Name: Black Bear Inn, an Ascend Collection Hotel
Address: 4 Godfrey Drive, Orono, Maine, United States of America, Orono, Maine, US
Price range: US$101–US$216 per night
Rating: 8.75

What guests think

Across recent reviews, Black Bear Inn, an Ascend Collection Hotel is praised for friendly, welcoming staff, generally clean, spacious rooms, comfortable beds, and a convenient location near I-95 and UMaine, plus plentiful parking, pet-friendly policies, and thoughtful complimentary lobby snacks.

Breakfast is frequently described as convenient—with waffles and heat-and-eat sandwiches—but the small dining area and limited variety at busy times draw criticism. Recurring drawbacks include patchy Wi-Fi and dated TVs in some rooms, noticeable highway or neighbor noise, loud in-room HVAC, and renovation work that occasionally brings odors or clutter; several guests also report an $8 surcharge for third-party bookings. Expect a practical base for UMaine visits and I-95 road trips.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

Plentiful, well-lit parking and pet-friendly policies are praised, and many appreciate complimentary lobby snacks and drinks. Renovations and painting occasionally cause odors or clutter; there’s no pool, and feedback on the small fitness room is mixed.

Related guest reviews

8

David

25 Mar 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Place is under construction which was not disclosed. They are painting and the smell is overwealming.

10

Maria

27 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Exceptionally friendly front desk staff. Pet friendly. This is a no frills property that is very close to the UMaine campus. Clean room and nice amenities (complimentary coffee and ice cream). My only complaint is that the walks are thin and you can hear all the noise from neighboring rooms. We were stuck next to a loud snorer. Nothing the hotel can do about that but I hope the next time the rooms are renovated they consider minimizing noise transference.

8

Tonya

13 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Clean room and common area; easy, plentiful and well-lit parking area; cordial but minimal staff communication;

10

terry

28 Jul 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Excellent stay. Hotel gym was terrible. Equipment was outdated, broken, and somewhat dangerous to use. Rooms were great breakfast was sufficient (waffles, micro sandwiches, yogurt, and bagels.

8

Jeff

5 Sept 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Great hotel stay, just disappointed that there’s no pool. Other than that great.

6

Lindsey

8 Mar 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Going through renovations.

4

Rod

16 Apr 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Felt like I was sleeping at a construction site. Almost all of the rooms on the third floor were under construction with doors wide open showing that sheetrock was being installed. Paint splotches all over the door to my room. The hallway was filled with dusty old refrigerators, microwaves and TVs. Vending machine was surrounded by construction tools. It was frankly just gross!!!

10

Cynthia

4 Oct 2023

·

Stayed 4 nights

Would be nice if there was a pool.

10

Joanne

24 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Wonderful extras like hot soup and crackers in the libby and other sacks. Friendly staff at the desk and in breakfast room. Extensive choices in the breakfast room which is open 6-10, and refilled.

10

Julianne

5 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Accommodating, friendly staff. Definitely has the Maine vibe! Daily self-serve soup, ice tea or lemonade, coffe/tea and ice cream available in the lobby area! Extensive self-serve breakfast options included. Very comfortable rooms with microwave and fridge WITH freezer! Tons of safe parking. Small yet sufficient and updated workout room. And super dog friendly!!

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Cleanliness

Many guests report clean rooms and public areas, with several noting well-maintained spaces. However, recurring issues include unclean tubs/showers, stray hairs or stained linens, and occasional renovation-related dust or odors.

Related guest reviews

10

Heather

19 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Beautiful property. Wonderful staff, super clean rooms!

6

Josh

17 Apr 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

It was ok had to find towels under sink, there was a towel that looked not placed properly in shower(almost like used). And the Keurig water spot was dirty and black spot on seal

8

Shawn

7 Dec 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Clean room and professional staff

2

Dan

8 Jan 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Room was dirty. Hair on the floor and in the beds. I had to borrow a vacuum and clean it myself. No carpeting in room it was very noisy. There was construction going on and drilling began at 7:30 directly below our room. Couldn’t wait to get out of there.

10

John

10 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Very clean hotel and friendly staff.

6

Nick

30 Jun 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

when we arrived the staff were very friendly. Tge first room the bathroom was not cleaned so we asked for a different room. The staff were very understanding and happily gave us another room. When we went to the next room the bathroom again was not cleaned. the Assistant Manager came and clean it himself. The staff definately mad up for the mistakes of the cleaning staff. The property was easy access to everything, some areas including the bathrooms need a reno.

10

Peter J

14 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 5 nights

Great hotel quiet and clean

6

Katherine

19 Jan 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Hair in the shower. Not clean. End room, lots of traffic in the halls, loud.

8

Mark

15 Jan 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

This was a basic hotel with a basic breakfast but it was clean enough in the room. The carpet was stained and the tub wasn’t cleaned properly. Public hairs. Compared to the other stays along the way, the price was a little high for what it offered. The halls were somewhat dirty and the carpets had some stains. The breakfast was very basic. I expected a full hot breakfast. The only hot thing was the automatic pancake machine that produced mediocre pancakes. This wasn’t clear in the listing.

10

Tina

14 Sept 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Very clean and comfortable. We even stayed an extra night. Staff was exceptional!

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Rooms

Rooms are generally spacious and comfortable, with some newly updated. Noted drawbacks include beds that are too soft or worn, thin walls and highway-side noise, loud HVAC, and unreliable Wi-Fi or older TVs in some rooms.

Related guest reviews

10

Maria

27 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Exceptionally friendly front desk staff. Pet friendly. This is a no frills property that is very close to the UMaine campus. Clean room and nice amenities (complimentary coffee and ice cream). My only complaint is that the walks are thin and you can hear all the noise from neighboring rooms. We were stuck next to a loud snorer. Nothing the hotel can do about that but I hope the next time the rooms are renovated they consider minimizing noise transference.

4

Vincent

29 Sept 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The air conditioning unit woke me up in the middle of the night. Still wondering why there was a second sink/vanity just outside the bathroom.

10

Grace and John

6 May 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Our stay at the Black Bear Inn was amazing. The room was extremely large, clean and the bed was so comfortable. The sheets and linens were of great quality. I;d highly recommend this place.

2

HOIMING BONNY

28 Dec 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

We stayed at room 326. The room is close to the road and was very very noisy. My wife lost her sleep the whole night. wonder if the windows are sound-insulated.

6

Joel

25 Mar 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Very loud ac/heat system.

6

Cheryl

29 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

The staff all around was very friendly & accommodating but the beds are in desperate need of upgrades....we felt EVERY spring!! Rooms were clean but are also in need of upgrades.

6

David

1 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Private but road noise was excessive

10

Patricia

5 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Friendlyist people, very helpful and the only issue I had was the wifi which they did try and help with but front desk informed me as I told them about it as I checked out that they had reported it to spectrum. I told them to call daily until it was fixed

10

Wanda

1 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Exceptional customer service! We stayed in the jet tub suite and the room was very spacious with a super comfy bed! The living room and bedroom area was divided with folding doors which was nice. Each room had their own tv. The living room area had a futon and 2 comfy rockers. I'm not sure how well the room was cleaned though. There were gold fish crackers on the floor in the living room as well as straw and wrapper on the jet tub area. The bedding was clean and the tub was clean. The breakfast had gluten free bread - thank you! The breakfast also had breakfast sandwiches, omelets, oatmeal, waffle maker, yogurts, muffins, and bagels. When we arrived there was hot chili and lemonade in the lobby! There was also ice cream treats available whenever you wanted one. Also chocolate covered pretzel sticks! This was a very nice touch and much appreciated! I would definitely recommend staying here. You are only 2 exits from the Bangor shopping area and it was very quiet.

6

Cathleen

28 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Stayed here for the first time recently. When I want to stay close to campus I usually stay at Hotel Ursa but wanted to try something different. Pros - close to UMaine campus, friendly and helpful staff, clean, free breakfast (although I didn't try it), separate updated sink area from bathroom which I always like. Cons - very poor wifi service, thought it was a little expensive for what it was, beds were way too soft and uncomfortable, old TV - couldn't access any smart TV apps like Netflix. Conclusion - it's fine, but if looking for something very close to campus I'd choose Ursa instead. More updated, less expensive, better wifi, although no breakfast.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Service

Staff are widely described as friendly, helpful, and efficient, with quick check-in and willingness to address issues or move rooms. Some guests report brusque interactions, rigid check-in timing, limited flexibility on cancellations, and an $8 third-party booking surcharge.

Related guest reviews

10

Lori

27 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff are so welcoming, kind, and helpful!

10

Dale

19 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The inn was a quiet retreat for us. The rooms were clean and comfortable. The were some drawbacks for this lodging. One, the pillowcases for the king size pillows did not cover the entire pillow which is somewhat unsanitary.Two, the inn stressed being green and for that reason linens and housekeeping services would be on an as needed basis. Most lodgings use this reason to keep costs low which is appreciated. However, if this policy is to be successful there should be places to hang up towels which was lacking in our room. Three, since we booked this inn through Expedia we were advised there would be no further charges but the inn added a $8 per night surcharge stating that it was required and could not be a part of the Expedia booking rate. Other than these 3 reasons the inn was very comfortable and offered nice amenities through free soups in the evenings and tasty omelets for breakfast. The staff is extremely hospitable and friendly. We would be open to staying there in the future since the points mentioned earlier could be reasonably corrected.

4

Cassandra

7 May 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The gentleman that checked me in was quite rude. Had to leave to get an answer and when he came back he didn’t talk to me. He didn’t explain breakfast and check out with me as he did the person in front of me

2

Maria

28 Apr 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

My mother had a heart attack and I needed to cancel my trip so I contacted Hitels.com and The BBI and Michelle the GM refused to work with me and your company. She said it was your policy and that she would not approve the refund or change of the rsv. She went on to say that I should’ve never booked through Hotels.com that I should’ve booked directly through the hotel.

4

Jeffery

18 Aug 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Not impressed for the cost and the hospitality. We came as part of a conference at this facility and the first day ended early, but when we went to check in about 15 of us were told to wait around another 15 minutes until exactly 4 PM. They couldn't do it before. So we waited in the lobby, having nowhere else to go except back to our cars, and stared at the desk clerk until right at 4 he told us we could line up (but don't block the entrance). The maid staff were still cleaning all our rooms until 4 PM? Give me break.

10

Janet

29 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Quick check-in!

10

Joe

4 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Very friendly staff and people

4

Herman

13 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Was not happy with the way the clerk was

4

KERRY

7 Dec 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

They're now charging a "service fee" of $8.00 if you don't book your room directly through the hotel, i.e., use a third party such as Hotels.com instead. It was charged at the front desk when I checked in although our room billing was handled by Hotels.com. It kind of defeats the purpose for using third parties.

10

Tracey

27 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Excellent customer service

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Location

Very convenient just off I-95 and close to UMaine, Bangor, and area services; many find the setting quiet or private. Some highway-facing rooms experience noticeable traffic noise.

Related guest reviews

8

Chris

15 Feb 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

I enjoyed my 2 nights at the Black Bear Inn. The location is super convenient - as it's right off of I-95 and an easy 5 minute drive to UMaine. My room was comfortable, and the bed was exceptional. "Bear" in mind that the hotel is undergoing an extreme make-over. Many of the rooms are being completely refurbished and it's going to be a *really* nice place to stay soon. During all this construction, happily, noise was NOT an issue. The room was nice - especially for the price. The staff are friendly. I'd come back without hesitation.

10

Dianne

12 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Lovely hotel, clean, friendly staff and quiet location!!

10

Christine

17 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

This is the second time I've stayed at this property, it's great! Quiet, convenient, clean. I will definitely go back if I am in the area.

10

Douglas

9 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Stayed for one night after a concert in Bangor. Very clean and comfortable room. Our room was next to I-95 but it was quiet throughout the night. We planned to sleep in but could hear the early morning highway traffic. Breakfast was good. Friendly staff. We would definitely stay here again if in the area but we’d ask for a room that isn’t on the I-95 side.

10

TIm

20 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Just off the highway but very private. Large room, king bed. Great place to stay.

10

Amy

24 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Liked it all. Convenient to 95

8

Dennis

27 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

This place was close to the highway and was only 10 minutes from UMaine. We went on a college tour and it served its purpose

10

Steven

3 Jun 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Close to Umaine, easy to get to. Clean rooms, free breakfast and parking make this an easy favorite

10

Rafael

22 Jan 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

The Black Bear Inn is a really nice budget hotel if you're going to Orono, Maine. The hotel staff was super nice and informative during both check in and when we had questions about an early check out. The only thing you should keep in mind is during the day the highway is super loud because of it's right off the exit, but don't worry because at night it is super quiet.

10

Jay

30 Oct 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

It was convenient to Bangor, Orono, and Old Town.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Dining

Breakfast is appreciated for included options like waffles and grab-and-go sandwiches, and lobby treats (soup, snacks, ice cream) are popular. Variety and the small, crowded breakfast area are recurring drawbacks.

Related guest reviews

8

Sandy

29 Sept 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The room was spacious, and the beds were comfortable. The breakfast area was small. We took our breakfast back to our room because there were no seats.

8

Carl

31 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

I thought the breakfast could have been better but I will be going back. It's a fine hotel..

8

Anil

17 Oct 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Breakfast area very congested and small

10

bob

5 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

fantastic breakfast, great hotel, best one i have been in in the area. will stay here again

8

Brian

19 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

We had a great stay and this is a very nice hotel. The breakfast could be expanded a little bit. Maybe a few different choices of breakfast sandwiches perhaps. Otherwise it was great and we will be back

10

Cordelia

19 May 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Friendly and clean! And the breakfast was well stocked and a friendly women cleaned all the time and re-stocked. I like the wooden floors which is much cleaner than carpet!

6

Deepsundar

5 Apr 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Room was decent. Breakfast could be improved. (Minimal options for vegetarian/vegans).

10

Joanne

24 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Wonderful extras like hot soup and crackers in the libby and other sacks. Friendly staff at the desk and in breakfast room. Extensive choices in the breakfast room which is open 6-10, and refilled.

10

Julie

2 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Great value for the price. Staff was very helpful. Parking and location were easy to find. Breakfast was very convenient with lots of options.

10

Lisa

23 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

clean gave a great breakfast even soup in afternoon. ice cream all complementary.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Month	Average price
January	US$84
February	US$90
March	US$91
April	US$96
May	US$117
June	US$149
July	US$149
August	US$154
September	US$140
October	US$137
November	US$107
December	US$97

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16 $126	17 $126	18 $135	19 $159
20 $103	21 $116	22 $135	23 $125	24 $120	25 $140	26 $125
27 $101	28 $117	29 $117	30 $117

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $177	2	3
4 $133	5 $163	6 $163	7 $133	8 $148	9 $216	10 $202
11 $114	12 $114	13 $155	14 $148	15 $155	16 $186	17 $171
18 $109	19 $117	20 $117	21 $117	22 $117	23	24
25 $101	26 $117	27 $117	28 $117	29 $117	30 $125	31 $148

Select dates to see prices and availability

Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

Room options

Suite, 1 King Bed, Jetted Tub

Standard Room, 1 King Bed (Pet-Friendly)

Suite, 1 King Bed

Room, 1 Queen Bed, Accessible

Standard Room, 2 Queen Beds (Pet-Friendly)

Suite, 1 King Bed (Pet-Friendly)

Suite, Multiple Beds

Standard Room, 2 Queen Beds

Suite, 2 Queen Beds

Standard Room, 1 King Bed

Guest reviews

Fabulous

Who stays here?

What guests think

Property policies

Check-in instructions

Good to know

Optional extras

FAQs about Black Bear Inn, an Ascend Collection Hotel

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Prices for upcoming dates