Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Balance Rock Inn is one of the premier oceanfront lodging properties in Bar Harbor, ME. Set on a secluded tree-covered property with expansive views of Frenchman's Bay, this luxurious bed and breakfast Inn's name celebrates the "balance rock," a precariously positioned boulder on the nearby ocean shore, a huge remnant from an ice age. The Inn offers a tremendous sense of privacy and serenity, yet steps away lies downtown Bar Harbor with its village green and many fine shops and restaurants. Built as a family "cottage" in 1903, when wealthy tycoons selected the most desirable locations along the rocky, island-studded Maine coast for their summer season mansions, Balance Rock Inn today presents romantic ambiance and luxury amenities to make your vacation relaxing and unforgettable. Gaze from the veranda past the glistening swimming pool, beautiful flower gardens and sweeping lawns framed with stately trees, to where the property connects with the historic Shore Path walk along the water
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
What a perfect location for locals to soak in a staycation too!!! Slow down and appreciate this classy oceanfront property. Listen to the waves, watch the wildlife and boats out in the waters from the comfort of the Inn’s various seating options. Probably one of the best complimentary breakfasts that we have ever consumed. The staff were so personable and my entire party felt reenergized leaving with a renewed love for this place we call home.
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Date of stay: October 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.
What makes this property stand out is not only it's architecture, history, and excellent seaside location, but their outstanding service. From the moment we opened the door, we were treated like privileged guests and were taken on a complete tour of the inn and grounds before being escorted to our room. That level of service is extended to both their piano bar and restaurant, The Veranda. We chose to sit outside for most meals (breakfast is included in the price of the rooms) in order to take in the view, but we were offered blankets and a heater. I am still thinking about the wooden box of chocolates that our server brought to the table to select one confection as a complimentary treat. We stayed in room 107 that seems due for renovation soon. The wallpaper seemed dated (even in a period hotel), the area rug was dirty, and the tub/shower was not properly maintained. I was surprised they were not more on top of the maintenance considering this is a four-diamond-rated property. Also, it rained one night of our stay and the rain pounded down on top of the window air conditioner all night long making it extremely difficult to sleep. Advantages of this room are a private entrance and patio and easy walk around the corner to take in the ocean view. May I suggest the inn adds a doormat to wipe your feet before entering the room? Especially when many guests have been hiking in Acadia. I hate to mar my review with the comments on the room, but it really does need attention.
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Date of stay: June 2022
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
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 have stayed at The Balance Rock Inn many times as a couple. We like the quiet tucked away rooms on the upper floors the best. The staff is helpful and friendly. The Inn is clean and cozy. One disappointment is the breakfast. When we first began coming, the breakfast was a huge buffet set up in a room that has now been turned into a kitchen. It was lovely, but much more than necessary. They did some remodeling and opened a restaurant that offers fine dining in the evening. No objection to any of this, but 2 years ago we were offered a menu to select from that included a nice variety. Now the “free” selections are severely limited and if you want fresh fruit, granola, or some type of meat to go with your breakfast, you are charged for it. After paying roughly $700 a night for a regular room for 4 nights, it seems petty to nickel and dime your guests over a $10 breakfast. Only disappointment, otherwise, a lovely experience.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: October 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.
There are many great looking places to stay in Bar Harbor and the surrounding area. Choose one of those over Balance Rock Inn. Yes it is very convenient and steps from shops and restaurants. Yes it is oceanfront and the view is lovely. The Inn itself is well over 100 years old and shows it. The common areas have received some attention in recent years but the guest rooms are stuck in a time warp. Our first night was spent in the Carriage House with a window unit air conditioner. It roared to life every few minutes keeping us awake through the night. There was mold in the corners of the shower. We asked to be moved the following morning and you would have thought we had asked for the deed to the place. The front desk staff was kind and tried to help but the final decisions were made by a manager that never called us or came forward to speak with us. By continuing to persist we were offered a move to another room where we would be required to pay $300 additional dollars per night. We were finally moved to a room in the Inn that supposedly had A/C but it never cooled off overnight. Our third night we were moved again to a room with a 6’ x 5’ bathroom. I actually bumped my head trying to dry my legs after a shower.
One staff member told us the lack of updates were charming and “sells this property.” Please. Today’s discriminating traveler expects updated bathrooms at a minimum at this price point. We weren’t offered any refund for the inconvenience like some reviewers I read. Lesson learned. Don’t make the same mistake we did. The breakfast included with your stay is nice but doesn’t come close to making up for the rest.
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Date of stay: July 2024Trip 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.
1.When we checked in we had to wait for an employee to “give us a brief tour” instead of just giving us the key. The tour consisted of an employee in our room saying “here is the remote, it turns on the tv” “When you go to breakfast tomorrow you’ll sit down and receive a menu, it will say complimentary and not” “Here is the tub and a glass door shower”
My friend thought we were on an SNL episode or being punked because he was stating such obvious stuff as we just wanted to get settled and hadn’t asked any questions. Not sure if it was in hopes of a tip or what but had the opposite effect.
2. Gym is only open 9am to 5pm - So basically you can’t use it before or after work. 3. There were a total of 2 bath towels in the room and 2 people staying in it - suggest putting a couple extra towels in case someone wants a dry towel for their second shower as we did. 4. Part of reason we booked it is we wanted to eat at the restaurant. Ton of empty tables but as of 7:15pm they said they weren’t seating anyone else that night because they only have 1 server. They offered to seat us by the pool with the same menu though - very odd. So you can have staff bring us this expensive food at a chair by the pool (which is further for them to walk to than the restaurant tables) where we sit by the pool and order it and bend over awkwardly to eat $40 entrees but you can’t seat us at the empty table in the restaurant
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Date of stay: August 2022Trip 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.
Balance Rock Inn is located on a nice secluded street by the water’s edge with beautiful water views. That is one of the only positives about this inn. I struggle to find anything else nice to describe.
Sadly, it’s past its prime and very overpriced for a ‘luxury’ inn, but it is by no means luxury in our opinion.
There are several issues with the inn, but our main problems are threefold: room, breakfast and maintenance.
Our Queen Ocean View room on the 3rd floor was stifling hot when we checked it at 3:00 PM. The hallway leading to the room was unbearable and once we entered, it felt as if we entered an oven. There were two stand alone air conditioning units in the room which were very loud. If you have normal hearing capabilities, it would bother you. One was broken and the other struggled to cool the room.
We received no apologies, but it was only after we demanded they either move us or replace the broken one, that the maintenance person replaced the unit. The AC units are so loud that we turned them off the second night because we could not sleep! Then of course you get mosquito bites because the fly screens have big gaps!
Another rather funny, but sad point about our room is that we have a ‘private’ balcony. However to access it, we need to go through three doors! Yes, three doors! We need to leave our room, go through the hall door to another short hall and enter via another door. It’s quite misleading to market the space as your ‘private’ balcony!
The second big issue is the so called ‘complimentary’ breakfast. Only three items are complimentary, but breakfast staples such as bacon, fruit, yogurt, sausage, and espresso coffee all incur extra charges. It’s highly misleading and leaves a very bad taste. You feel as if you are being fleeced.
Lastly, the inn has very few places for hotel guests to actually relax and mingle. Almost all the space is taken up by Veranda, the restaurant. The maintenance also leaves little to be desired. The carpeting is tired and stained in quite a few areas and paint is peeling on many windows and around the outside of the hotel.
While the inn may have been nice previously, it is not worth the money. We would not go back nor recommend it.
By the way, we never once met the manager although he would have known about our broken air conditioner.
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Going through three doors for your ‘private’ terrace
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 arrived a little early for our reservation and were told our room would be ready in about an hour and a half, or around 2:30pm. The room was in fact ready as promised at that time.
The woman at the front desk was very pleasant, and we got a chance to meet the famous Clinton who was outstanding! He escorted us to our room and explained so much about the hotel and the surrounding area. We ran into Clinton a few more times during our stay and he was always so amazing to talk to.
Every other employee we came across were from other countries, and by talking to some of them it seems they are employed there just during the busy summer season. A great opportunity for them definitely.
The hotel itself is extremely charming and has a ton of character. We loved the backyard pool, patio, and large grassy area that extended all the way to the waterfront.
My only complaint is how they handle the charges for the stay. I thought most hotels were going away from this practice but Balance Rock may have not gotten the memo yet. We paid the one night and tax in advance, then paid the remainder when we checked in. Then upon checkout, they charged one night plus tax, and any additional charges we made at the bar. So they’re holding roughly $850 of ours hostage until the bank settles everything which who knows how long that’ll take. Very frustrating. Otherwise, a great stay.
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Date of stay: August 2024Trip 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.
When you pull in the parking area you feel like you have just arrived at a mansion. Technically, you have! It is a beautiful place, and we were greeted by a lovely hostess and bellman. The bellman was kind an took us around the place and talked about the history and also the amenities available for us. Throughout our stay, all of the staff we interacted with were very attentive and nice. The grounds were gorgeous and, as described, on the ocean. The view from the main house and pool area was breathtaking. At night the place is lit up so from the shore looking back it is equally as impressive. We stayed in Room 305 (a queen ocean view room). It was not a large room but had a balcony that had an amazing view. The bed was very comfortable and the room and bathroom were both very clean. Being only a block from the main street the location could not be better. We would definitely stay here again.
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Date of stay: July 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
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.
A well located inn with beautiful views and a nice pool .Attentive staff for the most part. However, it does appear that the restaurant and the restaurant experience is more important than the customers of the inn. The owners seem to think they are supporting a "celebrity chef ." Part of the beauty of an inn are the common areas. Much of that space has been changed for the restaurant. A beautiful, classic old New England room for breakfast buffet was taken over for the restaurant, and theNew England style lobby and parlor have been redecorated in Vegas black (as were the colorful outdoor Adirondack chairs) .
During evening hours, the patrons of the inn have nowhere usually to sit indoors, outdoors, or by the bar as those spaces are now overrun by the restaurant customers. Same for parking spaces for those staying at the inn.
If you're in a hurry in the morning you will need to wait till 8am and suffer through the interminable table service of their restaurant experience.
Most of the financial resources have been directed towards the restaurant so that there's been a slow deterioration of the rooms at the inn. Our room had an outdoor railing that was dangerously falling apart. The Manager said that they only allocated a few rooms per year to redo, and this was not in the current rotation .
In summary , well located to town and ocean with a pool, but it has lost its specialness . For the money there are better similar options.
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Date of stay: August 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:When you go out to dinner, take your time returning
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.
Balance rock Inn was an excellent experience for my wife and I for a three day stay in Bar Harbor/Acadia national Park area. We had read the mixed reviews about the Inn and were pleasantly surprised that none of the complaints that we read about we’re realistic. The morning breakfast in the restaurant was outstanding for the items that were included with the room. No need for extra charges given the excellent choices and high-quality meal. In addition, there was a continental breakfast area that you could pick up fresh baked goods and coffee and tea from. Afternoon cookies were also available and all complimentary. Our queen size room was very nice and consistent with the decor you would expect at an older inn. There was in room, air conditioning, which was perfect, considering we were at the Inn during a warm stretch of weather.The warm weather also allowed us the opportunity to enjoy the pool deck and the pool. All in all, it’s a great place to spend several days walking along the coastal trail and visiting the shops and restaurants in Bar Harbor , don’t let the negative reviews influence your selection.
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Date of stay: September 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.
We do allow pet but in certain rooms only, you can call and ask about availability. we do have a pet fee, its $40 per night per pet. No restrictions on size or type of dog.
There are more places to choose from in the Bar Harbor area.
PRICE RANGE
$332 - $572 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
balance rock hotel bar harbor, balance rock inn bar harbor
LOCATION
United StatesMaineDownEast and Acadia MaineMount Desert IslandBar Harbor
NUMBER OF ROOMS
27
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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