Last Updated on October 14, 2026 by Adrienne

My family comes to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park every summer, and our favorite place to stay is the Bar Harbor Inn. The Inn somehow manages to feel elegant and upscale while also being casual and unpretentious with a full slate of family-friendly amenities. It’s New England charm at its best, and has an ideal location just steps from the shops and restaurants of Bar Harbor, but away from the bustle of downtown, with stunning views of Frenchman Bay and the Porcupine Islands from many of the rooms.

The Bar Harbor Inn, my favorite place to stay in Bar Harbor, Maine

Full disclosure: My husband and I got married at the Bar Harbor Inn many years ago and I do have a sentimental attachment to the place. But I’ve also stayed here as a regular guest many times, sent friends and aquiantances here, and always visit at least one of the Inn’s restaurants on each trip to MDI, no matter where I’m staying. I really believe that there’s no better place to stay in Bar Harbor, whether you’re on a family trip with young kids or a couple looking for a romantic getaway.

Accommodations & Location

The Bar Harbor Inn offers accommodations in three separate buildings: the Main Inn, the Newport Building and the Oceanfront Lodge. Many rooms have spectacular ocean views over Frenchman Bay and the Porcupine Islands, including lovely sunset colors. Just look at that view! I could look at it forever. This is from our room at the Oceanfront Lodge.

Oceanfront views at sunset from the Bar Harbor Inn

In addition to the unbeatable views, the Bar Harbor Inn is right next to Agamont Park, the Bar Harbor Town Beach/Pier and the Shore Path, which are some of my favorite things to do in Bar Harbor with young kids. Shops and many dining options are just a short walk away; close enough to access with ease but far enough away that the property feels very tranquil even during peak season from June to October.

srcset="https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8067.jpg 2016w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8067-300x225.jpg 300w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8067-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8067-768x576.jpg 768w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8067-1536x1152.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 775px) 82.3226vw, 638px" style="width: 638px !important;height: 476px !important;max-width: none !important;max-height: none !important;position: absolute !important;left: -136px !important;top: 0px !important;padding: 0 !important;margin: 0 !important;border: none !important;" title="IMG_8067*" alt="IMG_8067*" />
Bar Harbor Inn overlooking the Bar Harbor Shore Path, one of my favorite things to do in Bar Harbor with kids srcset="https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8186-rotated.jpg 1512w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8186-225x300.jpg 225w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8186-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8186-1152x1536.jpg 1152w" sizes="(max-width: 775px) 49.2903vw, 382px" style="width: 382px !important;height: 512px !important;max-width: none !important;max-height: none !important;position: absolute !important;left: 0px !important;top: -2px !important;padding: 0 !important;margin: 0 !important;border: none !important;" title="IMG_8186*" alt="Bar Harbor Inn overlooking the Bar Harbor Shore Path, one of my favorite things to do in Bar Harbor with kids" />

Dining

The Bar Harbor Inn serves a complimentary breakfast in the Birch Point building, which is nestled between the playground and pool. There are also two sit down restaurants open to the public as well as hotel guests: the casual all-outdoors Terrace Grille (lunch/dinner) and the more upscale Reading Room (brunch and dinner).

Complimentary Breakfast

The complimentary breakfast offered to guests is simple but tasty and offers things like croissants, muffins, savory pastries cheese, fruit and yogurt along with coffee, tea, juice and milk. The breakfast room is cozy and I love that it overlooks the playground so kids can burn off energy while parents finish up their meal.

Complimentary breakfast at the Bar Harbor Inn srcset="https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_0430-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_0430-300x225.jpg 300w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_0430-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_0430-768x576.jpg 768w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_0430-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_0430-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 775px) 82.3226vw, 638px" style="width: 638px !important;height: 476px !important;max-width: none !important;max-height: none !important;position: absolute !important;left: -74px !important;top: 0px !important;padding: 0 !important;margin: 0 !important;border: none !important;" title="IMG_0430" alt="Complimentary breakfast at the Bar Harbor Inn" />
Breakfast room overlooking the playground at the Bar Harbor Inn srcset="https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8046-rotated.jpg 1512w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8046-225x300.jpg 225w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8046-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8046-1152x1536.jpg 1152w" sizes="(max-width: 775px) 49.2903vw, 382px" style="width: 382px !important;height: 512px !important;max-width: none !important;max-height: none !important;position: absolute !important;left: 0px !important;top: 0px !important;padding: 0 !important;margin: 0 !important;border: none !important;" title="IMG_8046" alt="Breakfast room overlooking the playground at the Bar Harbor Inn" />

Terrace Grille

The Terrace Grille does not take reservations, and I’d expect a wait if you come after about 5:30-6 in peak season. The menu focuses on New England classics like lobster bisque, clam chowder, lobster salad and rolls, and blueberry pie. The food is pretty good, but the scenic views overlooking Frenchman Bay are even better. The entire restaurant is outdoors on the patio directly above the water, and I think it’s quite possibly the prettiest spot to eat at in the village of Bar Harbor.

Clam chowder at the Terrace Grille at the Bar Harbor Inn srcset="https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8029-rotated.jpg 1512w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8029-225x300.jpg 225w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8029-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8029-1152x1536.jpg 1152w" sizes="(max-width: 775px) 49.2903vw, 382px" style="width: 382px !important;height: 512px !important;max-width: none !important;max-height: none !important;position: absolute !important;left: 0px !important;top: 0px !important;padding: 0 !important;margin: 0 !important;border: none !important;" title="IMG_8029" alt="Clam chowder at the Terrace Grille at the Bar Harbor Inn" />
Blueberry pie at the Terrace Grille at the Bar Harbor Inn srcset="https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_6501-rotated.jpg 1512w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_6501-225x300.jpg 225w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_6501-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_6501-1152x1536.jpg 1152w" sizes="(max-width: 775px) 49.2903vw, 382px" style="width: 382px !important;height: 512px !important;max-width: none !important;max-height: none !important;position: absolute !important;left: 0px !important;top: 0px !important;padding: 0 !important;margin: 0 !important;border: none !important;" title="IMG_6501" alt="Blueberry pie at the Terrace Grille at the Bar Harbor Inn" />
Terrace Grille at the Bar Harbor Inn, one of the most scenic restaurants in Bar Harbor

Reading Room

The Reading Room is the more upscale restaurant at the Bar Harbor Inn with an elegant ambiance and a more creative menu, but due to the number of children staying at the hotel it’s also family-friendly and they even have a kid’s menu with simple foods like chicken tenders. The Reading Room has nice views from floor-to-ceiling picture windows but because it’s indoors and not all tables are near the window the views aren’t quite as picturesque as from the Terrace Grille. It’s a bit pricey, but in terms of food quality I think this is my favorite restaurant on Mount Desert Island. The bread with blueberry butter and the sea scallops with lobster and potato hash are some of the biggest highlights of the menu for me.

Seared scallops with lobster and potato hash at the Reading Room restaurant in Bar Harbor, Maine
Bread with blueberry butter at the Reading Room restaurant srcset="https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_5200-rotated.jpg 1512w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_5200-225x300.jpg 225w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_5200-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_5200-1152x1536.jpg 1152w" sizes="(max-width: 775px) 49.2903vw, 382px" style="width: 382px !important;height: 512px !important;max-width: none !important;max-height: none !important;position: absolute !important;left: 0px !important;top: 0px !important;padding: 0 !important;margin: 0 !important;border: none !important;" title="IMG_5200" alt="Bread with blueberry butter at the Reading Room restaurant" />
The Reading Room restaurant at the Bar Harbor Inn srcset="https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8113.jpg 2016w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8113-300x225.jpg 300w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8113-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8113-768x576.jpg 768w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8113-1536x1152.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 775px) 82.5806vw, 640px" style="width: 640px !important;height: 478px !important;max-width: none !important;max-height: none !important;position: absolute !important;left: -22px !important;top: 0px !important;padding: 0 !important;margin: 0 !important;border: none !important;" title="IMG_8113" alt="The Reading Room restaurant at the Bar Harbor Inn" />

Pool, Playground and other Family Amenities

The Bar Harbor Inn has shifted its focus in recent years to become more of a resort-style hotel with a welcome gift for kids (a cute stuffed beaver), a playground right outside the breakfast area, and many family-friendly activities, including complimentary s’mores at the fire pit every evening, lawn games, yoga (for an additional fee) and occasional visits from a sea creature touch tank. These small details really add up and help make the hotel feel exceptionally welcoming to families.

Stuffed beaver given to children visiting the Bar Harbor Inn srcset="https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8390-rotated.jpg 1512w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8390-225x300.jpg 225w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8390-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8390-1152x1536.jpg 1152w" sizes="(max-width: 775px) 49.2903vw, 382px" style="width: 382px !important;height: 512px !important;max-width: none !important;max-height: none !important;position: absolute !important;left: 0px !important;top: 0px !important;padding: 0 !important;margin: 0 !important;border: none !important;" title="IMG_8390" alt="Stuffed beaver given to children visiting the Bar Harbor Inn" />
Complimentary s'mores every evening at the Bar Harbor Inn srcset="https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8116-rotated.jpg 1512w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8116-225x300.jpg 225w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8116-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://destinationsanddesserts.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_8116-1152x1536.jpg 1152w" sizes="(max-width: 775px) 49.2903vw, 382px" style="width: 382px !important;height: 512px !important;max-width: none !important;max-height: none !important;position: absolute !important;left: 0px !important;top: 0px !important;padding: 0 !important;margin: 0 !important;border: none !important;" title="IMG_8116" alt="Complimentary s'mores every evening at the Bar Harbor Inn" />

There’s also a large infinity pool overlooking the water, along with two hot tubs (officially for ages 12+ but that wasn’t being enforced during our recent visit and we saw many kids in them). Maine can be chilly and rainy even in the summer, especially in June, but that didn’t deter kids from being in the pool around the clock.

Infinity pool at the Bar Harbor Inn

I tell anyone who will listen that Bar Harbor-Acadia is one of my favorite destinations for families, especially with kids 6 & under, because it’s one of the rare national parks that has so much to do and see without doing any intense hiking. If you’re planning a trip to this part of Maine, I can’t recommend the Bar Harbor Inn enough.

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