The Thistle Inn

2.0 star property
Hotel in Boothbay Harbor with a restaurant and a bar

Choose dates to view prices

Photo gallery for The Thistle Inn

Sherman Zwicker | 1 bedroom, desk, iron/ironing board, free WiFi
Appledore | 1 bedroom, desk, iron/ironing board, free WiFi
Heritage | 1 bedroom, desk, iron/ironing board, free WiFi
Sherman Zwicker | Bathroom | Free toiletries, hair dryer
Heritage | Bathroom | Free toiletries, hair dryer
The Thistle Inn sits near the city center, welcoming visitors with its charming bar and restaurant. Travelers can connect to WiFi throughout their stay, appreciate the smoke-free premises, and take advantage of the free self parking when exploring the area.

Reviews

7.6 out of 10
Good

Popular amenities

  • Bar
  • Air conditioning
  • Parking included
  • Free WiFi
  • Restaurant

Room options

Available filters for rooms
Showing 6 of 6 rooms

American Eagle

Highlights

Air conditioning
Heating
Mini-fridge
Flat-screen TV
Separate bedroom
Hair dryer
Microwave
Coffee/tea maker
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Appledore

9.0 out of 10
Wonderful
(4 reviews)

Highlights

Air conditioning
Heating
Mini-fridge
Flat-screen TV
Separate bedroom
Hair dryer
Microwave
Coffee/tea maker
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

Victory Chimes

Highlights

Air conditioning
Heating
Mini-fridge
Flat-screen TV
Separate bedroom
Hair dryer
Microwave
Coffee/tea maker
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Heritage

7.0 out of 10
Good
(4 reviews)

Highlights

Air conditioning
Heating
Mini-fridge
Flat-screen TV
Separate bedroom
Hair dryer
Microwave
Coffee/tea maker
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

Sherman Zwicker

8.4 out of 10
Very good
(5 reviews)

Highlights

Air conditioning
Heating
Mini-fridge
Flat-screen TV
Separate bedroom
Hair dryer
Microwave
Coffee/tea maker
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

Crows Nest

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(1 review)

Highlights

Air conditioning
Heating
Mini-fridge
Flat-screen TV
2 bedrooms
Hair dryer
2 bathrooms
Microwave
  • 2 bedrooms
  • Sleeps 6
  • 1 King Bed, 2 Twin Beds and 1 Queen Sofa Bed
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About the neighborhood

Map
55 Oak St, Boothbay Harbor, ME, 04538

What's nearby

  • Opera House at Boothbay Harbor - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Boothbay Region Land Trust - 3 min walk - 0.3 km
  • Boothbay Harbor Marina - 6 min walk - 0.6 km
  • Burnt Island Living Lighthouse - 8 min walk - 0.7 km
  • Carousel Music Theater - 10 min walk - 0.8 km

Getting around

  • Brunswick Station - 46 min drive
  • Wiscasset, ME (ISS) - 27 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Circle K - ‬11 min walk
  • ‪Tugboat Inn - ‬10 min walk
  • ‪Boothbay Lobster Wharf - ‬16 min walk
  • ‪Pinkham’s Gourmet Market - ‬20 min walk
  • ‪Harborside 1901 Bar & Grill - ‬6 min walk

About this property

The Thistle Inn

Property highlights
The Thistle Inn provides amenities like a bar and a restaurant. Stay connected with free in-room WiFi.
Additional perks include:
  • Free self parking
  • Smoke-free premises
Room features
All guestrooms at The Thistle Inn feature comforts such as air conditioning, in addition to amenities like free WiFi.
More conveniences in all rooms include:
  • Tubs or showers, free toiletries, and hair dryers
  • Flat-screen TVs with cable channels
  • Mini fridges, microwaves, and coffee/tea makers

Similar properties

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • In-room WiFi speed: 100+ Mbps (good for 1–2 people or up to 6 devices)

Parking and transportation

  • Free offsite parking
  • Free self parking on site

Food and drink

  • A bar/lounge
  • A restaurant

Family friendly

  • In-room microwave
  • Mini-fridge

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Upper floors accessible by stairs only

More

  • Smoking not allowed

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • Bathtub or shower
  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer

Entertainment

  • Flat-screen TV with cable channels

Food and drink

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Microwave
  • Mini-fridge

More

  • Air conditioning
  • Desk
  • Heating
  • Iron/ironing board
  • Mobile key entry

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime
Contactless check-in available
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 10:00 AM
Contactless check-out available

Special check-in instructions

There is no front desk at this property
Guests will receive an email within 72 hours before arrival with check-in instructions and smart lock details; access will be through a private entrance
Prior to arrival, you must complete online registration via a secure link
Guests are recommended to download the property's ResNexus mobile app before check-in

Access methods

Private entrance, smart lock

Pets

Pets not allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available
Cribs (infant beds) are not available

Property payment types

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards and debit cards; cash is not accepted
Cashless transactions are available
Safety features at this property include a smoke detector

We should mention

This property does not have elevators

Property is also known as

The Thistle Inn Hotel
The Thistle Inn Boothbay Harbor
The Thistle Inn Hotel Boothbay Harbor

Frequently asked questions

Is The Thistle Inn pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking at The Thistle Inn?

Self parking is free at this property; nearby parking is also free.

What time is check-in at The Thistle Inn?

Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime.

What time is check-out at The Thistle Inn?

Check-out is at 10:00 AM.

Where is The Thistle Inn located?

Situated in Boothbay Harbor, this hotel is steps from Boothbay Region Historical Society Museum and Opera House at Boothbay Harbor. Boothbay Region Land Trust and Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library are also within 10 minutes.

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The Thistle Inn Reviews

Reviews

7.6

Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 27 out of 85 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 26 out of 85 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 20 out of 85 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 8 out of 85 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 4 out of 85 reviews

8.4/10

Cleanliness

6.4/10

Staff & service

6.6/10

Amenities

7.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

7.4/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

6/10 Okay

Rick-Linda

Historic building connected to 5 star restaurant and charming tavern. Fantastic location to all attractions in the village of Boothbay harbor.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

8/10 Good

Vicki

Liked: Cleanliness
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.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

DANA

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
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.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Cristaliz

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great little area, felt safe and relaxed in the property.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Kelli

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This place was amazing! Great location. I definitely recommend.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2024

6/10 Okay

Monique

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort

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.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2025

4/10 Poor

JOSEPH

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
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.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2025

2/10 Terrible

Robert

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities

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.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025

8/10 Good

Warren

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Love that it is close to downtown area. Attached restaurant is very good. It is directly on the main street into town, but not too loud.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023

8/10 Good

Oscar

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Amenities
Super easy check in with lock codes No staff on premise Be aware of high floor rooms super steep stairs
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

MARIA

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Large rooms in charming colonial building. Non-affiliated restaurant on site, excellent food. Walk to harbor. Just to be aware, stairs to 2nd floor suites very are extremely steep, no inn staff on site.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023

4/10 Poor

Danise

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
room is located in an old home attached to a restaurant. Lucky for us the restaurant is closed today otherwise there would have been people coming & going outside our room. Also appears the restaurant has patio seating right outside our room. Parking would have been located across the street if restaurant was open.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023

8/10 Good

Emanuel

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

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.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2024

6/10 Okay

valerie

Disliked: Staff & service, amenities
This is not an Inn. You are renting a room above a restaurant. There is no staff or housekeeping on site. We stayed for 3 nights and the room was never cleaned. There are very steep steps to the 3rd floor where our room was. We never got an email with instructions for check in and had to call. This was more like an airbnb experience definitely NOT an inn.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023

6/10 Okay

Denis

Disliked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
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.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2025

6/10 Okay

Richard

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service
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
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024

4/10 Poor

Jon

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service
The room was clean and decent. Plenty of space. Good coffee selection for the Nespresso machine. That’s where the good review ends. Extremely disappointing. Refrigerator did not get cold at all. No response to emails, no answer on the phone. The restaurant staff kept giving us dirty looks as we enjoyed the outdoor sitting area, apparently they didn’t want us there (directly outside of our room) unless we were dining at the restaurant. Every single employee interaction was rude and unwelcoming. Restaurant and Inn are separate businesses, according to a sign in our room. That doesn’t excuse the rudeness. Broken curtain rods, the iron was oddly unusable with a zip tie around the plug. Our first floor room was next to the restaurant entrance, so people passed directly in front of our two windows all evening within a foot of the glass. In fact, the restaurant bathroom was in the hall right next to our door. Lots of foot traffic. The only way to close the view from outside on the first floor, where people walked directly past, was to shut the curtains, which covered up the air conditioner entirely. There are no shades on the windows, only curtains. Two days after checking in we still had no responses to our emails or calls. The restaurant was closed the Wednesday we were there. All outdoor lighting in seating areas were completely turned off in the evening outside the entrance to the Inn. Dark and dreary.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023

8/10 Good

Charles

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service, amenities
Beautiful Boothbay Harbor!
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2025

6/10 Okay

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.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025

6/10 Okay

Ann

Disliked: Staff & service
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.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Brian

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Was a nice place and convenient to the water, shops and restaurants
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2025

6/10 Okay

Joseph

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service, amenities
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
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

6/10 Okay

Trevor

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Amenities
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.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Cathy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Great stay

The bed and pillows were so comfy. Great location too
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2025

4/10 Poor

Nancy

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
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.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2025