Portland Regency Hotel & Spa

Built in 1895 as an armory for the Maine National Guard, this Neo-Gothic Romanesque building was decommissioned in the 1950s. Subsequently used as a warehouse, it was purchased in 1984 for conversion into the Portland Regency Hotel & Spa, and it quickly became the centerpiece of the city’s historic Old Port Exchange. With the exception of added outdoor decks to the top-floor guestrooms, the building’s exterior has been preserved intact, and its architectural elements create unique features in many of the spacious, traditionally appointed rooms. In 2003, Portland was named one of America’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.