Bar Harbor Villager Motel - Downtown

It’s right on Bar Harbor’s main street, so restaurants are easy to reach on foot, and there’s a fun outdoor bar with live music very close by. The hotel itself is adorable. Best free hotel breakfast I’ve had, with amazing blueberries, avocado toast, and a yogurt parfait bar. So, so good. We’d definitely stay again.

Free parking is a big help in downtown Bar Harbor, where parking is paid, and the hotel is close enough to walk to the shops and harbor. We stayed in the annex, about a block from the main building. The room was a bit cramped, as expected, but clean and fine for what we needed. Breakfast offers a lot more than standard continental fare, and even when the small breakfast area fills up, people move through quickly. We got a free whoopie pie on arrival, a lovely welcome. It’s not a Hilton, but at this price in Bar Harbor it’s about as good as you could ask for. I’d highly recommend it for the value and location.

Breakfast was good, and the Villager is a convenient base close to everything in Bar Harbor. We loved our time there. We added a third night and had to switch rooms for that final night. The staff had the new room ready in the morning without us even asking, so we could move quickly instead of loading the car and waiting for the 3:00 pm check-in. Kudos to everyone who arranged that. Every staff member we met was kind, gracious, and helpful.

The location is what makes staying here so easy. Shops, restaurants, coffee places, bars, and the shore are just a few minutes’ walk away, and we had a great time exploring downtown on foot. A free bus leaves from the little park half a block away and goes around the island and to Acadia. Take it, especially when it’s busy, because finding parking at popular Acadia stops can be a real headache. We saw people circling downtown and the park for spaces, and on busy days parking in Bar Harbor can feel even harder than in New York City. We were first-time visitors and were glad to avoid all that. The motel is quiet and impeccably clean, with useful, well-run features and incredibly kind staff. Those alone would bring us back, and we were making lists of family and friends who’d enjoy visiting Bar Harbor and staying here. Thanks, Bar Harbor Villager, for a lovely visit.