A rendering shows what the hotel would look like once completed. Contributed / Town of Kennebunk

The Franciscan Guest House in Kennebunk will become the Canticle Hotel, in a major overhaul of the historic building.

A proposal to renovate the guest house at the monastery on Beach Avenue was accepted by the Site Plan Review Board last month.

The Society of Franciscan Fathers of Greene, Maine, which owns the property, proposed renovations for both the interior and exterior of the building, with plans to modernize facilities, update the facade, expand parking, upgrade utilities and move guest rooms.

The Society of Franciscan Fathers of Greene, Maine, proposed renovations for both the interior and exterior of the Franciscan Guest House, with plans to modernize facilities. Dan King / Post

The guest house will be renamed the Canticle Hotel.

“This is a major renovation of the Guest House,” architect Robert Metcalfe said.

The Franciscan Guest House is made up of three structures: the main guest house, the White House and the Tudor House.

Metcalfe said the White House and its garage would be demolished. Its eight guest rooms would be transferred to the main guest house, as would 10 of the current Tudor House guest rooms.

The Tudor House would be renovated to include 12 rooms, and a new entry for the Canticle Hotel would be built, with a lobby and a restaurant.

Renovations at the Tudor House would be the second phase of the project, Metcalfe said, so the Guest House could remain open during construction on the main building.

The current swimming pool and pool house would remain.

According to town documents, retaining open space is a priority for the project’s architects.

“There will be no impact to the resources along the Kennebunk River,” the document reads. “There is an extensive trail system on the monastery property that will provide access to guests.”

The renovation is expected to add “really minimal” traffic at the property, Metcalfe said.