Introduction

Bar Harbor's lodging spans a hotel that survived the 1947 fire to standard seasonal chains, with genuine winter closures a real pattern here. We checked eight properties below — one well-known historic property turned out to have quietly changed its name after a recent sale.

Bar Harbor Inn & Spa

Built in 1887 as a social clubhouse, this building survived the catastrophic 1947 fire and later became a hotel in

1950. Today it's an oceanfront resort on Frenchman Bay with two restaurants and a spa. Operates year-round.

• *Check-in/out:

• 3pm/11am, confirmed directly on the official site; early check-in and late checkout are on request, not guaranteed.

• *Distance from BGR airport:

• 50 miles, per the official site, which also notes Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport (BHB) is just 12 miles with direct or connecting Boston flights.

• *Good to know:

• Complimentary self-parking, plus complimentary valet for hotel and restaurant guests.

Bluenose Inn

A hillside resort with panoramic views of Frenchman Bay and the Porcupine Islands. Seasonal — closes for the main season each fall, though recent years have added limited weekend bookings for one building into early winter.

• *Check-in/out:

• 4pm/11am, per booking-aggregator data; not independently confirmed on the property's own site, which blocked automated access.

• *Distance from BGR airport:

• About 50 miles; BHB is about 20 minutes' drive.

• *Good to know:

• No pets at Bluenose Inn itself, though the commonly-owned adjacent Wonder View Inn is pet-friendly. Free parking. The main pool, restaurant, and Great Room close for the season (2026 reopening cited as May 8), though the property's Eden Building reportedly stays open select weekends into November-December — worth confirming directly given the nuance.

Harborside Hotel, Spa & Marina

A downtown waterfront resort with a full-service marina and spa. Operates year-round.

• *Check-in/out:

• 4pm/11am, confirmed directly on the official site.

• *Distance from BGR airport:

• About 1 hour's drive (the official site gives drive time, not exact mileage); BHB is about 25 minutes; Portland Jetport is roughly 3 hours.

• *Good to know:

• Self-parking is included in the nightly resort fee; valet available for an extra charge. Dogs welcome with a non-refundable pet fee disclosed at booking, max 2 dogs per room.

Holiday Inn Resort Bar Harbor

A standard chain resort between downtown and Acadia National Park. Seasonal — typically closes early November through early April, though exact current-year dates aren't officially confirmed anywhere.

• *Check-in/out:

• 4pm/11am.

• *Distance from BGR airport:

• About 45 minutes' drive; BHB is about 7-10 miles.

• *Good to know:

• Parking appears to be free (no fee published); pets aren't allowed except service animals.

Atlantic Oceanside Hotel & Event Center

A 12-acre oceanfront property with on-site dining and event space, marketing year-round programming rather than a hard seasonal shutdown.

• *Check-in/out:

• 3pm/11am, confirmed directly on the official site; late checkout is seasonal and subject to front desk approval.

• *Distance from BGR airport:

• The official site doesn't state a figure; third-party sources put it at about 50 miles, consistent with other Eden Street-area properties.

• *Good to know:

• Complimentary on-site parking; pets aren't allowed except service animals (notify at booking); the indoor heated pool operates year-round.

Mira Monte Inn & Suites

Built in the late 1860s or 1870s as a private summer cottage, one of the oldest surviving structures in town — the 1947 fire reportedly stopped roughly half a block away from it. Partially seasonal: the main inn closes in late October, though a separate suites building stays open year-round.

• *Check-in/out:

• 3-6pm (call ahead for late arrivals)/11am, confirmed directly on the official site.

• *Distance from BGR airport:

• About 50 miles via Highway 1A; BHB is 15 miles — both confirmed directly on the official site.

• *Good to know:

• The Suites building operates at reduced winter rates but without breakfast or daily housekeeping in that season. No pets except certified service animals; cancellations need 14+ days' notice for a refund minus a $50 fee.

Cleftstone Inn

Worth a rename flag: this Gilded Age mansion, built around 1881 and once the summer retreat of publisher Joseph Pulitzer, survived the 1947 fire and operated for decades as Cleftstone Manor before a 2023 sale and rename to Cleftstone Inn — some older listings and reviews still use the old name.

• *Check-in/out:

• 3pm/11am, per third-party listings; the official site has no dedicated policies page to confirm this directly.

• *Distance from BGR airport:

• About 50 miles, consistent with its Eden Street address, though sourced from aggregators rather than the property's own site.

• *Good to know:

• Free self-parking and a complimentary full breakfast reportedly served 8-9:30am, per third-party sources; no pets.

Robbins Motel

A genuine budget option, a family-run motel a few miles north of downtown and close to Acadia's main entrance.

• *Check-in/out:

• 3pm/10am, per booking aggregators; the official site's own FAQ lists seasonal dates and pet policy but not check-in/out times.

• *Season:

• Confirmed directly on the official site as early May through mid-October.

• *Distance from BGR airport:

• Genuinely inconsistent across sources, ranging from about 37.5 to 50 miles — the motel sits north of downtown toward Trenton, closer to the mainland than in-town properties, so treat any single figure as approximate.

• *Good to know:

• No pets allowed; front desk hours 8:30am-9pm, with advance contact required for arrivals after 9pm; 72 hours' cancellation notice required or a $25/room fee applies.

Practical Tips

• Bar Harbor Inn & Spa and Harborside Hotel are the two strongest year-round picks if you're visiting outside peak season.

• Double-check any source calling Cleftstone Inn "Cleftstone Manor" — that name changed after a 2023 sale.

• Most properties on this list are seasonal to some degree — confirm current opening and closing dates directly before booking a shoulder-season or winter stay.

• Bar Harbor Inn & Spa and Mira Monte Inn are the only two properties here with officially confirmed distances to the smaller Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport (12-15 miles) — see our travel guide's "Getting There" section for the full airport breakdown.

Sources and Verification Notes

Each property's operating status, address, and history were checked against its own official site and cross-checked against Yelp or TripAdvisor. Cleftstone Inn's 2023 sale and rename from Cleftstone Manor were independently confirmed against local news coverage before being noted. Check-in/out times and airport distances were checked directly against each property's own site where stated; several properties (Bluenose Inn, Cleftstone Inn, Robbins Motel) had no official source for check-in/out times or exact airport distance, so those figures are flagged as aggregator-sourced rather than presented as confirmed fact.