Bar Harbor Inn

The building that now houses the Bar Harbor Inn was once a social venue named the Oasis Club that hosted affluent guests including the Vanderbilts and Pulitzers. Even President Taft stopped in during his Bar Harbor visit. Over the years, the building has served many purposes and once sheltered victims of a massive local fire that devastated the area in 1947. The property became the first hotel to open and took on its current name in 1987. Today, rooms at the inn are divided among three separate buildings: the Main Inn, Oceanfront Lodge, and Newport Building. The lobby at the hotel -- in the Main Inn -- feels like an elegant living room, with carpeted floors, a brick fireplace, and a grandfather clock. It’s not uncommon to find homemade cookies and warm cider waiting for guests in the inviting space depending on the season. For dining, there’s the Reading Room restaurant, where guests can take in views of boats on the bay from inside while enjoying piano music or have a lobster bake in the open air at the bayside terrace grill. Guests tend to be older couples, though romance-seekers of various ages also stay here.

Bar Harbor Inn has a picture-perfect location on the Frenchman Bay shore with views of Bar Island and Porcupine Island. It’s a five-minute walk to the restaurants, cafes, and shops in downtown [Bar Harbor](The charming Double Queen Balcony Ocean View Room sports a quaint and traditional style that includes pastel walls and floral-patterned bedding). Popular local restaurants include Cafe This Way (a six-minute walk) and Jeannie's Great Maine Breakfast (a three-minute walk). The main draw in the area is Acadia National Park, which offers over 120 miles of hiking trails and plenty of jaw-droppingly picturesque natural scenery. The park is a 10-minute drive from the hotel. It’s around an hour-and-20-minute drive to Bangor International Airport. Portland is over three hours south of the hotel.

Decor at Bar Harbor Inn has quaint appeal and traditional style, including matching, homey wooden bedroom sets, framed watercolor paintings on the walls, pastel walls with floral wallpaper borders, and floral-patterned bedding. The look won't be for everyone, but has its charms. Rooms in the Oceanfront Lodge offer private furnished wooden balconies with bay views, while many of the rooms in the Main Inn have fireplaces. All rooms have flat-screen TVs with HBO, DVD players, coffeemakers, ironing facilities, and free Wi-Fi (though the internet connection is better in some rooms than others). Lofts are also available with two floors. The rooms we saw in the Newport Building could use some updating, and have fussy bedspreads and outdated carpets. Bathrooms are fairly basic, with dated granite vanities and tones of cream and white throughout; most have shower/tub combos, while some have small stall showers, and high-end Gilchrist & Soames toiletries are standard.

Bar Harbor Inn offers a continental breakfast buffet including pastries, fruit, and hard-boiled eggs. Breakfast service can get extremely crowded and busy, especially in high season. Guests can dine at the Reading Room for lunch and dinner. The restaurant serves all of the fresh seafood and classic New England dishes one would expect from a hotel in Bar Harbor, and meals on the terrace are particularly nice. The hotel has a small, windowless fitness center with two treadmills, hand weights, and an elliptical machine, and yoga classes are available at the inn (seasonally) for a fee. While it's not the most sleek spa we've visited, the space is breezy and bright, and the hotel offers services like massages and hot stone treatments. An outdoor pool and whirlpool are nice perks, and there’s a small wooden playground for the kids. There’s a souvenir shop on-site, and there are two function rooms for private events. Free parking is available on-site and Wi-Fi is free throughout.