Mount Desert Island (locally known as MDI) has something for every member of your family. Acadia National Park is 47,000 acres of natural beauty; Bar Harbor has shopping centers and fine dining, and the coastline offers fishing and sailing. There is no shortage of accommodation; in 1880, MDI had 30 hotels catering to tourists who were attracted by the paintings of artists such as Thomas Cole and Frederic Church.
The Claremont Hotel, in Southwest Harbor, has been in business since 1884. The hotel offers 24 guestrooms, 14 housekeeping cottages and six inn-style rooms in the Phillips House. The hotel sits at the mouth of Somes Sound, a seven-mile-long fjord, giving fine views from the two restaurants. Facilities include a dock, rowboats and bicycles for hire and tennis and croquet courts. Visitors in July and August can enjoy the music recitals and lectures, held weekly.
This waterfront hotel offers rooms as well as townhouses for larger parties. Spacious hotel rooms have ocean views, free wireless Internet access, refrigerator and microwave. There is a free shuttle service to the airport, as well as to Bar Harbor town center just over a mile away. The hotel is a short walk to the Cadillac Mountain entrance of Acadia National Park, where you can pick up free buses for tours around the park.
The Bar Harbor Grand Hotel is situated in downtown Bar Harbor, with easy access to shops and restaurants. The waterfront is a short walk away, and Acadia National Park is also close by. This is a new hotel, but it copies Rodick House, the 1875 grand hotel in Bar Harbor. All 70 guestrooms are nonsmoking. Rooms offer Internet access and free HBO, as well as coffee, free local calls, DVD player and refrigerator.
The Primrose Inn is situated in downtown Bar Harbor. Serving complimentary full breakfast and afternoon tea, this 1878 building offers Victorian charm with modern conveniences. Guests are supplied with a GPS unit to help with navigation around the locality, and an Amazon Kindle for relaxation at the inn. Rooms have flat-panel television with DVD player (and a library of DVDs), free wireless Internet access and a daily newspaper. When booking, guests can select one of 11 rooms.
