Hartstone Inn

Incredibly disappointing stay We chose the Hartstone Inn for our anniversary get-away as we had been there years before and had a nice stay. This time was very different. There was no one to greet us. We had to find our envelope on the desk with keys and info in it to find our room. When we got to the room, we realized it was not the room we thought we had booked. It took searching, a call, voicemail and then waiting for someone on staff to come find us so we could inquire about the room mixup. We were told the website randomly assigns rooms and so even though we thought we picked a specific one, we didn't. This is different from any other inn we've booked before. Once we connected with the person on duty, she did offer a complimentary future stay, but after this stay we had no interest. The room they gave us, the Arbor Suite, was in a completely different building - wedged in between what looked to be staff quarters and someone's home. It was a bizarre location and ended up being tremendously uncomfortable with people coming and going all around us, people in the back yard talking loudly & swearing, a kid running around, them having a fire so we had to close all our windows on a lovely day. If we wanted that we would've booked an airbnb in someone's guest room and we would have paid WAY less money for it. On top of the very awkward location, the room was dated. The carpet was worn and dirty and there was a spot that they piled 2 other carpets on top of the existing carpet presumably to cover something. The bathroom was dated and not entirely clean. When we got housekeeping the first day, they made the bed so badly that at first we thought they hadn't come. But we saw fresh towels and realized they had been there. They also left dirty coffee mugs. They never came to clean the second day. Breakfast which used to be a lovely, chef inspired event was basic and mediocre at best. The servers were nice which is why they got 2 stars instead of one. We may return to Camden one day but we won't stay at the Hartstone Inn ever again.

Superb dinner and personable and charming service - great choice for a great dinner! What a great birthday dinner I had here last night! We had our choice of dining rooms and chose a cozy, beautifully decorated one with seating at a bay window. The menu was short and offered very tempting choices. We started our meal sharing a half order of ribs (4 meaty ones with the meat literally falling off the bone). We asked for advice for our main course choices. The sommelier was not available but the welcoming and knowledgeable manager, Megan Kelly, greeted us and gave us thoughtful suggestions which worked very well with our choices. We three each chose a different main course and each was exceptional - a risotto with optional grilled shrimp, duck breast with middle Eastern seasoning and sauces, and a filet mignon with two different sauces on the side. The duck breast and filet mignon were accompanied by excellently cooked and seasoned vegetables. We shared two desserts, both unusual and exceptional. One was an ice cream that was spicy and sweet and the other an individual layer cake stack made with rounds of pound cake soaked in a raspberry sauce, layered with berries, and further enhanced with cardamom-flavored whipped cream rosettes. The servers were attentive and knowledgeable throughout. The superb chef, Tom White, came to our table, greeted us, and discussed our choices. Megan invited us to return and told us about the tea which they offer with a choice of fine teas, pastries, and sandwiches. We also learned that they serve breakfast to the public. We are looking forward to both tea and breakfast at the Hartstone Inn in the near future. As another reviewer said, the Hartstone Inn is back! Hooray!

It doesn’t look like the pictures. The pictures on the site do not represent our experience. We were put in the “Florence” room featuring walls painted a hideous avocado green, very worn out rugs, and old books everywhere as “decorations’. The AC on the wall was broken as well as the ceiling light. The window AC was difficult to work; we asked for someone to fix it but no one ever came. Out of 4 days, our room was made up only twice. The room is on the first floor facing a busy road with noise particularly in the am. To enter the , hotel, you walk up what was once probably a driveway. Now to keep cars from entering, there are 4 very large pots colored bright blue and filled with dead flowers. There is outside dining, but the patio area is uneven so the tables are tiled. On the bright side, there is free parking and the breakfast, free for guests, is very good.

Absolutely awful! After staying at the Hartstone Inn, I am now thoroughly convinced that Trip Advisor reviews are either paid endorsements or that people have a very low standard. The Hartstone Inn is quite simply a dump. The Inn is outdated, dirty, dark, and in need of major renovations. The carpeting in the hallways is stained and dirty. The room was also in need of deep cleaning. I could go on and point out the endless issues with the Inn, but suffice to say, we thought about checking out 5 minutes after checking in, but it was late in the day and we weren't sure if we could find alternative lodging. I would never stay here again. Simply Awful!

Coast of Maine overnight in Camden A great spur of the moment escape as we travelled down the coast of Maine and decided to extend our stay in Camden. Wonderful hospitality from moment we stepped in this European inspired oasis till we departed. Concierge level service from the Inn’s sommelier, architecturally interesting, small but punching above its weight class cocktails, wine and beer… bar inside… and the breakfast offered a range of options… would definitely stay there again.