Posted on Sun, May. 25, 2008

We're sitting in wicker rockers on the long porch at Blair Hill Inn, overlooking Moosehead Lake. Ruth McLaughlin, who owns the eight-room inn with her husband, Dan, is chatting with Lori, owner with husband Peter of Black Walnut Inn in Asheville, N.C. The subject: What makes visiting an inn a wonderful experience versus a disappointing one. It's the innkeeper, they agree. If the innkeeper is involved and loves what he or she is doing, it shows in the ambience -- and the attitude.

Blair Hill's got the attitude right. In two days, we quickly feel at home -- but not so comfortable that we feel compelled to carry our plates into the kitchen after breakfast. ''I figure it's a bed-and-breakfast, so the beds better be good and the breakfast better be good,'' Ruth says.

Public spaces downstairs and up are classically beautiful, traditional, romantic and restful . . . but not fussy or dowdy. Family photos sit comfortably on the mantle, but the family isn't underfoot. You can chat with the McLaughlins to learn what changes they've made to the house, what the favored local activities are. Or not.

Either way, you'll likely appreciate their thoughtful touches: flowers fresh and dried, fat candles burning in the fireplaces, good oriental-style rugs, an antler chandelier -- this is moose country after all -- M&Ms by your bedside, lush linens.

Ours is the smallest and least expensive room in the inn, yet we don't feel a bit the underclass. The bedroom is large enough and furnished with a carved wooden bed, lamps with shades in a pretty black-and-white print, antique tables and chests, and a flat-screen TV. Our view doesn't include the lake, but our room does overlook a splendid garden and a rolling grassy hill dotted with blue spruce, firs and pines. And the bathroom is downright massive, with a soaking tub big enough for my 6-foot-4 husband and a shower as well.

Dinner -- served only on weekends -- brings its own unexpected moment of gourmet awe. The heirloom tomatoes are just out of the garden and paired with true artisan buffalo mozzarella; chorizo and shrimp with risotto is smoky and slightly spicy; the cider-glazed duck, both crisp and moist. But what really stands out are the McLaughlins, who call for a masseuse, suggest hikes and arrange a boat ride. At Blair Hill, it's all part of the service.

• Blair Hill Inn, 351 Lily Bay Rd., Greenville, Maine; 207-695-0224; www.blairhill.com. Rooms $250-$495.

-- JANE WOOLDRIDGE