21 Albert Mdws, Bar Harbor, Mount Desert Island, ME 04609
E-mail hotel
5 people are viewing this hotel
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.
Full view
View all photos (609)609
360
Panoramas (32) 
Videos (2)
About
#21 of 46 hotels in Bar Harbor
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
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
Read more
Suggest edits to improve what we show.Improve this listing
Property amenities
Free parking
Free internet
Pool
Fitness Centre with Gym / Workout Room
Free breakfast
Bicycle rental
Boating
Pets Allowed ( Dog / Pet Friendly )
Wifi
Pool with view
Outdoor pool
Heated pool
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Complimentary welcome drink
Outdoor dining area
Wine / champagne
Golf course
Hiking
Mini golf
Canoeing offsite
Concierge
Newspaper
Non-smoking hotel
Outdoor fireplace
Picnic area
Sun deck
Umbrella
24-hour front desk
Ironing service
Show more
Room features
Bathrobes
Air conditioning
Fireplace
Housekeeping
Private balcony
Cable / satellite TV
Flatscreen TV
Complimentary toiletries
Safe
Seating area
Telephone
Wardrobe / wardrobe
Bottled water
Clothes rack
Iron
Private bathrooms
Wake-up service / alarm clock
Radio
Hair dryer
Show more
Room types
Ocean view
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Quiet
Historic Hotel
Languages Spoken
English
Location
100Great for walkers
Grade: 100 out of 100
68Restaurantswithin 0.5 km
46Attractionswithin 0.5 km
21 Albert Mdws, Bar Harbor, Mount Desert Island, ME 04609
E-mail hotel
Getting there
Rental CarsSee all Bar Harbor car hire
649Reviews14Q+A100Room tips
Reviews
Traveller rating
- 415
- 135
- 52
- 33
- 14
Time of year
Traveller type
Language
Selected filters
- Filter
- English
Popular mentions
Sort by:
Most Recent
Vince S wrote a review Oct. 2022
What a wonderful three-night experience we enjoyed at Balance Rock Inn. First of all, my wife fell in love with Balance Rock Inn as soon as she walked into the lobby, and then even more when she entered our Oceanview room (#106) and looked out onto Frenchman Bay. Sure the location is outstanding and this well-maintained old inn has such charm but, for me, it was the quality of the entire staff that was exemplary. First of all, we drove from Pittsburgh, PA. We are very comprehensive in our travel packing and had MUCH to unload. Clinton greeted us cordially and took excellent care of everything I "threw at him" (e.g. suitcases, back packs, dog bed, bags, etc.) Such a saint. Then, he gave us a very complete orientation to everything electrical/mechanical in our room. The staff at the receptionist desk were uniformly friendly and service oriented. When we requested a change of towels, we had it in very short order. The wait staff who served us in the restaurant were genuinely friendly and helpful. EVERYONE seemed to make our satisfaction their priority. AND we brought our Labrador Retriever with us. They were VERY accommodating regarding our pet. They had a well-articulated pet policy AND they even provided us with a list of pet-friendly restaurants in Bar Harbor. In fact, prior to leaving home for our trip, we received a very excellent curated list of activities (sights, tours, trails at Acadia, etc.) and restaurants (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a special list of lobster restaurants. As a former HR Executive, I commented to my wife that someone has done an outstanding job of selecting and training the staff at Balance Rock Inn. We stayed at Marriott (2 nights) and Hilton (3 nights) lodging accommodations also during our trip. Without a doubt, Balance Rock Inn was the best!!…
Read more
Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Travelled 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.
Helpful
Hotel's Favourite
My husband and I traveled to Coastal Maine for the first time and I am so glad we stayed 3 nights at the Balance Rock Inn on this trip. The room was beautifully decorated with amazing beds and sheets, and a wonderful bath tub. It was quiet and the air conditioner kept our room nicely cooled during the warm temps. The grounds were great as we took advantage of the fire pit, the sitting area, the pool area, and the grounds right on the water. So close to town, but yet so secluded and private. The staff was efficient and friendly. The breakfast was very good each morning. I can't wait to return to this Inn on our next trip to Acadia.
Read more
Date of stay: August 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.
Helpful
The property is lovely. Room is good sized but seems like it needs a little updating especially given the price point. The service, on the other hand, is where there needs to be marked improvement to warrant these prices. Between our dinner experience at the Veranda to something as simple as asking for an espresso in the morning, service is 2*. The waitstaff seem extremely inexperienced, inflexible and unable to accommodate basic requests without some consternation. I understand that we are in a labor shortage, but the prices should be reflected to adjust for the 2* service - not because the waitstaff doesn’t want to help- they just lack the experience. All in all, unless you are ok shelling out $$$ without expecting a certain level of professional service, stay somewhere else for now.…
Read more
Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Travelled 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.
Helpful
+1
We spent $720 on the room and $300 on dinner. The restaurant and public spaces were beautiful! Re the room, we stayed in 309, a king bed, ocean view w fireplace. The room was disgusting, an embarrassment really, I can overlook granny chic, bad decor, but this room was in disrepair-there were multiple water stains in the very textured ceiling. Lots of cheap heavy furniture which suggests dirt and dust because they’re never moved. 50% of the wallpaper is falling off. The outdated jacuzzi tub is a giant Petri dish of disease. Walls are paper thin, from the bathroom to the room next store, you can hear every sound and conversation. I was thankful to bring slippers because I couldn’t bear walking in the 50 yo green carpet. Good things: great view, great location, free parking, free wifi, nice breakfast, beautiful public spaces, outstanding restaurant, nice staff. Last word- don’t stay here, at least in room 309, it’s gross. The restaurant and public spaces are outstanding and save the day.…
Read more
Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Eat here. Drink here. Do not stay here!
See more room tips
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 Helpful vote
Helpful
I must say it is a beautiful old hotel in a beautiful area and walking distance to everything in town. And everyone that works there is absolutely wonderful! We stayed in room 209 and it was very comfortable. The bed and the sofa in the room were so cozy. The view from our window beautiful. This is an old hotel so don’t expect anything new. Everything is very clean but dated. On our third night we stayed in room 204. Just way to cramped and small for 2 people. Probably ok for one person.
Read more
Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Good free parking and close enough to town so you won’t need your car unless you’re driving to...
See more room tips
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.
Helpful
We booked a weekend in September to celebrate a birthday, reserving what is professed to be one of the finer rooms in the Inn. We came into it knowing that it was a lovely old converted “cottage” and thus fully expected quirky aspects to our stay. Room 408 which was lovely in photos and in person unfortunately had a flaw that makes the room unusable unless the guest is very hard of hearing or is used to sleeping alongside a highway. The built in air conditioner is clearly faulty (and in speaking to staff well known to be faulty) and none of the windows operate. So one is left with the choice of running an A/C unit that sounds like a lawnmower or turning it off to enjoy the silence in a quickly stuffy room. To prove my point, the A/C registered 70 DB on a sound meter 10’ from the unit. Sound levels for sleeping are recommended at no more than 40 dB. Adding insult to injury, the unit seemed incapable of cooling the room adequately when the afternoon sun hit the windows so the fan cycled on and off repeatedly. The hotel offered to move us but due to the time of year we were offered three different rooms for each of the 3 nights with a variety of good and bad views. We elected to check out early and stay at our nicer home in Vermont. Genuinely shocked that an inn of this quality rents this room out at the prices they charge. THERE ARE BETTER OPTIONS IN BAR HARBOR.…
Read more
Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Travelled 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.
Helpful
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…
Read more
Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Travelled 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.
Helpful
What a lovely experience from check-in through check-out! Nice bar with a really good restaurant right in the hotel, also with an enjoyable outdoor space. Beautiful room with a deck facing the water with a nice breeze. Bathroom was a little odd but nice. Great location on the waterside walkway - easy walk into town
Read more
Date of stay: June 2022
Value
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.
Helpful
+1
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.…
Read more
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.
Helpful
+1
The perfectly located and lavish Balance Rock Inn is a renovated mansion that was built back in the Gilded Age. Its located right on the Shore Path, right near the ocean, and a few blocks from the heart of downtown Bar Harbor with all of its wonderful shops and restaurants. The Balance Rock Inn also has by far the best service of any hotel I have ever been too. Every staff member I came in contact with went above and beyond at all times. In addition, the Inn is clean, comfortable and about as luxurious as can be. The Inn also features its own restaurant, a delicious included full breakfast and an on-site bar, where you can have drinks either inside or outside by the pool or firepit. There is no better place to stay in Bar Harbor.
Read more
Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Travelled 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 Helpful vote
Helpful
Balance Rock Inn Price Range | US$234 - US$605 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room) |
|---|---|
Balance Rock Inn Address | 21 Albert Mdws, Bar Harbor, Mount Desert Island, ME 04609 |
Balance Rock Inn Location | United StatesMaineDownEast and Acadia MaineMount Desert IslandBar Harbor |
Balance Rock Inn Number of rooms | 26 |
Balance Rock Inn Class | 4.5 Stars |
Also known as | balance rock hotel bar harbor, balance rock inn bar harbor |
Phone Number | +1 207-288-2610 |
Number of Reviews | 649 |
Languages spoken | English |
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your ListingBalance Rock Inn - UPDATED Prices, Reviews & Photos (Bar Harbor, ME) - Hotel - Tripadvisor
Frequently Asked Questions about Balance Rock Inn
Which popular attractions are close to Balance Rock Inn?
Nearby attractions include ImprovAcadia (0.4 km), Shore Path (0.2 km), and Agamont Park (0.4 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Balance Rock Inn?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, a pool, and an on-site restaurant.
Which room amenities are available at Balance Rock Inn?
Top room amenities include air conditioning, a flat screen TV, and a fireplace.
What food & drink options are available at Balance Rock Inn?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
What are some restaurants close to Balance Rock Inn?
Conveniently located restaurants include Thrive Juice Bar & Kitchen, The Stadium, and Cafe This Way.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Balance Rock Inn?
Yes, guests have access to a pool and a fitness centre during their stay.
Are pets allowed at Balance Rock Inn?
Yes, pets are typically allowed, but it's always best to call ahead to confirm.
Are there any historical sites close to Balance Rock Inn?
Many travellers enjoy visiting St. Saviour's Church (0.5 km), Sieur de Monts Spring (3.0 km), and Bar Harbor Historical Society - La Rochelle Mansion and Musuem (1.0 km).
Does Balance Rock Inn have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the harbour view available here.
Is Balance Rock Inn accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access and reduced mobility rooms. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.