Seasider Motel — Hotel in Bar Harbor

My wife and I stayed in room 322 at the Port Inn Bar Harbor from July 10, 2022 though July 14, 2022 (four nights) at a per night room rate of $304.82, plus $40.00 per night for our dog. The main reason we selected the Port Inn Bar Harbor was because it was advertised as a dog friendly hotel. When we made the reservation, it was our understanding that the room was on the ground floor, and we understood that there was no elevator.

It was also our understanding when making the reservation that complimentary breakfasts were provided, and that there was an outdoor swimming pool.

What we were not told until we arrived at the hotel is that house keeping is only provided every third day, and that the pool was not open or operational.

On the positive side, the location is a mere half mile from the center of downtown, and reaching the center of downtown is a flat, tree lined, pleasant walk. The complimentary breakfast is as advertised, with a choice of yogurt, muffins, hard boiled eggs, coffee, tea, and at least one juice. The neighborhood is quiet, and the front desk, maintenance, and housekeeping staff are all friendly, pleasant, and accommodating, and the hotel permits pets.

On the other hand:

The room was located up a substantial slope from the parking area, and there were an additional 14 steps which needed to be negotiated to reach our room. As a person who suffers from pulmonary issues, this made every single trip out of our room to get breakfast, walk our dog, go to our car, get ice, or pack and unpack our car an ordeal which we did not anticipate.

Housekeeping was only available every third day. There was absolutely no housekeeping until we called (on our cell phone) after three days (on July 13, 2022). The room was not cleaned, neither linens nor towels were exchanged, nor was the trash removed prior to our call to the front desk.

Only after being told on the fourth day that our name was not on the housekeeping list, and after calling the front desk, were we able to get fresh towels and the trash removed.

The telephone in our room did not work.

The window blinds in our room were inoperable upon our arrival, and although an attempt at repair was made, they were still a struggle to raise and lower.

There was no closet, clothing rod, hanger, or even a hook in our room to hang our clothing.

The ice machine nearest our room was inoperable.

We were surprised that there was no provision for recycling on the property.

We still trying to resolve a billing error with the hotel; it has been referred to our credit card company as a disputed item.

We do not...

Exceptional Hospitality at Seasider Motel in Bar Harbor! Our two families had an absolutely wonderful stay at the Seasider Motel in Bar Harbor, Maine, on July 20th and 21st, 2025. We booked two rooms for two nights, and from the moment we arrived, we were blown away by the hospitality and care provided by the staff. After a long road trip from Florida, arriving late on our first night, we were warmly greeted by the night manager, Dustin. His exceptional hospitality and accommodating nature were a breath of fresh air after ten days of mixed hotel experiences. Dustin’s warmth and professionalism set the tone for a truly memorable stay. The motel itself, while older, is impeccably maintained. Our rooms were spotlessly clean, comfortable, and more than sufficient for our needs as we prepared for days of hiking in Acadia National Park. The continental breakfast was a pleasant surprise, offering a great selection of cereals, pastries, bars, coffee, and juice—perfect fuel for a day exploring the park. What truly made our stay unforgettable was the thoughtfulness of the hotel manager, Tim. On our first morning, Tim stopped by our rooms to personally welcome us and surprised our four kids with adorable mini stuffed Maine lobsters, complete with adoption certificates! The kids were thrilled, and as parents, we appreciated this delightful touch (no live lobsters or county fair goldfish moments here!). Tim’s friendliness extended beyond this gesture—he took the time to offer fantastic recommendations for hikes, dining, and lesser-known spots to catch the sunrise beyond Cadillac Mountain. His knowledge of Bar Harbor and Acadia was invaluable and made our trip even more special. I don’t often write reviews, but the outstanding customer service and genuine hospitality at the Seasider Motel compelled me to share our experience. While the accommodations may not be the Ritz-Carlton, they are clean, comfortable, and perfectly suited for anyone visiting Bar Harbor or Acadia National Park. We highly recommend the Seasider Motel for its warm staff, well-kept facilities. Thank you, Dustin and Tim, for making our stay so...

I stayed here for 3 nights to hike. Not a bad location, average price. Would not stay again.

Pros:

Front desk lady was very nice. Room was clean. Ample free parking. A/C was very powerful.

Cons:

The room was never cleaned during our stay. No maid service, no fresh towels / sheets, nothing. I've never experienced that in a hotel before. As we were packing up to check out, we discovered papers that we were apparently required to fill out in order to "request" maid service because it isn't automatic. Ok, that's wildly strange, but I can do it. The problem is... no one told us about the system at check in, so we never did it. Ouch. The door didn't exactly lock in an overly safe way. The secondary lock was tiny and misaligned. Just not great. The door to the room was wide open upon our arrival, so multiple flying insects had come in (without paying rent) to also use the room. That's annoying. The breakfast was beyond rough. We only tried it once, so maybe other days were better, but our experience was comically bad. We arrived right around the midpoint of the breakfast hours to find almost everything out of stock. Selection was really small to begin with, and maybe 15% of the stock was left. But the coffee... The coffee tasted straight up like pool cleaner. It was pure chemicals. I took 1 sip, figured something was off but would let it cool a little, then took a second and just pitched it. I wasn't brave enough to try any of the "food" available for breakfast, but my wife did. She threw it all away. Just 0/10 on breakfast. If it is going to be that bad, just save everyone some time by not even offering it. And not the hotel's fault, but the construction site across the street fired up around 6:30am and was LOUD.

Overall, I would not stay here again. The price is simply far too high for the quality. If it was $150 a night in a touristy place like Bar Harbor, it would be great. At ~$250 a night, I expected a lot more and...