The Lockwood Hotel is officially open, bringing the first boutique experience and new hotel to Main Street in downtown Waterville, Maine, in over a century.
Developed by Colby College and managed by Charlestowne Hotels, The Lockwood Hotel serves as an access point to the arts, culture and outdoor attractions in the area.
The Lockwood Hotel opening is an important milestone in the downtown Waterville revitalization initiative, a collaborative partnership between the city, local businesses, community organizations and Colby College. Other projects include the Bill & Joan Alfond Main Street Commons - a student residential complex on Main Street; Greene Block + Studios - an arts collaborative directly across from the hotel; and the forthcoming Paul J. Schupf Art Center. Additional initiatives downtown involve an infrastructure and landscape improvement project, and continued renovation of the Lockwood Mill complex for housing and retail use.
Investments by Colby College to support the resurgence of Waterville have helped attract a wide range of investors and new businesses to the city, with total investment downtown from public and private sources now close to $200 million.
An Art-Driven Hotel
The hotel has artwork curated by the Colby College Museum of Art on display throughout the public spaces. In the lobby, a piece by artist Bernard Langlais flanks the wall behind the front desk, depicting the artist's Maine hometown. Additional pieces throughout the hotel’s first floor pay tribute to other Maine artists. Wabanaki basket weavings by Jeremy Frey (photographed by Luc Demers) are also on display in the lobby, while Tanja Hollander’s Maine landscape photography is featured on all guestroom walls.
Each of the 53 rooms and suites have a natural color palette. Warm wood tones and touches of blue and green are meant to evoke a quintessential Maine ambiance.
The hotel’s architecture, overseen by Baskervill, is has a contemporary aesthetic. The hotel’s limestone façade is a nod to the longstanding tradition of limestone-clad civic buildings throughout downtown. The hotel’s large glass windows are meant to project a sense of energy and community in the hotel and restaurant. The landscaped exterior seating areas repurposed much of the granite that served as the foundation of Levine’s, the clothing store that once stood on the site. A majority of the LEED Silver Certified hotel has been built and decorated with materials from the state.
The hotel's restaurant, Front & Main, is helmed by Executive Chef Jesse Souza. Front & Main sources its ingredients from the farms and waters throughout Maine, such as Maine Grains, which provides the kitchen with freshly milled, organic and heritage grains sourced from the region. The cheesemonger at Skowhegan’s Crooked Face Creamery, farmers at 3 Level Farm and fisherman at Harbor Fish will also provide their wares to the restaurant.