In 2026, 1,737 voters from Maine's Aroostook County and beyond shared their favorite local businesses as part of the Best of Aroostook Awards. Here are the 2026 winners of Best Place to Stay, as voted on by you!

The Northeastland Hotel

The Northeastland has towered over Main Street in downtown Presque Isle since 1932,when it was built on the site of the old Presque Isle House for a reported$200,000. The Bangor Daily News announced the hotel's grand opening on June 14,1932, predicting that the “restful lobby” and electric kitchen meant it would “figure prominently in local social functions.” Nearly a century later, that prediction still holds.

The hotel has hosted dignitaries, prom-goers, wedding receptions, class reunions, and even the 2004 moose lottery in its ballroom, once known as the Cafe Rouge. In 2021, the nonprofit Ignite PI purchased the 50-room hotel and set out on a$7 million renovation, adding a coworking space and community business hub while keeping the hotel open the entire time. A memory display in the lobby now holds decades of news clippings, matchbooks, and menus collected from the community.

“These are treasures, and that's what we're trying to capture,” said LeRae Kinney of Ignite PI. “The history includes all these stories, the stories of people who live here and the impact the hotel has had on their lives.” Guests have shared their own Northeastland memories over the years, from proposing in the ballroom to returning decades later to celebrate a 50th anniversary at the hotel's restaurant, Rodney's at 436 Main. A full renovation of every guest room was completed in March of 2026, keeping the historic charm intact while updating the comforts.

2026 Winners

1st) The Northeastland Hotel

Built in 1932 and renovated top to bottom in the years since Ignite PI took ownership in 2021, the Northeastland blends nearly a century of downtown Presque Isle history with fully updated rooms, an in-house restaurant, and event space. It earned first place, and we tip our hat to the whole team who make each stay at the Northeastland a great visit.

‍With 54 votes, the Northeastland Hotel was named the 2026 Best Place to Stay in Aroostook.

2nd) Best Western Caribou Inn

The hotel just south of downtown Caribou, Maine has worn a few names over the years. It opened in 1988 as the Caribou Motor Inn, became the Caribou Inn & Convention Center in 1994, and was purchased in the fall of 2022 by Scott and Laurie LaFleur, who moved their family to Aroostook County from Nova Scotia. Over the following two years, the couple led a full renovation of all 66 guestrooms, the ballroom, the bar, and the indoor courtyard before rebranding the property as a Best Western in late 2024. “Hotels play a crucial role in the tourism economy, and adding a national brand to the property diversifies the lodging types in the region and attracts a greater variety of visitors,” said Jacob Pelkey, tourism developer at Aroostook County Tourism, when the rebrand was announced.

Today the hotel is home to the Tundra restaurant and Buck's Bar, a deer-mural-lined lounge, along with an antler chandelier in the newly renovated lobby. The property has since picked up the WelcomeME Award from the Maine Office of Tourism and Maine Tourism Association, along with a Business of the Year for Economic Impact Award from the Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce.

Best Western Caribou Inn earned second place with 53 votes.

3rd) Vacationland Estates

Tucked between Pleasant and Mattawamkeag lakes in Island Falls, Maine Vacationland Estates has been welcoming guests to its log-cabin-style townhouses for four decades, with sweeping views of Mt. Katahdin and an 18-holegolf course. Guests have been coming back for decades, and some never really leave. Brenda Golder purchased her timeshare unit in 1984 but didn't make it to Island Falls herself until 2009. “My husband passed in 2008 and I just decided the time was right to use the unit,” she said. “I brought my family and we have done it every year since.”

Cliff Randall, who bought his unit in 1989, liked the area so much he put down roots of his own nearby. “I love the area so much, I bought land in Cary Plantation for a  camp,” he said. “It's a great starting point to golf throughout Aroostook County and western New Brunswick.”

Vacationland Estates earned third place with 44 votes.

2026 Honorable Mentions

Listed in order of popularity among voters for the where the best place to stay is:

•       Hampton Inn in Presque Isle, Maine

•       Homestead Lodge in Oxbow, Maine

•       Inn of Acadia in Madawaska, Maine

•       Long Lake Motor Inn in St. Agatha, Maine

•       Northern Door Inn in Fort Kent, Maine

•       Wilderness Pines Campground in Monticello, Maine

•       Ivey's Motor Lodge in Houlton, Maine

•       Shiretown Inn and Suites in Houlton, Maine

•       Shin Pond Village in Mount Chase, Maine

•       Canterbury Royale Cottages in Fort Fairfield, Maine

•       Brookside Inn in Smyrna Mills, Maine

•       Overlook Motel in Eagle Lake, Maine

•       Katahdin Valley Motel in Sherman, Maine

•       Junction 19 & Company in Fort Kent, Maine

•       Mount Chase Lodge in Mount Chase, Maine

•       Wolastoq Inn and Suites in Houlton, Maine

•       Aroostook Hospitality Inn in Washburn, Maine

•       Birch Point Campground in Island Falls, Maine

•       Camel Brook Camps in Fort Kent, Maine

•       Lakeside Lodge in Sinclair, Maine

•       Libby Camps in Oxbow, Maine

•       Old Iron Inn in Caribou, Maine

•       Portage Lakeside Cabins in Portage Lake, Maine

•       Island Falls Opera House in Island Falls, Maine

•       Umcolcus Sporting Camps in Oxbow, Maine

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“Best Place to Stay” is one of the 11 categories recognized through the Best of Aroostook Awards. To see the winners across all categories, visit the 2026 Best of Aroostook Awards winners page.

Aroostook County Tourism created a 17-question survey that was completed by 1,737 participants from January through March 2026. Votes with similar spellings or common typos were combined and tabulated. The top three businesses in each category were recognized as winners, while other businesses receiving votes were recognized as honorable mentions. The Best of Aroostook Awards are a fun way to recognize the places that make Aroostook special, and no prizes are awarded.

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