Terramor Outdoor Resort — Hotel in Bar Harbor

Just returned from a great four night stay at Terramor Outdoor Resort outside Acadia. Though our first time at Terramor, we have stayed with a major competitor outside other national parks (though not their newest location nearby) and would like to offer a comparison.

First of all, and though other options are available, at both resorts we have only ever stayed in tents with private (in-tent) bath facilities. Though I can appreciate the competitors efforts to conserve water, I am not a fan of their pull-chain shower which provides running water for only a few minutes at time (quickly learned how to rig it with a Nalgene to keep the water flowing!). Terramor offers the same in-tent facilities that you would find in a hotel, which by comparison is a luxury! In contrast to their competitor, Terramor also has WiFi throughout the property and electricity in the tents. This means overhead lighting, ceiling fans (vs. battery powered fan on nightstand), outlets for charging electronics (vs. USB plug), and a space heater (vs. wood burning stove). Terramor also has a RTIC soft pack cooler in the room (that I suppose you could also take with you on the go) and free bags of ice in the lodge. Ice was available to us at some but not all of the competitors' locations. My children (ages 15 and 12) preferred the sleeping accommodations at Terramor where there was a bedroom with a double/twin bunk bed separated from the main sleeping area as opposed to a sofa bed or the hive with cots (now called the "kids tent" offered elsewhere). Both resorts offer various indoor (games, books) and outdoor (volleyball, cornhole, etc..) recreational options but Terramor has a pool and hot tub. Additionally, Terramor provides a complimentary breakfast with a spread of fresh fruit, oatmeal, pastries/muffins, cereal, bagels, and the like. For those locations offering dinner service (not all of the competitor locations do), we found options and quality to be similar. Both resorts have communal fire pits but Terramor also has private fire pits (wood provided) at each tent sight. Extras at Terramor such as s'mores, live music, yoga, and special dinning options vary by day. NEITHER resort allows you to drive to your tent. At Terramor you DO have to get all your bags to your tent yourself. They provide wagons but the terrain is not flat! The competitor offers a bit more assistance by way of golf cart.

While Terramor clearly wins on amenities, I have to give overall customer service to the competitor. Staff were not unfriendly at Terramor but there were moments that I was made to feel like an inconvenience and not a guest. After our tent zipper malfunctioned one evening trapping us inside, two staff members came with one commenting to the other that they "did not get paid enough for this." We also reserved a grill site one evening, and it took no less than three trips back and forth from the grill site to the lodge to get everything we needed. Having paid a premium for the food, a quick check-in from staff would have been appropriate and appreciated. While admittingly petty, the first impression Terramor gives is that they care more about the dogs accompanying guests than the guests themselves. On arrival dogs are gifted a "doggy bag" including a water bowl and treats, I didn't even get a writing utensil to be able to complete the form that was required for housekeeping, towel exchange, trash pick-up, etc... I'm a dog lover (though we do not travel with our dog) but for those who are not be forewarned that leashing is not enforced. And, like everywhere, not all dog owners are diligent about cleaning up after their pets.

At either resort, for anyone considering a stay, it is important to know there are elements of camping that are retained. Though the tents are large, they are still tents and so you will hear people, nature (rain, etc..), and animals (including...

This place has an amazing concept with a good amount of potential, and we were very excited to spend our wedding anniversary and my husband's birthday weekend here. The tents are lovely, but honestly, that's the extent of positivity I can provide.

Being a Maine native and frequent camper, I thought this would be a change of pace into something more refined than our normal state park weekends. Our tent was in a cul-de-sac area of the campground (I can't get myself to call this a resort). Our firepit was RIGHT next to our neighbors. It would have been impossible to enjoy this space 4 feet away from strangers who are also trying to enjoy themselves. Thankfully we had friends who were in a different area of the campground, and we used their firepit in the evenings.

Speaking of firepits, one bag of wood is included in your stay, but we were not told this upon check-in, so we bought a few bags. Wood isn't normally included at a campground, but as a "resort" and at the nightly rates they are charging, you'd think wood would be included.

The shower in our tent was very impressive but did not come stocked with shampoo, conditioner or body wash. I found this out only after already getting soaked. After putting on a robe and calling the front desk 12 times I finally I got ahold of someone, who sounded irritated and told me someone would be 'right over'. I waited on the porch for over an hour, and when someone did show up, he was very friendly but regardless we were late for our evening dinner plans.

Speaking of food, when we booked it was explained on the website that breakfast was included with our room rate, but when we arrived we were told that they are unable to provide breakfast. We went into the lodge once other than to check-in and it felt very confusing. We did not eat a thing from Terramor, after realizing the experience was not going to be what we had hoped, we didn't want to spend any more unnecessary money. The beer in our cooler was perfect.

When we arrived we were told they upgraded us to a tent with an outdoor shower (in addition to the huge indoor shower). But the outdoor shower doesn't have plumbing, it's just an outdoor space, more like a closet with no roof. Later we found out that the fixtures they ordered never arrived. We didn't mind since we weren't expecting this feature, but if you did book a tent with an outdoor shower, be warned it doesn't exist currently.

The most disturbing was the smell of septic or sewage around our tent. After bringing our concern to the staff, we were told that the septic is no where near our tent, in fact in a completely different area of the campground. Fair enough, but I'm guessing there is a leak somewhere in the B tents, and at times the smell is so unpleasant that we had to retreat back into our tent and eventually went over to our friend's area (A tents).

As other reviews have mentioned, the road noise is noticeable, and the dust from the paths can be annoying.

Some of these things can be forgiven seeing as they just opened, but when you pay over $700 for a weekend you expect a level of service that was just not achieved. The website photos and descriptions promise much more than what was delivered, which would be fine if the price tag wasn't so steep. $200 a night would be more accurate for what we got; which was an amazing tent in a dusty field close to others with an unpleasant smell. If it wasn't for the proximity to Acadia and downtown Bar Harbor this place would be a bust for us. We are heading back to the area next weekend but staying in our own tent at a...

My recent stay at Terramor Outdoor Resort was a significant disappointment, especially given the high price point of approximately $400+ per night. While the location and access to the islander shuttle were excellent, the overall experience was uncomfortable due to a consistent lack of hospitality and poor communication from the staff.

The only saving grace of our trip was the kindness and assistance of Assistant Manager Richard, who went out of his way to help us. He not only answered our questions but also graciously accommodated our request to store our luggage in his office for a few hours on our last day, allowing us to explore Bar Harbor without the burden of our bags since we didn’t have a car. Without his help, our trip would have been a complete disaster.

Frustrating Arrival and Subpar Accommodations

We checked in at 7:30 p.m., in complete darkness. The front desk staff gave us a map but offered no guidance to our tent, despite our obvious struggles and exhaustion from the long trip. Once we found our way, we were met with more confusion; there were no instructions on how to turn on the lights or fans. We fumbled in the dark, unable to watch the instructional video sent by the resort due to a lack of Wi-Fi and cell service.

When we finally got the lights on, the tent’s condition was unacceptable. We found stained towels, a gummy bear on the floor, and chairs covered in dog hair. The bathroom was dusty, cups and mugs were smelly, and the tent felt damp. This was a very poor start, and it was clear that the accommodations had not been properly cleaned between guests. I later spoke with other guests who had similar experiences, including finding a used contact lens on the floor of their tent.

Inhospitable and Unhelpful Staff

Aside from the assistant manager, the staff's attitude was consistently unhelpful. When I asked about the island shuttle service, a front desk employee repeatedly pointed to a magazine on a table with an exasperated "on your left!"

When I inquired about fresh towels, the same employee curtly responded, "Do you not know about the QR code in your tent?" in a tone that suggested I should have already known. On another occasion, a staff member refused to help a guest with a large spider in her tent, simply stating that they "would rather not kill the insect." Other guests were told to pick up their own umbrellas in the main lodge during a rainstorm. You also have to request your trash to be taken out via a google doc, which again is close to impossible given the lack of WiFi and cell service. And you cannot have outside food in your tent. There is only one filtered water station on site.

My request to store our luggage on the last day was met with resistance and rudeness. One person told me, "I don’t know, we don’t do that because we don’t have room," and offered no further sympathies. Another suggested we just go to the airport six hours early instead of holding our bags. This is what led me to contact Richard, who provided the only example of decent customer service we received during our stay.

In conclusion, while I fell in love with Bar Harbor, my experience at Terramor Outdoor Resort was not what I expected for a "glamping" experience. The inhospitable staff and lack of attention to detail made the stay uncomfortable. Given the price, there are undoubtedly better options available...