Bar Harbor, Maine, open May 20 to Oct 22
An 1876 Victorian, kept the DownEast way
Twelve rooms and a two-bedroom cottage, a homecooked breakfast every morning, steps from the heart of Bar Harbor.
Holbrook House Bed & Breakfast · 74 Mount Desert St, Bar Harbor, ME 04609 · +1 207-288-4970
Standing since 1876
Built in 1876 as summer lodging, spared by the fire of 1947, a bed & breakfast since the early 1980s.
DownHome Comfort and DownEast Charm. A relaxing adult atmosphere.
Hosts Eric and Michelle are delighted you are looking at their home. Thirteen guest rooms and a two-bedroom cottage, each with its own character, in the yellow Victorian on Mount Desert Street.
Twelve rooms and a cottage, one register
Four king rooms, seven queen rooms and a third-floor queen suite, plus Ash Cottage below. Rates are shown on the inn’s own room pages.
King Rooms
4 rooms
Queen Rooms
7 rooms
Suites
1 suite
Ash Cottage: a two-bedroom cottage of its own
A cottage apart from the main house, with its own entrance and its own quiet.
A homecooked breakfast, every morning
- Two seatings daily: 8am and 9am. Sign up the night before for your time and your entrée.
- TO-GO breakfast bags, 7:30–9:30, for early starts.
- Afternoon refreshments with fresh baked goods.
Bar Harbor & Acadia, a field guide
What to see, what to eat, how to get around, and what to watch for, all within easy reach of Mount Desert Street.
General travel notes for the Bar Harbor and Acadia area, gathered from public sources. Hours, fees, and reservation rules change by season, so confirm the details that matter to your trip before you go.
Inside Acadia National Park
The highest point on the Atlantic coast (1,530 ft). In season a vehicle reservation for Cadillac Summit Road is required, booked on recreation.gov; hiking or biking up needs no reservation. From October into early March it is the first place in the United States to see sunrise.
The 27-mile scenic drive through the park. Key stops: Thunder Hole (go one to two hours before high tide for the best show), Sand Beach, and Otter Cliff.
Glassy morning reflections of the Bubbles mountains. The Jordan Pond House next door is famous for its popovers with strawberry jam.
An easy two-mile cliffside walk from Sand Beach to Otter Point, with the surf below the whole way.
Maine’s most photographed lighthouse, best at sunset. The viewing area is small, so expect company at golden hour.
Forty-five miles of car-free gravel roads with stone bridges, built for horse-drawn carriages. Rent bikes in town and ride; the Bicycle Express shuttle hauls you and your bike to Eagle Lake.
The park’s quieter mainland section, about an hour’s drive around, with crashing surf at Schoodic Point and far fewer people.
Around Bar Harbor
A waterfront walk past grand summer cottages, starting near the town pier. At low tide you can walk out to Bar Island on the exposed sand bar.
Downtown museum of Wabanaki art, history, and culture, the Native people of this coast.
Boats leave the town pier for the feeding grounds offshore in summer and early fall; humpback, finback, and minke whales are the usual sightings.
Ride along on a working lobster boat, haul a trap, and learn how the fishery works. Short, fun, and very Maine.
Lobster, blueberries & beyond
Steamed lobster and lobster rolls at the lobster pounds, wild Maine blueberry pie, whoopie pies, and chowder. Breakfast spots in town do a brisk trade with early hikers.
Jordan Pond House popovers are a rite of passage; the restaurant runs seasonally and lunch lines form fast. In town, the long-running local favorites (lobster mac and cheese, creative breakfasts) fill up on summer weekends.
On cruise-ship days and October weekends the waterfront fills and dinner waits stretch. Reserve dinner ahead, eat early or late, and walk two blocks inland from the pier, where the same lobster costs less and the rush fades.
Arrive & move
Hancock County–Bar Harbor Airport (BHB) in Trenton is about ten miles away with seasonal service from Boston. Bangor International (BGR) is roughly fifty miles, about an hour’s drive.
About four and a half to five hours from Boston, three from Portland. Concord Coach Lines runs buses from Boston through Bangor to Bar Harbor.
The propane shuttle buses run late June through mid-October, hub at the Village Green downtown, connecting trailheads, carriage roads, campgrounds, and villages. The smart answer to full trailhead lots.
Trailhead lots fill by mid-morning in July and August; go early or ride the bus. Downtown parking is metered and tight in season. Park Loop Road has a one-way section, so follow the loop direction.
Stay safe out there
Fog can erase a summit view in minutes, and wind bites even in August. Carry layers, a rain shell, and more water than you think you need.
The ocean is cold year-round. Stay behind railings at Thunder Hole and Otter Cliffs; waves are unpredictable and the rocks are slick.
Check yourself after hikes; Lyme disease is present in Maine. Stay on marked trails and wear repellent in tall grass.
Precipice Trail’s iron rungs are serious exposure and close during peregrine falcon nesting season. Skip ladders on wet days and after dark.
Do not feed animals, store food properly, and give moose and seals plenty of space.
Policies, plainly stated
Quoted from the inn’s own policies page. When in doubt, a phone call settles it.
01Deposit & taxes
A 50% deposit is required for stays of two nights or longer. Reservations are confirmed on receipt of the deposit; the balance is due on arrival. Rates are subject to 9% Maine lodging tax.
02Minimum stay
Two-night minimum stay required. Some dates will require a three-night minimum.
03Cancellations
By phone only; email cancellations are not accepted. More than 14 days before arrival: deposit refunded, less a $25 service charge per room. Within 14 days: refund depends on re-rental. Same-day cancellation or no-show: responsible for the entire reservation.
04Check-in & check-out
Check-in is between 3:00pm and 6:00pm; arrivals after 6pm by arrangement. Check-out time is by 11:00am.
05House character
Adults-oriented: children traveling with parents should be at least 12 years old. No pets of any kind. Tobacco and smoke-free campus, including e-cigarettes and THC products; a minimum $400 cleaning fee applies for violations.
06Season
Open May 20 – Oct 22. Please call to confirm availability outside the season.
Questions, answered directly
Straight answers to the questions guests ask most, quoted from the inn’s own policies page.
What is the deposit policy?
A 50% deposit is required for stays of two nights or longer. Reservations are confirmed on receipt of the deposit; the balance is due on arrival. Rates are subject to 9% Maine lodging tax.
How much do the rooms cost?
Current rates are shown on the inn’s own room pages. Call +1 207-288-4970 to confirm availability and rates.
What is the minimum stay?
Two-night minimum stay required. Some dates will require a three-night minimum.
What is the cancellation policy?
By phone only; email cancellations are not accepted. More than 14 days before arrival: deposit refunded, less a $25 service charge per room. Within 14 days: refund depends on re-rental. Same-day cancellation or no-show: responsible for the entire reservation.
When are check-in and check-out?
Check-in is between 3:00pm and 6:00pm; arrivals after 6pm by arrangement. Check-out time is by 11:00am.
Are children and pets allowed?
Adults-oriented: children traveling with parents should be at least 12 years old. No pets of any kind. Tobacco and smoke-free campus, including e-cigarettes and THC products; a minimum $400 cleaning fee applies for violations.
When is the inn open?
Open May 20 – Oct 22. Please call to confirm availability outside the season.
What time is breakfast served?
Two seatings daily: 8am and 9am. Sign up the night before for your time and your entrée. TO-GO breakfast bags, 7:30–9:30, for early starts.
How do I book or contact the inn?
Call +1 207-288-4970 to book or ask. The inn publishes no public email address.
What guests say, on the record
Scores only, from the platforms themselves. No cherry-picked quotes.
Book direct, by phone
+1 207-288-4970Call to book or ask. Cancellations and confirmations by phone only. The inn publishes no public email address.
Check ratesPlease call to confirm, especially outside the May 20 – Oct 22 season.
Visit
74 Mount Desert St
Bar Harbor, ME 04609
Bar Harbor, gateway to Acadia National Park, on Mount Desert Island.
Seasonal: open May 20 – Oct 22.