedding!

The reception was the worst- our entire tent flooded with several inches of water. Sarah left us without saying a word and we couldn’t find anyone to help with the water. The water rose so high our band had to stop playing for a hour for safety reasons. We lost $1000 worth of music, because of this. We asked the resort if we could move inside at this point (it took an hour to find someone in management to talk to). They told us we could move inside but the open bar would close (after we already paid for it).

Unfortunately, these are the memories I’m left with of what should have been my dream weekend. I would never recommend them based on my experience and I don’t feel like they’ve made enough of an effort to right their wrongs.