Island View Hotel Bar Harbor

David made us feel very welcome and helped us find fun things to do in the park and nearby. The room was really nice, and that view is hard to beat. It’s also an extremely cost-effective option.

We paid more than $250 a night and expected a lot more. On our departure morning there was no hot water, and they couldn’t say when it would be fixed. I used the Keurig to heat little cups of water for a sponge bath. No compensation was offered. David was delightful when we checked in, but things went downhill afterward. Our room was nice, though it was at the far end facing the road. We only realized after leaving that we could have parked closer. There was no microwave in the room, and the refrigerator had no freezer compartment. A shared microwave is upstairs. We stayed two nights, and Keurig coffee was available the first morning.

David and Blake made the stay a great experience, and I’d happily return. David gave us a quick guide to places worth visiting and even provided a corkscrew. Blake offered extra supplies and towels, and cleaned our room while we were out hiking, even though it was already spotless and stocked with double soap, shampoo, lotion, and more. I’m glad I hadn’t read the reviews before arriving at Island View hotel. I checked them afterward and was surprised by the negative comments, though they seemed to be from one or two years earlier. From check-in at the main office to the help from environmental service aide Blake, the staff made sure my girlfriend and I had what we needed. The hotel is 15-20 from Acadia park, trails, Bar Harbor, and plenty of other attractions, and the daily rate was especially appealing. A big shout out to David and Blake.

I canceled after our group size changed, since the hotel didn’t have a room available for the new number of people. I hadn’t canceled far in advance, but I explained what happened to Expedia right away. Expedia contacted Island View Hotel several times to ask for even a partial waiver of the no-show fee, and the property manager refused. I was charged the full amount, even though this wasn’t a simple no-show. Our circumstances had genuinely changed, and the hotel lost nothing by showing some flexibility. Policies matter, but applying them without any sense of fairness was disappointing. I’ve stayed at many hotels in Bar Harbor and Maine that handled unexpected changes with empathy. Unfortunately, this wasn’t one of them. I hope management rethinks its approach. I won’t recommend Island View Hotel to anyone visiting the area.