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The Black Bear Inn & Event Center is an award-winning hotel conveniently located at exit 193 of I-95 and minutes from UMaine campus. The hotel is 100% non-smoking and the popular choice for UMaine visitors, conference attendees and tourists from all over the world. Each room offers a refrigerator, microwave, and Keurig coffee maker. Guests can access our free high speed-Wi-Fi.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Quiet
Family
Languages Spoken
English
Location
4 Godfrey Dr, Orono, ME 04473-3610
Black Bear Inn & Event Center, Ascend Hotel Collection
Convenient location, and the staff were all so sweet and friendly. The breakfast was a small but decent selection (waffles, yogurt, fruit, bagels, a couple cereal and microwave breakfast sandwiches) but they only offered tea, coffee, and orange so I would recommend bringing water with you! Our room was clean and the free wifi was decent, the shower water was the hottest of any hotel I've stayed at recently with really good pressure! The parking lot was cleared very well of snow and there were plenty of places to walk the dogs and we felt safe doing so with all the lights.they even offered contactless housekeeping! However, I was a little disappointed. I used to love this hotel for it's cute bear theme (quilts, little plushies, artwork etc) and there were none. We thought maybe it was just our pet friendly room but the very sweet lady at the front desk informed us that the new owners were getting away from the bears. That really saddened me as I thought that was what gave it such a nice vibe and why we chose to stay here. We enjoyed our stay but I'm not sure we'll be back when there's no real draw to this hotel over a best western or holiday inn.
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Date of stay: April 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I stayed overnight at the Black Bear Inn and Conference Center. There aren't many hotels in Orono, so this was a pleasant surprise. It appears to be an okder hotel that was updated. Some of the fixtures are older but clean and well kept. We had a room with 2 double beds, not huge but big enough for a small table and chair, as well as a desk. The staff was very friendly and helpful, especially the guy who answered the phone and checked me in (Jacob?). It is a "pet friendly " hotel for $25 but smelled fine and was very clean. The breakfast was basic waffles, coffee, and breakfast sandwiches that could be warmed. Close to the University of Maine Orono and Bangor, it was perfect for my needs. There was ample room for taking our dog for a walk, and they offered pet waste bags if needed. If you have allergies, etc, make sure you request a non pet friendly room (my room was pet friendly before I even asked about it. It worked out, but if I had allergies, it may have been a problem. I would also suggest to Management to keep a supply of wipes by the doors. It had been raining when I went out, I wiped my dog down before I went back in but I don’t know that everyone would think to do so.
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Date of stay: June 2023Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Â Request non pet friendly room if you have allergies
Near the highway
Checkout is 11
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My family and I stayed two nights at this hotel; nothing fancy. The complimentary breakfast was not worth eating unless you like grab and go food. The coffee was also pretty bad.
The place is clean, even though we did find a used tissue next to our bed. Still, overall, it was well kept. The staff were helpful and professional.
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Date of stay: May 2024Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I am disgusted with the treatment I just received from Michelle the General Manager at the Black Bear Inn located in Orono, Maine. On Friday the 26th of April. My 86 year old mother suffered a heart attack earlier this week and I had to drop everything and travel to Nebraska to care for her. I am still here and she is still very fragile awaiting a triple by pass. I contacted Hotels.com for help and they reached out to The BlackBear Inn to see if they would work with them to move my reservation or approve the refund and they refused!! So I then reached out to Michelle the GM at BlackBear Inn myself and she was extremenly short with me did not care about my situation or was she empathetic to what happened she refused to work with me and went in to say that I should not have booked through a third party and I should have booked thru them directly. I have been staying at this property for 4 years and am scheduled to stay again on the 10th of May thanks to the horrible treatment I have received from Michelle I will be cancelling this stay as well and will NEVER ever stay at this property again and highly advise everyone that is considering to stay here not to!!! Horrible horrible people. I also tried to chg my future reservation on the 10th of May and she would not cooperate and the hotels.com representative told me he also tried to help a d. Ales them and they were very short with him and did not care about the underlying circumstances and refused to help.
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Date of stay: April 2024Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Â Avoid Black Bear Inn in Orono, ME god forbid you have an emergency the GM at the Property,...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed here for graduation weekend. Plenty of parking and close to I-95. Front desk was very courteous and pleasant. The rooms were clean and larger than an average hotel room. Beds and pillows were very comfortable and hot water was plentiful even in the morning hours. Each room has individual heater/cooler. They had information that there would be no maid service during our stay, but we could leave a form provided outside the room with items that we needed. Since we were 2 adults staying for 3 nights, it was not a problem. Breakfast was good - Belgian waffles, cereal, bagels, muffins, yoghurt, egg and cheese and bacon in English muffins, fruit, coffee, tea, juice, etc. They had a toaster for the bagels, but it would have been nice if they had a few slices of bread to toast too. Overall a very nice stay and we will stay here if we visit again.
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Date of stay: May 2022
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Beds were very comfortable and clean. The floor seemed like they could use a mop. My suite was very spacious, but did lack lighting, there was only 1 bedside light. You had to open the shades to let light in, which works during the day, but not evening. I'm not sure about my suite, but the sink and toilet seemed exceptionally low so maybe it was a handicap room. The tub also had low sides.
The hotel is very easy to get to from the freeway and the sitting area is small but comfortable.
They did have a soup of the day they served in the evening. We did not have an opportunity to partake however.
The breakfast leaves you wanting, especially if you're there for several days. Mostly grab and go along with waffles and microwavable Jimmy Dean sandwiches and breakfast burritos (that were tasty). The dining area is very cramped, but the area is kept clean and well plenished.
The pop machine on the 1st floor was empty, after trying on the second night I was informed that the 3rd floor machine may have drinks... (helpful)
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Date of stay: August 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from LaTasha Dawson, General Manager at Black Bear Inn & Event Center, Ascend Hotel Collection
Responded Aug 19, 2024
Hello, We appreciate your honest feedback about your stay at Black Bear Inn. We take all opportunities to improve very seriously. We will be sure to share your comments with our housekeeping leadership. We do offer a grab and go continental breakfast with waffles. I am glad to hear that you enjoyed the burritos! We hope to host you again during any future trips to Vacationland. Warmly, Black Bear Management
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Very comfortable. The cleanest hotel room I’ve seen in years. Very pleased. Continental breakfast was more than expected with great options and great coffee… this area was spotless as well even with moderate amount of morning diners. All we need is clean and comfortable and we got much more. We stayed one night for our daughter’s nursing graduation ceremony. Would definitely stay again.
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Date of stay: December 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed overnight after a concert in Bangor. The room smelled really fresh and clean when we walked in and surprised how big the room was and updated, the bed was very comfortable, we stayed in a king suite. The room had a larger fridge than most hotel rooms, also a microwave and single coffee machine. The staff was very friendly. Nice place, would stay there again.
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Date of stay: June 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I have just been to the Black Bear Inn for a two-day conference. As a conference site, it is fantastic. It's an easy navigation from Bangor Airport (we rented a car and used our phone's GPS). There is plenty of free parking and the hotel is in a nice area for walking. There is a mall close by in case you want to pick up refreshments for the room. Our room had a mini fridge and small microwave. There were two basins in the room which helped with readiness in the mornings. I did not see a safe in the room; however, we did not feel our items were unsafe during our stay. The staff who attended to our conference were outstanding insofar as meal preparation and serving. The conference rooms worked well and our banquet in the ballroom was fantastic. I appreciate having the option of a coin-operated washer and dryer. The room was not made up during our stay; rather, we were given a large plastic bag to deposit used towels and clean towels to replace the used ones were delivered to the room. There were multiple channels on cable TV in the room. The staff puts out coffee and tea all day long for guests. Likewise, the breakfast room was very nice. My only tension was that the bed in our room was really, REALLY soft and lumpy and we did not sleep well either night because we were very uncomfortable.
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Date of stay: April 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed at this hotel while on a college visit to the nearby University of Maine. It was conveniently located near the college and near several dining options. While the hotel was not super fancy, it definitely seemed nicer than most hotels I've stayed at in this price range. It was evident that they put a lot of effort into decorating the grounds for the fall season (pumpkins, etc.) and the black bear theme throughout the hotel was a nice touch. The breakfast options were also better than you normally get. It included the usual standard bagels, cereal, etc., but also offered premade breakfast sandwiches, fresh fruit, and some sort of french toast bake (?) that my daughter particularly liked. It was a little bit of a drive (about an hour and 20 minutes), but we made a couple of day trips into Acadia National Park. Staying in the Bar Harbor area in a similar quality hotel cost twice as much so we didn't mind making the longer drive in. We will definitely stay here again on future visits should our daughter decide to go to UMaine!
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Date of stay: October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Orono area.
PRICE RANGE
$106 - $142 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
black bear hotel orono, best western orono, orono best western
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Black Bear Inn And Conference Center
LOCATION
United StatesMaineOrono
NUMBER OF ROOMS
68
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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BLACK BEAR INN & EVENT CENTER, ASCEND HOTEL COLLECTION
Frequently Asked Questions about Black Bear Inn & Event Center, Ascend Hotel Collection
Which popular attractions are close to Black Bear Inn & Event Center, Ascend Hotel Collection?
Nearby attractions include Orono Bog Boardwalk (3.0 miles), Evilcorp Haunted Attractions Australia (3.0 miles), and Maine Forest and Logging Museum (3.6 miles).
Are there any historical sites close to Black Bear Inn & Event Center, Ascend Hotel Collection?
Many travelers enjoy visiting Penobscot Indian Island Reservation (3.9 miles), Penobscot Indian Island Reservation (3.4 miles), and Penobscot County (4.1 miles).
Is Black Bear Inn & Event Center, Ascend Hotel Collection accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access, reduced mobility rooms, and facilities for disabled guests. For specific inquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.
