The Best Hotels to Book in Bar Harbor, Maine

The vibes at Bar Harbor Manor are more Bar Harbour than “Baa-haa-baa”, if you catch our drift. Take the elegant British-style parlor, for instance. It’s the kind of place where sitting beside the fireplace with a glass of scotch is almost obligatory. Refined guest rooms feature cherry furniture and cozy feather-down quilts. The stone benches and secluded Adirondacks chairs in the garden will add an extra level of solitude to your stay, making the lively streets of downtown feel miles away.

You’ll be surprised how quiet the vibes are at Hearthside Inn. Despite being two blocks from Main Street, this Victorian B&B is on a laid-back residential street where you won’t have your z’s interrupted by last call. Savor the silence as best you can – after all, it doesn’t get any better than soaking in the whirlpool spa reserved for the classic king room. When you need noisy neighbors, walk over to the Thirsty Whale Tavern where barflies are packed in like sardines.

If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to read Moby-Dick, pack it for your visit to Sand Bar Cottage. The three-story Boscobel and the Chauffeur’s Cottage were constructed soon after Melville penned the novel. You’ll love getting lost in the pages while surrounded by old-world charm. Before you close the book on your holiday, take advantage of the short walk to the harbor and see if you can spot a mighty whale with your very own eyes.

You don’t even have to step foot from the light-dappled front porch of the Bar Harbor Grand to feel like you’re in the thick of town. Located right on Main Street, people-watching will be your third favorite activity during your stay. The runner-up? Soaking in the jacuzzi as the autumn air rolls in. But the blue ribbon goes to the lobster-roll ravaging you’ll no doubt partake in as you eat your way up and down town.

You’ll check into the Atlantean Cottage not knowing that it’ll become your favorite spot to vacation for years to come. B&B privacy blends with luxury hotel comfort and prime proximity to the best of Bar Harbor. You’ll stay steps away from Main Street and less than 10 minutes by car from Acadia National Park. Imagine trekking through the hiking trails, a light rain chilling your bones, only to retreat back to Atlantean Cottage at sundown where in-room fireplaces, steam showers, and spa bathrooms will warm you up in no time.

Do you mind a 3,166ft (965m) walk to Bar Harbor Lobster Co. for some of the best seafood in town or a 1mi (1.6km) stroll to the gateway of Acadia National Park? Primrose Inn will get you fueled up for any length of adventure with a full breakfast and afternoon refreshments on your return. You’ll be just fine with a queen or king guestroom, though if you want the full Maine country cottage experience, upgrade to a suite for a little more room to rest your feet.

Athletic guests will love the Inn on Mount Desert, a hotel that challenges you to a friendly game of bocce in the garden. If you’d rather hit a ball a little farther across the green, the Kebo Valley Club golf course is right around the corner, bumped up between the entrance to Cadillac Mountain and the Cadillac North Ridge Trailhead. No matter your score, booking a room with a private terrace or balcony will make you feel like a champion.

Bar Harbor may seem small in the shadow of Acadia National Park, but Acadia Hotel wants to introduce you to more than 300 shops, bars, and restaurants within two blocks of the hotel. Take advantage of the complimentary bicycle hire and peddle down to the Wild Gardens of Acadia for a scenic workout, then come back and relax in the hot tub – soaking in even more of Maine’s magnificent scenery.