Marvin Gardens Motel

The Marvin Gardens is situated on grounds with lawns and trees, housed in a series of white cabins with blue doors. The hotel has a rustic, simple feel, and the only indoor public space is the lobby. Units are limited to two seasonal cottages and a small number of guest rooms. The property is at its busiest in the summer season, as guests swim in the outdoor pool and barbecue on the hotel’s grill. Guests tend to be budget-minded couples and families from Quebec and New England. 

The Marvin Gardens is on Atlantic Avenue in the town of Old Orchard Beach, about a five-minute drive from the I-95/Maine Turnpike and a two-minute drive from the Grand Avenue/Highway 9 main drag running through town. Restaurants, shops, a pharmacy, and supermarket are a short walk from the hotel. Unlike many other properties in the area, the hotel is not on the beach and Saco Bay, but it’s only a two-minute drive or a little less than 10 minutes away on foot. The area with Old Orchard Beach Pier, Palace Playland (billed as New England’s only beachfront amusement park), and the Old Orchard Beach Station (for catching the Downeaster Amtrak) is a three-minute drive or a 10-minute walk. 

Old Orchard Beach Ballpark (home of the Old Orchard Beach Surge baseball team) is a three-minute drive. Funtown Splashtown USA amusement park features Maine’s only wooden roller coaster and is said to have New England’s tallest log flume -- it’s a little more than a five-minute drive. Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge is 20 minutes by car. Portland International Jetport is a little more than 15 minutes by car, or about an hour by Downeaster train and bus. 

The Marvin Gardens has two private one-room cottages (closed from late October through early spring), and two buildings of motel-style guest rooms. Units have a dated, spartan look, but they're generally clean and feature an excellent amenities package, including air-conditioning, microwaves, mini-fridges, Keurig coffeemakers, and free Wi-Fi. Units also have flat-screen TVs with basic cable, but some of the sets are a bit small. Cottages with jetted tubs are also available. The en-suite bathrooms are small, with limited counter space around the sink, and all have only showers (with cramped stalls). Bath products are limited to cheap bars of soap and packets of shampoo, and hairdryers are available upon request.  

The Marvin Gardens offers a limited number of property amenities. A small (a little less than 10 meters long) outdoor pool is open in the summer. It’s unheated, but the water is shallow so the pool is nearly always warm enough to swim in. There are picnic tables and propane grills for guests to barbecue, and there's a small ice machine for use during the summer season. The hotel serves free coffee in the lobby, but has no breakfast or other food service; several restaurants are within a short walk or drive. Free parking is on-site, and there's free Wi-Fi throughout. The front desk is closed overnight, but staff is available 24 hours a day.