Просмотр новости
Найдите то, что Вас интересует
Спутники
РН
SpaceX
Роскосмос
NASA
In an Airbnb world, two New Englanders started their own Maine-only vacation rental company
Дата публикации: 06-08-2026 13:57:25
Tides to Pines is a three-year old getaway site offering curated homes across Maine
The post In an Airbnb world, two New Englanders started their own Maine-only vacation rental company appeared first on Boston.com.
Основное содержимое страницы с новостью.
Maine is Vacationland, as evidenced by the countless rentals listed by online agencies like Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com. Then there are regional iterations: a quick online search turns up a dozen companies specializing in renting Maine properties. A recent realtor.com report found that Maine has the second highest number of vacation properties in the United States, trailing right behind Vermont.
So why would two women start yet another Maine-centered vacation rental company?
“With Tides to Pines, we set ourselves apart from other vacation rental companies,” said Molly Hooper, owner and chief executive officer.
“Our homes are curated; we have standards,” added fellow owner and chief experience officer Paige Teel.
Paige Teel (left) and Molly Hooper (right) started Tides to Pines in 2023. – Eric Burr
Hooper and Teel, both Maine natives, have deep backgrounds working for real estate and property management companies, including Summer Maine and Vacasa.
“We got to know each other while working for competing companies that are now defunct,” Hooper said. “But, during that time, we learned a lot about what not to do, and often talked about how we would do it if we were running things.”
They got the chance to try in December 2023, when they launched Tides to Pines.
“During COVID, the rental business in Maine boomed,” Teel explained. “People saw this as a safe place to come, and that did not stop after the pandemic.”
By the fall of 2024, Tides to Pines represented 80 homes. Under the Casago umbrella, the company today employs 72 full- and part-time employees and manages a collection of about 475 properties.
Casago (which recently acquired Vacasa), founded in Arizona in 1996, uses a local franchise model and manages tens of thousands of properties across North America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. The company’s Maine properties are now managed by Tides to Pines.
Most are along the Maine coast, while several are near Moosehead Lake and Western Maine’s ski mountains. Several, including a house on Matinicus Island, are remote and inaccessible except by boat or small plane. All, according to Hooper and Teel, have been carefully inspected. They’re required to meet local and state safety codes, such as those calling for smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, reliable railings, adequate lighting, and sound construction.
South Point on 700 Acre Island, a vacation property managed by Tides to Pines, in Islesboro, Maine. – Eric Burr
South Point on 700 Acre Island, a vacation property managed by Tides to Pines, in Islesboro, Maine. – Eric Burr
“Ours is a carefully curated portfolio,” Teel said. “We have a big Rolodex of plumbers, contractors, electricians, landscapers, and people who provide seasonal services like snow plowing or kayak rentals. We make sure that rental properties are safe, spotless, attractive, and furnished with everything guests require, like a kitchen stocked with groceries, including spices and condiments, a crib for the baby, dog sitters, dining reservations.”
Their properties range from simple two-bedroom log cabins to rambling estates with swimming pools, docks, and hundreds of feet of private waterfront. Available Labor Day weekend rentals range from a seven-bedroom home in Boothbay Harbor for just under $5,000 (Friday to Monday) to a petite studio home in Northport for $635.
Hooper and Teel do a fair amount of styling in which they edit out superfluous tchotchkes, rearrange furniture, and gently convince homeowners that their grandmother’s décor needs an update.
“We also make sure that each guest is matched with the right property,” Hooper added.
Clark Cottage, a vacation property managed by Tides to Pines, in St. George, Maine. – Eric Burr
Though their properties are available on Airbnb and Vrbo, Hooper and Teel explain that their business model differs from that of those sites.
“They publish your listing and let people book it through their platform,” Hooper said. “They don’t get involved in the property or a guest’s needs … as a property owner or a guest, you’re on your own.”
Tides to Pines staff, she said, is available to both guests and homeowners day or night.
“We offer concierge services because guests want experiences. For example, we will arrange for chefs to come to properties for private dining events, or we will find a yoga class for you,” Teel added.
The homes are also listed on Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy.
In the future, Teel said, the company wants to offer stays in offbeat properties like train cars, yurts, tree houses, or Airstream trailers. “We have a geodesic dome in Boothbay, and we’d like to offer more places like that,” she said.
“That’s what we love to do,” Hooper added. “Offer cool houses in cool locations.”
Regina Cole
Regina Cole writes about architecture and design for national and regional publications, with a specialty in historic architecture and the history of the decorative arts.
Address Newsletter
Our weekly digest on buying, selling, and design, with expert advice and insider neighborhood knowledge.
Схожие новости
Классификация: Пресс-релизы. Схожих патентов: 0. Схожих новостей: 10. Тональность: 0. Информативность: 10.95. Источник: www.boston.com.