You’ll have no problem at all finding the Norumbega: just head north out of town and look for the castle on the right. Well, it’s actually a mansion (built of stone in 1886 by telegraph system inventor Joseph Stearns), but it looks like a castle. Wonderfully eccentric and full of curves, turrets, angles, and rich materials, this hotel’s on the National Historic Registry. There’s extravagant carved-oak woodwork in the lobby, a stunning oak-and-mahogany inlaid floor, and a roomy solarium. When Sue Walser and Phil Crispo took it over in 2013, the stunning building had sat empty a couple years after some ups-and-downs with previous owners. They replaced a lot of dated furnishings and bedding, made some structural repairs, added heated bathroom floors, and rebuilt the awesome decks out back, which overlook a sprawling lawn and glittery sea. In short, the place is feeling much fresher than its 130 years. The two suites here rank among the finest in northern New England: the bright and airy Library Suite, in the original two-story library (so big it has an interior balcony, surrounded by books and a sliding ladder), and the sprawling Penthouse with its superlative bay views, king-size bed, and huge oval tub. Phil’s Culinary Institute of America training pays off at breakfast, and multi-course tasting dinners are an option as well.