A rebranded and renovated part of the former Trade Winds hotel in Rockland has opened as the Harborline Hotel.
The owner of the new, upscale hotel, Ashish Lall, said he bought part of the Trade Winds Motor Inn in the summer of 2023 for $3.29 million. The Trade Winds, located at 2 Park Drive, sits right on Rockland Harbor.
While the former hotel does still exist under a slightly different name — Trade Winds on the Bay — it takes up only a third of its former property and includes time share units, a restaurant and lounge. Lall, who lives in New Jersey, has converted the other two thirds, which includes 56 rooms, into the Harborline Hotel.
Lall said renovations began in 2024, with all the rooms being updated. Some have had kitchenettes added so people with longer stays, such as traveling nurses or construction workers, may have a place to cook, he said. He also added a lobby and foyer on the eastern side, according to the Midcoast Villager.
“All our rooms have now been fully renovated: bathrooms, furniture, flooring, paint job,” Lall said. “So all basically brand new, taking a modern flair to the area.”
The original Trade Winds Motor Inn was built in 1964, and it has been expanded since then from 32 rooms to 99. The hotel has been cited for code violations on multiple occasions since 2016, with the city threatening to pull its lodging license in late 2021 until the hotel passed an inspection. In August 2023, Rockland completed an inspection of the hotel, found numerous issues, and ordered Lall’s company to address the violations or vacate a second-floor wing within 10 days.
The hotel was hit by the twin January storms of 2024, affecting renovation efforts, Lall said. However, workers pushed through and the hotel opened earlier this month.
“It’s always challenging with weather conditions, the snow, the storms, you know, but we persevered,” Lall said.
However, work still isn’t done. Lall said he’s intending on adding a rooftop bar and lounge to the new hotel after this coming season.
Current introductory rates are around $100 per night, Lall said. But as the season gets warmer and the hotel is around for a little longer, he said the rates will likely increase to be competitive for the area, which according to online hotel booking services, is between $150 and $300 per night.
Jules Walkup is a Report for America corps member. Additional support for this reporting is provided by BDN readers.
