Bar Harbor is on coastal Maine's Mount Desert Island, and is a popular New England destination for fishing and boating activities. The city offers luxury and moderately priced hotels within 10 minutes of the harbor's marinas and boating facilities. Bar Harbor's hotels are also within 30 minutes of recreational opportunities at Acadia National Park, such as hiking and climbing on the park's Cadillac Mountain.
The upscale Harborside Hotel is on the shores of Frenchman's Bay, and features an on-site marina, which offers fishing charters and whale-watching tours on the hotel's catamaran boat, AtlaniCat. This historic hotel was built in the 1940s and provides 187 guest rooms with marble-furnished bathrooms and private balconies that overlook the bay. Other hotel features include an outdoor swimming pool, massage therapies at the hotel's spa and an on-site restaurant, La Bella Vita, which serves Italian cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Off-site dining is available in downtown Bar Harbor, within walking distance of the hotel, at local eateries such as Geddy's Pub and Quarterdeck Restaurant. The hotel is also less than five minutes from downtown attractions, including the exhibits at the Bar Harbor Whale Museum and the Mount Desert Oceanarium, which allows visitors to see marine wildlife, including Maine lobsters.
Situated in the heart of downtown Bar Harbor, the Bar Harbor Grand Hotel is designed after the elegant Roddick House hotel that graced Bar Harbor in the 19th century, when the hotel was a popular New England getaway for wealthy socialites in Portland and Boston. The hotel's interior also reflects the 19th-century Bar Harbor hotel with classical fine art and antique-style furniture in the common areas and guest rooms. The hotel features an outdoor swimming pool and whirlpool tub, fitness center and, during the summer, complimentary shuttle service to Acadia National Park.
The hotel is a five-minute walk from Grant Park, a bay-front recreation area with picnic tables, walking paths and fishing piers. The Abbe Museum on Mount Desert Street is only a five-minute walk from the hotel, and features art exhibits of Native American tribes from Maine. Visitors who want to study the Maine Native American tribes further can check out the Abbe at Sieur de Monts Spring in Acadia National Park, less than 20 minutes from the hotel. This historic spring is only available to the public during the summer and early fall.
The Acadia Inn in northwestern Bar Harbor is one of the closest hotels to Acadia National Park, which is less than five minutes away. This moderately priced hotel features a gift shop, outdoor swimming pool and whirlpool tub, laundromat and a lawn with a picnicking area. Each guest room has a refrigerator and a king-size or queen-size bed. A complimentary breakfast is included in the room rate.
The hotel is only a five-minute drive from restaurants in downtown Bar Harbor. Nearby Acadia National Park features hiking and mountain biking trails, which include the 20-mile Loop Road that encircles the park and a three-mile path that leads to the top of Cadillac Mountain. The park is open year-round, but portions of the Cadillac Mountain path is closed during the winter due to cold weather, which freezes the trail.
