Located on the coast of southern Maine, the York Beach Surf Club, a new 52-room family-owned resort deeply rooted in the
history of northeast surfing culture and beach vacation hospitality, has officially opened its doors this month. Originally founded in 1963 as an organization for local surfers by York’s own Sonny Perkins, a surfer who was pivotal in the overall emergence of east coast surf culture and the first surfer in the state of Maine, it found new life when his son Taylor purchased the property in 2020.
history of northeast surfing culture and beach vacation hospitality, has officially opened its doors this month. Originally founded in 1963 as an organization for local surfers by York’s own Sonny Perkins, a surfer who was pivotal in the overall emergence of east coast surf culture and the first surfer in the state of Maine, it found new life when his son Taylor purchased the property in 2020. Conducting the largest restoration in the region in two decades, the hotel was re-envisioned by Perkins’ own design team, The Surf Company, as ‘Scandinavian Modern Maine,’ melding modern minimalist Scandinavian style with the spirit of Maine’s traditional coastal architecture. Drawing from the inspiration of the rich history that Sonny and his coalition of surfers in Maine, York Beach Surf Club’s revitalization features 52 brand new guest rooms and bungalows, a heated salt water pool and pool bar, and an oceanfront lawn space for their raw oyster and cocktail bar the “Rolling Pearl, a fully restored vintage 1964 International Harvester milk truck. With multiple outlets serving food & beverage offerings, the property boasts an all-day cafe and bar serving locally sourced seafood, a coffee bar by Daybreaker Coffee Company serving espresso cocktails dawn to dusk, and in-room dining available to guests staying at the resort. Guests will also enjoy coastal amenities and unique-to-the-property experiences, such as on site surf lessons with a private instructor, and harvest moon wine pairings on the lawn. A forthcoming full-service restaurant will debut later in the summer season.
York Beach Surf Club is located on Long Sands Beach, southern Maine’s most celebrated and revered beach, spanning across the Atlantic Ocean with beautiful views of historic lighthouses and quintessential oceanside villages sprinkled along the coastline in the periphery. With a fresh, new modern exterior, the design of the property celebrates surf culture. From the natural wood bands around the perimeter of the Waverider building (indicative of the stringers in a surfboard) to the coral doors, each aspect of the design was crafted specifically to evoke the art of board making. Every guest room offers its own distinct vantage point of the ocean or the resort’s grounds. Inspired by York and southern Maine’s surf culture, the property’s design depicts the evolution of surfing’s emergence from the 1960s to today, through the meticulously designed decor pieces and materials, showcasing depth and discovery of the property’s unique origin story.
“Our goal with creating this project was to offer something entirely new for York and this area of Southern Maine,” said Taylor Perkins, owner, “by creating a full-service property that offers a fun and laid-back atmosphere for guests and locals to hang out and immerse themselves in Maine’s surf & beach vacation culture – whether it’s for a morning coffee and an early surf, a day of pool lounging, or an evening of cocktails under the stars.”
The entrance to the property in the Oceanfront building combines a mix of materials that reflect coastal Maine, such as Maine cedar accents, gray wood floors, and bold black fixtures. As guests check in, they will notice around the check-in desk classic 1960’s longboards, which have been surfed by the founding members of the York Beach Surf Club. Artwork in the hallways comes from Perkins own original photography collections as well as the collections of the original York surfers’, spotlighting photos of the Surf Club throughout the years on York Beach and giving guests a nostalgic and authentic representation of how surfing came into its own in the 60’s. Sitting next to the front desk in the lobby is a balsa surfboard that belongs to Sonny Perkins, signed by every living member of the York Beach Surf Club and visiting surfers over its tenure in the 60’s.
The Oceanfront building also houses the vibrant Pineapple Café, serving an all-day menu of East and West Coast “coastal” fare, from Maine lobster rolls to the morning breakfast burritos and blackened tuna tacos. Located within the Pineapple Café, The Surf Club’s own coffee brand, Daybreaker Coffee, offers an array of artisanal coffee drinks such as lattes, americanos, cortados, cappuccinos, and espressos. Oceanfront, guests can find The Rolling Pearl, the property’s flagship raw bar and cocktail caravan, converted from a mid-60’s milk truck that Perkins himself found and restored. Packing a lively oceanfront scene on sunny days, The Rolling Pearl serves the freshest oysters, raw bar menu, and seafood towers dawn to dusk. Later this summer, the property will debut Fiske, a full-service, open to the public restaurant featuring an elevated luxury dining experience on the top floor of the Oceanfront building, overlooking all of Long Sands Beach. The lively rooftop restaurant, designed by McKeithan Design Studios from Nashville, Tennessee will boast an aesthetic curved bar facing out onto the beach providing a picturesque ocean view window. Pineapple Poolside Café, the heated salt-water pool and pool bar, will be a guest-only amenity — melding the upbeat energy of a classic pool bar with the idyllic nature of New England summer, Pineapple Poolside will feature a pool-specific menu where patrons will sample specialty drinks, such as the Palm Tree In Maine frozen cocktail, and various small plates served fresh to their chaise loungers. Each F&B outlet will serve cocktails specifically designed for the Surf Club by Tales of the Cocktail finalists Ben Clemons, a York native, and Jamie White of The Pearl Diver in Nashville, Tennessee.
York Beach Surf Club’s 42 hotel rooms and 10 bungalows all feature indoor and outdoor spaces, each of which has been meticulously crafted for each guest’s experience by The Surf Company team, from outdoor patios at the bungalows to balconies in each hotel room with ocean or pool views. With multiple nodes around the property playing host to fire pits and Adirondack chairs, patrons and guests will cozy up to the warmth of an evening fire with the custom blankets designed specifically for the Surf Club. A walking trail throughout the resort grounds provides guests an opportunity to take morning strolls with their pup (the full property is dog friendly) or evening walks down to the beach and enjoy the crisp Maine air. After hours, the pool scene transcends into a festive party atmosphere, where the poolside bar turns into a nighttime scene exclusively available for guests of the hotel to enjoy. Sounds from the house DJ will be hosted on weekends (weather permitting), and for special nightlife events exclusive to guests of the Surf Club.
Each room features hand-built, custom furniture designed by The Surf Company’s own design team for the property, including white oak headboards, custom valet and closet combos with personal safes, garment racks, and small benches near the entry. All photography showcased in the rooms is from the archives of Sonny Perkins, showcased to the general public for the first time in 50+ years. The modern and coastal nuances combine to create calm interiors that blend with the beauty of the surrounding landscape, from thoughtful surfing-inspired design touches in each room, to private outdoor areas with outdoor showers in the bungalows, to communal fire pits with grilling platforms available for all guests.
In terms of onsite programming, York Beach Surf Club will have thoughtfully curated cultural and wellness offerings that integrate York Beach Surf Club into the broader community, introducing guests and locals to the neighborhood’s creatives, tastemakers, surf instructors, and businesses. Private surf instructors can be booked for one-on-one lessons, and all guests will have access to complimentary foam surfboard use. Curated trips to Mount Agamenticus for hikes, day trips to Portland for food and wine tours, sailing trips, and lobstering or fishing trips can be curated by the concierge and private events team. Food and wine events will also be held at the property, including the York Beach Oyster Fest and York Beach Food and Wine Fest. The property will also host ongoing cultural events on the lawn and by the pool during the summer with live band open-air shows, DJ performances, art installations, chef and bartender demonstrations, comedy shows, happy hours, and more.
Located in the heart of York, Maine, the property is part of the beach’s emergence as a narration of East Coast surfing in the 1960’s. As a locale for summer migration with a permanent influx of immigrants and travelers over the last few hundred years, York inevitably found itself at the front line of 60’s surf culture, concurrent with the craze created by the Beatles and the Californication of 60’s youth. Today, generational travelers flock to southern Maine’s coast and the town of York for the iconic surfing, beaches, lighthouses, golf courses, and freshly caught coastal cuisine. Just a short drive to the lively seaport town of Portsmouth, New Hampshire and 45 minutes south of Portland, the York Beach Surf Club’s prime location lies equidistant to the travel hubs of Portland, ME and Boston, MA. York Beach is poised to become a hospitality node sure to connect with every kind of traveler.
