This Coastal Maine Inn Has a Whiskey Club, Art Gallery, and Sunrise Views

Greg Soutiea didn’t set out to become an innkeeper. After years working in corporate property management in Boston, he and his wife Lauren were burned out by the constant cycle of “putting out fires.” Then a stay at a small inn on the coast of Ireland changed the trajectory of their lives.In this episode, Greg shares how the couple took a leap of faith and purchased Craignair Inn, a nearly 100-year-old property perched beside the ocean on the St. George Peninsula. Today, the inn has quietly become one of Midcoast Maine’s most distinctive destinations, with a celebrated brunch program, a 250-bottle whiskey collection, rotating local art exhibitions, chef dinners, and direct access to the trails of Clark Island Preserve.But this conversation goes beyond hospitality. Greg opens up about workforce housing, building community, creating meaningful guest experiences, and why he believes the best inns should feel less like luxury resorts and more like home.We also talk about sunsets that turn the granite causeway gold, the surprising number of artists living on the peninsula, and why some guests come for the whiskey while others come for the peace and quiet.