I had to stay at the Black Bear Inn recently in order to attend a funeral of a lifelong friend. I was very happy to have such an easy check in process and such a friendly and welcoming staff. I got checked in in minutes, had a delicious cookie, and then headed to my room.

My room was clean, bright, and decorated with quilts and artwork depicting black bears. I thought the room was very tastefully decorated and very comfortable. I even had a small stuffed black bear on the bed to "keep me from being lonely." I purchased the bear (which his tag said I could) as the profits go to Cancer Care for Maine - one of the charities my friend who passed requested donations be directed to.

I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone who is staying in the Bangor/Orono area. It is very conveniently located directly off the Stillwater Ave, Old Town exit of I-295 and is an easy drive to Bangor and the surrounding area.

I will be back to stay for a happier occasion - thank you to the staff for the amazing service. My only note is that I wish the restaurant were open past 8 PM (at least until 10) so that when I got back from visiting hours at 9 I could have had dinner or a drink in the restaurant instead of having to drive into town. I did have a great dinner at Pat's Pizza (the original!) that night in Orono...which was a real treat...so it all worked out.

We stayed in 7 different hotels throughout our Main trip and the Black Bear was the most pleasing. The rooms were roomy, clean and beautifully decorated with a rustic lodge theme that was cozy and pleasing to the eye. (I thought it might me "hokey", but no!) With all that expected comfort, we were also pleased to be invited to a wine and cheese reception in the main lobby. That was a nice way to mingle with other guests and lighten-up after a long drive. This is a non-smoking hotel as was expected, but for my die-hard smoking friends, the lodge offers a clean, covered patio with ashtrays placed far from the possiblility of offending other guests. That's thoughtful!
The staff was very warm and welcoming and ready to offer help and information on the area. Great breakfast too. Orono is close to all the places one might be looking for without the very high prices of being right on the coast.

I stayed here in May for two nights and was so disappointed on cleanliness. It's an older hotel; however, the age of hotel should not be an excuse for being dirty. The floor was not vacuumed; there was brown and red splatter marks on the wall and door; the sheets did not fit and there were stains on the bedspread; dust on the furniture; and dirt in the bathroom (floor, tub and counter). I know most the reviews were good for this hotel, so maybe this was a fluke... if so I hope these problems were resolved! The other thing was the man at the front desk was very sarcastic when we requested extra sheets (it was like pulling teeth to get some that actually fit!). Not at all what I had expected.

This is our second stay at the Black Bear Inn and we loved it as much as the first. They happily took our little Scottie as a guest and we appreciate that very much. We wanted a room with a fridge and the room they had for us did not have one. Guess what! They brought us one. The staff is very friendly and helpful. We enjoyed the breakfast and had room service one night. It was very good and reasonable. The decor is so cozy with the Bear quilts and the bear pictures over the bed. We went for walks on the main street and there are fast food outlets there if you want them. There is also a small shopping center within walking distance. We plan to return, this location is excellent for shopping in Bangor and only a few minutes drive away. Next time we will book ahead and get a suite with the fridge. Thanks for a great stay!