Hanscom's Motel and Cottages — Hotel in Bar Harbor

We booked 7 of Hanscoms 12 Cottages and Rooms for a family anniversary trip of 16 people - We loved this choice of accommodation and all of us were highly impressed with the attention to the small details that made a vacation with such a large group SO do-able and easy. 1. Charming! First the Cottages are charming - each one uniquely designed and fun with whimsical wallpapers like fish or the ocean and original artworks or collections. A few had decorative books, and each one was immaculately clean!! Daily cleaning is by request, so just send a quick text and your room will be freshened. Some of us did this daily, others not needed during the week - it's up to you! |2. Dont worry whether you book a stand-alone cottage or a motel unit - they are all basically the same size with a few minor exceptions - and we were amazed at how sound-proofed the motel units were - we couldn't even hear the TV from the adjacent unit! The kitchens are fully equipped - and we cooked all breakfasts and 5 big meals here! They even have provided salt and pepper!! There is a 4 burner cookstove and microwave and fridge in almost all the units - I believe only 11 and 12 don't have kitchens. Plus paper towels, dish soap - and a Keurig with pods that can be replaced if you need more. The shower stalls are on the small side, as it's re-vamped cottages, but totally adequate and very clean. |Dogs are warmly welcomed and there is plenty of space to walk them, including a grassy area in back along a wooded edge. |The outdoor space is fantastic - with a nice gravel area and a wood burning firepit - and Hanscoms even provides plenty of dry firewood, fire starters and even paper scraps and lighter to get you set!! No need to buy wood or bring supplies!!!||If you prefer, there is also an easy to operate propane firepit under the gazebo. Plenty of chairs too!!! (We had all thought about packing chairs, but there is no need -which saved packing space). Also a fun Cornhole set with beanbags and a great playing area. |There are several options for grilling! The one item we brought that was a big help for pancakes was an electric skillet/griddle - there are electric outlets in the grilling area making it a breeze to cook blueberry pancakes for 16! So much fun. There's a comfy hammock and easy access to garbage/recycling. |While this is contactless check in with door codes, the friendly property manager Isis was around daily, cleaning, fixing the one issue we had with a leaky sink, and taking final payments. Someone is quickly available via text - and there is good WiFi. The location is wonderful just 2 miles to the Hulls Cove National Park entrance and an easy 4 miles to downtown Bar Harbor. |The only drawback was the road is quite loud - but given the location it really wasn't that bad. Even Cottage 1 which faces the road, had a nice full fence that gives you privacy and cuts the noise. Sleeping wasn't a problem as road is quieter at night of course. Beds were SUPER comfy and nice quality bedding and pillows too. This was the perfect spot for our vacation and we highly recommend Hanscoms, especially if you are bringing a dog, plan to save on meals by cooking/grilling out, or want a place to relax with outdoor space! |*We did walk down to the beach which is 10 minutes on the quiet road, to a path. The path is hard to find and doesn't look like there is a way down the cliff at first glance - but there is (at the end of the wooden fence) Getting down there is challenging as you have to scramble on a ledge/boulders - no problem if you're reasonably fit but it would be impossible for others who are older, young kids (or dogs). That said, if you are able - its public beach, beautiful and on a hot summer day would make a great swimming area as it's in a small...

I stayed with my dog in cottage 11 for 2 nights. My first impression was that the place was cute and quaint. However, there were definitely some issues. ||Pros: Pet-friendly. Easy, contactless check-in. Lovely, quiet location away from the busy areas, but a quick drive into town or to Acadia. Even though I didn't really use the grounds, they were nice, equipped with fire pits and grills. Small but cozy, with everything you need (soap, shampoo, towels, hair dryer, etc.). Bed and pillows were pretty comfortable. Wi-Fi and cable/streaming channels. The price was good considering everything in and around Bar Harbor is somewhat expensive.||Cons: I'm not sure about the overall cleanliness. Some areas looked good but then other things caught my eye. Like the paper towel roll that was turning hard and yellow, that looked like it had been there for 10 years. (Those little details count!) The bathroom was tiny, and the door opened inward towards the toilet, so you really had to walk in and close the door to even comfortably use the sink. The bathroom overall looked quite clean, but I did see a few long, dark hairs on the shower wall. Found more of these hairs on one of the sheets. There were also some long coarse hairs in the bed that were clearly from a dog. Now, I'm used to dog hair because my dog sheds a lot. But every pet friendly place, including this one, charges a pet fee that's partly to cover cleaning, so I would expect those traces to be gone. I just pulled the middle sheet off and didn't use it, as that seemed to be the only one with hairs and some stains on it. The air conditioner couldn't be adjusted, so there was just a constant slow trickle of air coming out at all times. Luckily, it got a bit chilly at night but I still had to keep a window or two open for good air flow. Speaking of windows, it was strange that they all had blinds except for the one in the bathroom. It faces houses behind the motel, so who knows if the people who live there got a free show! The screen on one of the front two windows wasn't completely attached at the bottom so I left that window closed to keep out bugs. There are so many bugs outside. The outside light is apparently meant to be on all the time but the first time I went outside at night, a swarm came flying in the room. After letting my dog out, I spent the next 15 minutes killing bugs before going to bed. Also, I had to unplug the refrigerator during my stay because it was so loud that there was no way I could sleep with it running. The bed was also very creaky and noisy (but still comfortable, as mentioned). Lastly, I was disappointed that the info sheet mentioned beach access at the end of the road, but there was no way to actually get down to the beach. I passed a woman walking her dog and she said there was no access due to all the erosion. Not a huge deal, but they should probably amend that point in the info sheet to say it's just a beach VIEW so guests have the right expectation. It is still nice to walk along that street, especially at sunset. ||Hanscom's is really just an okay and less expensive option than some other hotels in the area. But if the owners invested in some room updates and focused more on cleaning, they could...

We stayed in #6 with our dog, and had a great stay. The room was beautifully decorated, very comfortable and perfectly sized with everything you could need for a comfortable stay. While we only used the kitchenette to prepare easy food (i.e., didn't use the stove), the cupboards seemed to have a lot of tools and pans for guest use for more involved meals. The kitchen sink is small so it can make it a bit tricky washing dishes, but we managed and the smaller sink made way for more counter space which was a bigger priority for us. We didn't take advantage of the communal outside space during our stay, but it looked like a great set up with plenty of seating, a hammock, grills, fire wood, etc. The location itself suited us very well; it's an easy to drive into Bar Harbor as well as into all the different parts of Acadia. It was so nice to spend days out hiking or in the hustle and bustle of Bar Harbor and then return each night into the quiet beautiful setting of the rooms/cottages. Check in and out was super easy (room was open upon our arrival). The bathroom was great and had a powerful shower, and there was storage space below the sink and behind the mirror. The only caveat I might add is that some guests may find the shower cubicle a bit tight, but it wasn't a problem for us (and my husband is well over 6 ft and broad). Parking was also super easy, with a designated space outside our room. We didn't hear any other noise from other guests during our stay despite there being no vacancies. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Hanscom's Motel and Cottages to our friends, and we hope to be back one day...