A prime location in lobster land

By Tim Bannon | Tribune staff reporter

October 14, 2007

BAR HARBOR, Maine - Harborside Hotel and Marina

55 West St.,

Bar Harbor, Maine; 800-328-5033; http://www.theharborsidehotel.com

The two best times to be in Bar Harbor?

Low tide and just before dawn. (More on that in a minute.)

We had only two days in this tourist town on Mt. Desert Island along the Atlantic Coast and so we wanted a hotel with a good location. We found it in the Harborside Hotel and Marina, on Fisherman's Bay, one block from the busy town center, and a couple of miles from Acadia National Park.

CHECKING IN: We arrived about an hour before check-in.

A doorman cheerfully welcomed us inside. To the right was the restaurant. To the left was the lobby, a comfortable area decorated in warm, embracing colors. There's a large fireplace, computer (with free Internet access), comfortable couches and chairs.

After we waited briefly in line, the cheerful clerk told us that our room wasn't ready, but that they would ring our cell phone when it was. So we parked in the lot (free, which is a plus in crowded Bar Harbor) and walked to the village green overlooking the bay. Thirty minutes later, the phone rang. Our room was ready.

ATTITUDE: Wonderful and friendly. There was, for instance, the security guard who fetched us towels when the pool ran out. Or the two concierges who were helpful and efficient, dispensing sound and economical advice. And there wasn't a single employee who didn't offer a warm greeting in passing.

ROOMS: We were in room 1002, right off the lobby. (The hotel has 187 rooms.) We had the "sunset" view, which meant it wasn't the view of the harbor, which is stunning. Nor was it the pool view. More accurately it was the parking lot view, although one could see the sunset, if you stood on the bed. The room itself was a bit tight for the five of us, but we were so close to the lobby that we spilled out into there when we felt crowded.

The room has two comfortable double beds, cable TV, closet, two chairs, a small patio overlooking that parking lot and -- most importantly -- a clock radio that worked. We needed it at 4 a.m. on our last day, when we decided to go to Cadillac Mountain in Acadia, to be among the first people in the United States to see the day's sunrise. (Presidential family trivia: That's where -- and when -- Jenna Bush's boyfriend, Henry Hager, proposed marriage to her this year.)

BATHROOM: Serviceable, well-lit, with a strong shower and Dorothy Prentice toiletries.

KID-FRIENDLY: Other than the heated outdoor pool, which is large with a great view of the harbor, there isn't much designed for kids. But there were plenty of happy kids wandering around, nonetheless. Our three (12, 16, 18) were most interested in wandering over to the shops downtown.

ROOM SERVICE: Available from the hotel's upscale Italian restaurant La Bella Vita. But when you're in lobster country, why eat at an Italian restaurant. Be sure to check out an authentic lobster pound. Not the one next door to the hotel, but one of the many just off the island near Trenton.

PERKS & PEEVES: There were many perks: free parking -- a real benefit in this crowded town; laundry room; small but sufficient exercise room; iron and ironing board (which we never even thought of using) and free wireless access. The hotel also operates many water excursions: whale watching, puffin watching, sunset cruise, lobster fishing. But the best excursion was one the concierges suggested: waiting until low tide (early afternoon) to walk across the bay (right behind the hotel) to Bar Island, which is part of Acadia National Park. (Be sure to check the tide table, or you'll be trapped overnight.)

BOTTOM LINE: Room prices are seasonal, but range from the low $100s for a standard room to well beyond a grand for a deluxe three-bedroom suite overlooking the water. Tax is 7 percent. We were there in summer, so the rates were higher: $270 for our two-bed "Sunset (Parking Lot) View" room. The hotel is handicap accessible.