The Thistle Inn

United States , Boothbay Harbor - ME
BOOTHBAY HARBOR , Oak Street
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50 reviews shown

8/10

Excellent

18 Dec 2025

Bernie

The room was attractive, spacious, and easy to get into with the room codes. It was also close enough to downtown to walk to many places. The room heater would be my only criticism. It would come on to the desired temperature and shut off once it was reached. The room would then get very cold before it clicked back on and so it was up and down for the entire stay. At times it was distracting.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

20 Oct 2025

ELLEN LUCIA

This trip would have been perfect with the following: 1. lighting at the parking across the street, especially for late arrivals 2. Bottled water 3. Napkins or paper towels 4. Plasticware 5. Cookware for microwave - I left a dish for heating there for the next guest 6. Better bandwidth- the TV did not really work when other guest were there or the restaurant was in operation. No one likes to watch TV the is constantly spinning 7. A WiFi connection
Other than these things it was nice, comfortable and quaint.

Self

8/10

Excellent

10 Sep 2025

Charles

Beautiful Boothbay Harbor!

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

02 Sep 2025

Rick-Linda

Historic building connected to 5 star restaurant and charming tavern. Fantastic location to all attractions in the village of Boothbay harbor.

10/10

Exceptional

27 Aug 2025

Verified traveler

Quaint room with a large bathroom. Well kept. Steep stairs to our room. Very nice!

8/10

Excellent

25 Aug 2025

Vicki

Loved the quaintness of the rooms, though the stairs to the rooms were steep and treads were short. The food at the restaurant was really good.

8/10

Excellent

23 Aug 2025

Verified traveler

Comfortable bed but no elevator

Good, quiet location with parking walking distance to the main part of town. It’s not an Inn with a front desk but we were aware of that. Getting your luggage from the parking lot to an upstairs room could be challenging for some. On the upside, the bed was very comfortable and the room was clean. I would only recommend for travelers are able to manage stairs with luggage and are just looking for a comfortable place to sleep.

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

15 Aug 2025

Sheila

Third floor you better bed in condition to climb 2 step flights of stairs. Furniture not comfortable..

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

11 Aug 2025

Deb

We liked that it was close to shops and restaurants and it was a nice size. Not having to check in in person worked well. There was a window ac that you couldn't run at night because the curtains were blocking the air flow. Open curtains meant no privacy in the bedroom with restsurant guests on the porch. Couldn't run ac and microwave at the same time. As far as wifi, your better off using your cellular data.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

10 Aug 2025

Ann

We were stunned that no staff was available to answer questions either in person or on line. I don’t recall if the initial information included the steep stairs we had to climb to our room. We couldn’t carry our luggage so just had to pull individual items out of our parked car. Don’t stay here if stairs are at all a challenge.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Aug 2025

Brian

Was a nice place and convenient to the water, shops and restaurants

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

03 Aug 2025

Joseph

No one to help with baggage and a flight of stairs, (steep and narrow). Room key a metal key that can easily be duplicated. internet service (non existent). No ice if you want ice. Lovely room. Nice shower. The stairs and carrying bags upstairs was difficult for an 80 Year old

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

03 Aug 2025

Verified traveler

Needs an upgrade

The room we stayed in was not well thought out. Even though there was space we had a TV table as our kitchen table and the microwave and refrigerator were in the bathroom. We only had one roll of toilet paper and climbing into the shower was challenging. We were on the first floor, so people kept walking by our windows for the restaurant. The restaurant patrons also had to walk by our room to go to the restaurant. It was very loud at night because of the restaurant.

Partner

4/10

Poor

02 Aug 2025

Susan

This is NOT An INN! It is a pretty room in an old house. There is no innkeeper, no housekeeping.
No public spaces. Just your room which has a private bathroom. And a tiny coffee machine with no instructions and a good selection of teas. our room was spacious comfortable. The bathroom floor is slick, no rugs anywhere. Up two very narrow sets of stairs. It is an historic home, after all.
At 75, I could not bring luggage up. I unpacked at the car and took what I needed up in a small backpack each day.. if this works for you , great!
If you are expecting to be welcome at a charming New England Inn, this is NOT the place, Oddly there was an elegantly inscribed envelope for “Housekeeping” ! There was none. No one at all ever made up the room, swept the bare floors,
Replenished anything during our 3 night stay.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

01 Aug 2025

Trevor

The best part was how close it was to walk to the harbor. It wasn't super clean, chip crumbs found under bed etc. The air conditioning was annoying and loud. Our door was difficult to unlock and I hated that there was no deadbolt for safety. No staff members there. It was a weird vibe being above the restaurant, like we didn't belong there......the front door was also wide open during the restaurant service hours....anyone could just walk in. We did need to call Florin and he was wonderful.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

01 Aug 2025

DANA

The inn is conveniently located near restaurants and shops. There is a restaurant on the property as well serving seafood meals and pub food. The only thing we didn’t realize is we had to park across the street down a small incline. We parked there after unloading the car but when we went to park there a 2nd time someone asked us to move. Overall, the inn is clean, quiet and fairly priced for its location.

2/10

Poor

18 Jul 2025

Robert

Problematic, Poor Service

No one was there when we arrived on time. We didn't get an email giving us the door and room password. No one was there. We made several calls, left voice mail and was told they didn't like my attitude and was told to \"talk to Expedia.' Narrow, hazardous stairs, no path to the parking lot. TV hard to operate, no channel guide, no coffee, just tea and no instructions on how to work the Kerug. We were there 3 nights with no housekeeping though we put the sign for it on the doorknob.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jul 2025

Cathy

Great stay

The bed and pillows were so comfy. Great location too

Partner

4/10

Poor

29 Jun 2025

JOSEPH

Bare-bones room. One chair, extremely poor lighting, no table (had to place drink glass on the floor), saggy-in-the-middle bed, bed mattress 46 inches above the floor, no pictures or wall decorations, no housekeeping: waste baskets overflowing after 4 days, no beds made or linens available even if we wanted to change them ourselves: management had the audacity to include a housekeeping tips envelope, TV service offers only reruns of programs dating back to late 1950s (were it not for our smart phones we would never known Trump bombed Iran), stay not inexpensive considering how little our money bought. Built in 1862, this property desperately needs TLC and professional hospitality management that that knows what it's doing.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

27 Jun 2025

Denis

The room was not decorated. It made the room very cold and unwelcoming upon arrival, and the empty hooks made it feel like the place was just robbed. The air conditioner is a window unit, which was (very) loud in the rain; and just as loud when running. There was only a table and lamp on one side of the bed (I had to place my eyeglasses and watch on the floor). The bed is also too tall in my opinion and has very squeaky springs. Parking for the inn is across the street, in a gravel, unlit parking area, surrounded by abandoned vehicles. It is a short walk but requires crossing a dangerous intersection and walking thru grass down a rocky hill. It’s terrible. I know the restaurant isn’t related, which is a shame. There were take-out containers in the lobby for four days – the entire stairwell smelled like rotten food. The first two nights we stayed, the staff from the restaurant slammed dishes and argued (outside) from closing til 11 pm. Lastly, our kcup selection was limited to Sleepy Time tea & decaf coffee, and the Keurig was filthy. Oh, and we found extra towels on our own (a buffet in the hallway) – there were no instructions on where to find them. None of these issues was worth a call or a complaint to the restaurant, but the annoyances and inconveniences combined for an overall experience I’d rather not repeat. Limited to 1500 characters, I had to trim down my comments.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

26 Jun 2025

Monique

Okay

I had no one to speak to. Went to put my bags in the car and I returned the door was locked. Very noisy and outside light kept me awake. AC was not on, so the room was very hot when we arrived. Had to figure out how to get key.

Friends_and_family Friends

4/10

Poor

22 Jun 2025

Nancy

Not at all what I expected!

I don’t mind that there is no one there to greet you but it would be nice to be able to ask questions about the area and room conditions. No one was ever there!!

Some of the issues we found were the following. No soap at bathroom sink and not then found the container in shower was also empty. Very, very little parking. The coffee maker, although a Keurig, was not as easy as it should have been. The day we were leaving there was only one regular coffee. Plenty of Sleepytime, decaf and breakfast tea. I don’t even want to discuss the TV.

Most of our issues could have been easily attended to if there was someone on the premises. There was a phone number to call and leave a message. Then they texted us! No human contact ever.

I’m a regular business traveler and have never had issues like this. I had heard great things about the Inn. I hope our experience was just an aberration.

Friends_and_family Friends

2/10

Poor

12 May 2025

Ronald

We reserved and paid for a room in advance, and then found out that the room was on the second floor and required climbing a long flight of stairs. My wife is unable to climb stairs because of a disability. When I contacted the Thistle Inn, I asked for a room on the first floor. This was their response: \"Good morning, we only have one room at the ground floor that’s occupied and the building had no elevator. Thank you!\" Not accommodating at all. I have written asking for a refund, and have asked Expedia to help mw receive a refund. As of this moment, I have heard nothing.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

22 Dec 2024

Michael

I’ve stayed at several different places and Boothbay Harbor over the years. I enjoyed that everything was no hassle. We arrived late due to snow on our way up and my only slight complaint was I wish someone could’ve turned the heat to the room on. Other than that great stay!

Partner

8/10

Excellent

16 Nov 2024

Mohammadali

Great experience

10/10

Exceptional

21 Oct 2024

Carol

The house was built in 1861 with original flooring and lovingly refurbished. The sleeping accommodations are tastefully furnished. Being a short walk away from the hubbub of the shopping doesn't mean that your peace and quiet is disturbed. The restaurant, which is located on the first floor of the Inn serves delicious food and staffed by competent and polite people. The only suggestion that we could make is a full length mirror in the room. Looking forward to returning in the future.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Sep 2024

Michelle

This is our 2nd trip to Boothbay, first time at The Thistle Inn, we stayed in the Crows Nest, as a family of 4. The room was beautiful, clean, spacious. We loved having a full kitchen and room to spread out. This would even make a great weekend getaway for 2 during the off season. The fireplace makes a nice cozy touch.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

19 Sep 2024

Howard

Unique Property

I would say this property is Unique!!!
There is no Front Desk;; check in is a code for the main door and coded key lock box with a key to your room.
Checkout is the same. Everything is done via email and phone.
What makes this place Great is the Restaurant attached to the Inn. Food is Amazing and the service is Awesome as well!!! The are owned by separate entities.
There are only 6 rooms which makes it nice as well and located walking distance to downtown Boothbay Harbor.
The only downfall is the narrow stairs going up to the second and third floors, I have bad knees so the stairs were a little rough but still didn't take away from a Great Stay!!! Next time I will try to get the room on the first floor lol.
I would definitely stay there again!!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Sep 2024

Kenneth

We loved our stay!

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

15 Sep 2024

Richard

Overall, clean. Pictures on Expedia don’t perfectly reflect the property. Cover picture shows a full refrigerator and kitchen with huge counter & barstool chairs. Did not see anything like that.

The room (which I thought was a 2nd floor room because of the ceiling shape in pics) was actually a 3rd floor (which was not very easy for us older folk to climb) & stairs were very narrow. No elevator.
No breakfast, lunch amenities. Keurig in room was great (if you’re a fan of Keurig)

I guess this was an average like a AirB&B type situation. If you’re looking for that, it is fine. Anything more is not there. Although it looks like they’re trying to update each room individually.

Ours was newly painted & clean.
Small refrigerator, no freezer.
It’s out of the busy/touristy sections & outstanding restaurant below the rooms (not associated with the rentals.)
Open 4pm-9pm. The food, staff, ambiance was phenomenal.
All n all, the experience was ok, just lacking any personal touch/service.moo

10/10

Exceptional

11 Sep 2024

Kelli

This place was amazing! Great location. I definitely recommend.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

02 Sep 2024

Rachel

Hard mattress moldy shower curtain restaurant smel

Check in instructions supposed to come 72 hours. Got day of after calling. Bed WAY TOO FIRM! Shower curtain pink and black with mold and mildew-smelled to high heaven when wet. The restaurant is too loud. Heard people singing Happy Birthday and dishes clanging in our room. Thankfully done around 10. Can also smell cooked food in the room. Odd setup.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

27 Aug 2024

Verified traveler

Steep stairs to access room

The room was nice but you have to carry everything up a flight of steep stairs to reach the room. Shower is very small.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Aug 2024

Dana

This place is unique in that u do not have a front desk to check in. The key is in a lock box and then u r kinda on ur own. The room was great! Large, clean, comfortable bed. Small fridge, Keriig coffeemaker, microwave The only complaint I would have is that there are very few electrical outlets. It’s a historical building so that’s kinda expected. We had to be creative to plug in the CPap machine and charge our electronics. No big deal though.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

13 Aug 2024

Troy

Love Boothbay Harbor and all it has to offer. Great location and unique place.
The bed was TERRIBLE! I don't expect to get the mattress I have at home but this one was like sleeping on a piece of plywood. For what it is all you need is a good mattress!

8/10

Excellent

11 Aug 2024

Andrew

The room needed a chair and a small table to eat at and watch TV. I also thought the A/C was very loud and leaked all night. I was also surprised there was no incentive to eat at the Inn downstairs-discount or coupon.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

10 Aug 2024

Cristaliz

Great little area, felt safe and relaxed in the property.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

16 Jul 2024

Emanuel

Weekend getaway

Great place to stay 8m walk from everything. Do not use pay later option because they bill you min you hit accept. The window ac was running full tilt to keep the place cool. Upgrade to a mini split or heat pump more cost efficient.
Over all wife and i loved it. Would not recommend if you cant climb stairs.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

15 Jul 2024

Pauline

Even though there is no person to check you in any questions you can easily call host.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

12 Jul 2024

Hilda

Thistle Inn was absolutely beautiful very clean spacious. The owner worked with me and gave me a bigger room and I screwed up and thought I had a king size bed which I thought I read on Expedia unbelievable gorgeous will be back for sure. Definitely won’t disappoint. Thank you again for a wonderful stay. The restaurant downstairs was delish.

Leisure

2/10

Poor

02 Jul 2024

Rob

We are a family with young kids who lost power for several days. We went to the library so we could find a room available for the night using Expedia, and it said that The Thistle Inn had vacancy.
We booked it around 3 PM and headed to the Inn at around 6. The building is unattended, with just a note saying to check your email for a code to get in the room, and a phone number if you have issues.
Expedia nor the Inn ever sent a code. We called the number that was taped to the door and it was disconnected. I sent an email, and tried to reach the Inn through the Expedia site. At that point we were stranded with a 5yo and a newborn. We were able to find a place with power and gave up on the room. A couple hours later, I heard back from someone from Thistle Inn who explained the issue, that he never got the information from Expedia, and that we should ask for a refund. The next call was to customer service who said they would issue the refund after confirming with The Thistle Inn. Our refund request was denied by Expedia because the owner didn't respond.

Never will use Expedia again.

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

09 May 2024

Tim

First time staying at the Thistle Inn. Nice place!!

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

19 Dec 2023

Elena

Max from Thistle Inn was especially helpful in quelling my nervousness around getting in to the room, super easy in the end. Just know that he sends the email morning of with info, not 72 hours prior like it says on the hotels.com info page.

Had a great stay after a gardens aglow excursion!

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

15 Dec 2023

Patricia

Run down

The room was freezing and to very long time to warm up. Sheets clean stiff and uncomfortable. The door to the bathroom the trim on the floors nails sticking up and could rip a bare foot. Over priced for this time of year and could use some sprucing up.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Dec 2023

Lara

Great place to stay with easy check-in and out process

8/10

Excellent

30 Nov 2023

Katherine

Room was ice cold upon arrival, door lock very sticky

Leisure