The Asticou Hotel, one of Maine’s grand dame 19th-century hotels, has been restored, expanded, and updated just in time for its summer reopening in June 2025.

Formerly The Asticou Inn, the property boasts a stunning location on Mount Desert Island, overlooking the waters of Northeast Harbor, and is just a short drive from Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. The hotel was named after Chief Asticou, a leader of the Wabanaki people around the time of the first European contact in the early 1600s, in the area that is now Acadia National Park.

Built at a time when wealthy “rusticators” transformed the area into a social playground for the likes of the Astors, Vanderbilts, and Rockefellers, the historic hotel dates back to 1883. The original inn was destroyed by fire in 1899 and rebuilt in 1901, and it was one of the few island buildings to survive the devastating Great Fire of 1947. Three generations of the Savage family owned the inn until it was purchased in the 1960s by the Asti-Kim Corporation, a consortium of residents and summer visitors.

History Restored and Reimagined

The Asticou was purchased in 2023 for just under $7 million by Maine-based hotelier Tim Harrington of Atlantic Hospitality and has undergone a year-long $28 million renovation.

“We’re thrilled to bring The Asticou into a new chapter while honoring the rich history and heritage that has made it such a beloved landmark in Maine,”

Harrington is the driving force behind the renovation of historic Maine resort properties, including The Claremont in Southwest Harbor, Bar Harbor’s Salt Cottages, and Dunes on the Waterfront in Ogunquit. He was a founder and remains a partner of the Kennebunkport Resort Collection, a company responsible for such lodging properties as Hidden Pond and The Tides, both located in Kennebunkport.

“We’re thrilled to bring The Asticou into a new chapter while honoring the rich history and heritage that has made it such a beloved landmark in Maine,” said Harrington, Chairman of Atlantic Hospitality, in a press statement. “This renovation is not just about enhancing the guest experience; it’s about preserving the essence of what has made The Asticou special for over a century. We’ve blended timeless elegance with modern comforts, creating a space where guests can experience the natural beauty of Mount Desert Island in a setting that feels both grand and intimate. We can’t wait to welcome both new and returning guests to this extraordinary destination.”

Inspired by Nature and Martha Stewart

The Asticou will have 82 rooms, including 50 renovated guest rooms and suites inside the original inn, as well as the addition of 15 harborside cottages and 17 harbor-view spa suites with terraces. The interiors are courtesy of Atlantic Hospitality’s team of designers, Krista Stokes and Mark Cotto, who drew inspiration from the coastal landscape to incorporate colors such as bark, moss, slate, oyster, and lady slipper pink. The public spaces will showcase a custom toile wallpaper featuring artwork by David Allen, drawing inspiration from Martha Stewart’s nearby Skylands estate and gardens.

The property retains its classic shingle-style architecture, but other aspects of the hotel have been updated and reimagined, with landscaped grounds that reference the adjacent and legendary Asticou Azalea Garden, filled with rhododendrons and azaleas, and laid out in the style of a Japanese garden.

The 25-acre Asticou Hotel property offers a heated pool with a poolside bar and grille, a spa, and a fitness center. The dining options will include fine dining at Dahlia’s, the Moss Bar, and a cabana bar by the pool. The hotel plans to offer yoga, art classes, stargazing, guided hikes, and boat charters through The Asticou’s sister property, The Claremont Hotel in Southwest Harbor.

The Asticou Hotel is located just a mile from the village of Northeast Harbor, which offers a variety of restaurants, shops, museums, and galleries. The rusticators may be long gone, but for The Asticou Hotel, one of the last vestiges of that gilded age, the classic Maine summer endures.

For bookings, visit The Asticou Hotel.

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