We'd never heard of the Charles Inn, and came upon them while booking a long weekend on Expedia. It's in a GREAT location in historic downtown Bangor, within walking distance to plenty of shops, restaurants and cafes. There's an adjacent coffee shop so there was the bonus of being greeted with the coffee aroma when entering the lobby. The hotel and café staff were pleasant enough. Bangor, Maine is the hometown of author Stephen King, and The Charles Inn has a Stephen King suite. I took two steps inside, saw the poster of Jack Nicholson in the "heeeeere's Johnny!" scene opposite the bed, and asked for a new room. Not my cup of tea, but apparently it's a very popular request to stay in this suite. While it may sound strange, staying at the hotel reminded me very much of sleeping over at my grandmother's house, where she lived the 40 years I had her -- some quirky things, some good things, some not-so-good things -- antique furniture, gold-framed mirrors, huge windows that didn't block out much noise, curtains that didn't quite close all the way, a toilet than runs constantly unless you jiggle the handle just right, creaky floors, abysmal water pressure, and generally in need of a good cleaning. The fan in the bathroom didn't work, and there was practically no place to hang anything. There was a small rack near the door with three flimsy hangers. Being late fall in Maine, having a place to hang coats and hats is important. We ended up just tossing our things on the bed which was not ideal. Another thing to note is that while "free parking" may be advertised, that translates to "street parking," and depending where you park, the time limit could be 90 minutes, 2 hours, or 4 hours. There is no hotel parking lot. There is a parking garage just down the block, but it's closed and locked on weekends -- so if you park there on a Friday afternoon/ evening, you're not getting out until Monday. The entire parking situation was very odd to me and is important to know for others traveling here. For the proximity to things downtown, I'd recommend the Charles Inn. For me, I'm not sure I'd stay again for the lack of some conveniences. When I'm traveling I'm trying to avoid hassles and annoyances and I can't say that my stay was void of either. read more

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We chose Charles Inn not only because of the price but of its location. In the heart of Main Street, everything is walkable! We stayed in the Stephen King Suite (we visited Bangor for the Stephen King tour so we decided go big or go home). The room is themed Stephen King but it isn't over the top. Let's start with the cons: -The amenities were bare and we had to request quite a few packets of shampoo (yes, packets...not bottles. 4 packets barley cleaned my hair). -uncomfortable bed -scary elevator ride -needs an update stat -terrible water pressure Pros: -extremely convenient location -if you're doing the Stephen King tour, the bus picks you up at the hotel -accommodating and friendly staff -pet friendly -walkable and safe -grass near the area to take your pet -cafe inside the lobby -keys to access the building at night One of the things that I loved was that we got in around 1am and they left the keys out for us to enter. We just checked in online and everything was ready. Also, if you're looking into this place because it's HAUNTED, I definitely had a few experiences. The lobby and third floor are said to be haunted. The Stephen King Suite is on the second floor but I had sleep paralysis in this room (last time I had sleep paralysis was in a haunted apartment in Texas over 7 years ago). The lobby creeped me out when I had to take our dog out in the middle of the night. I lit was a very heavy feeling and so I booked it to the elevator. So overall, this hotel is fine. It's a bit dirty and needs an update but everything else is fantastic. For a couple of nights, it isn't so bad. read more

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Location location and service!! If you couldn't tel before I love this location. Enter through the cobblestone square and into a beautifully maintained entrance. It's not new and it's not opulent but it is very well maintained and lovingly curated. The front desk was so charming, so friendly and helpful that is felt comfortably like home quickly. We stayed in a theme room with items donated by the local police complete with a prison-bathroom door. I would stay here again and recommend to those looking for something beyond corporate based hotel chains. This please is really cool read more

Charles Inn - Main lobby at entrance - Hotels Near Me - Bangor, Maine

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If you love history or even just beautiful decor and a nightlife and great food right outside your room this is the place. Each room is decorated with a different historical theme, ours was the Presidents Suites where US presidents have actually stayed. Sandy the manager is super friendly and knowledgeable about the history of the place. A quick google search shows it is also historically haunted by various people such as an old gangster that was killed nearby, a civil war soldier and hotel stayers have heard children playing in the hallway possibly from the Phenix Block fire of 1869. Haunted or not this hotel is not creepy in the least. I am usually easily spooked and I slept like a baby. We had a baby with us so we couldn't go out, but I did walk across the street to Patty Murphy's, an Irish pub that had a live band and got an appetizer meal for a late late dinner. I definitely recommend this place and plan on bringing our 8 year old next time we come. read more

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First timer here! So far so good. Excellent customer service. The front desk clerk was very helpful in regards to finding parking and arranging for a long term solution seeing as how I will be up here for business the next 4 weeks. Room is fabulous. I am staying in the Hotel Impossible room and there is an actual vault INSIDE my room! They've turned it into a library which is pretty neat. Bed is comfy. Room decor is current, simple but elegant. View of the street is fun. Will see how things go over the next few weeks but my outlook so far is excellent! :) read more

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I usually don't like to leave bad reviews, but in this case I feel the need to warn others. We actually left a day early, worried we might have to cancel our vacation, because it was so bad there. There's no 24-hour front desk (which should have been the first red flag), and the guy working there seemed dismissive and eager to leave. The room itself was a disaster. The carpet was stained and filthy, the towel in the bathroom had holes in it, the faucet for the sink barely worked (even with both the hot and cold water turned on full blast we barely got a trickle of water), and the beds were so uncomfortable we were barely able to sleep. It literally looked like a sketchy hotel out of a movie where you can hear someone getting murdered in the next room. read more

I stayed at The Charles Inn during early part of June. The Inn itself is cute, but not practical by any means. No amenities to speak of and make sure to bring your own toiletries. Couldn't even get bottled water. Also, the sheets where like sandpaper. I wouldn't have left this review, however, until I saw the owner criticizing the way downtown Bangor celebrated Pride this year. Quite honestly, I was in love with the downtown area so much that I overlooked many of the hotel's shortcomings because I thought they were a part of what made this community so welcoming. Now knowing that the owner wants us to be who we are "behind closed doors," I will never be staying behind their closed doors again. read more

Convenient location and friendly staff, but the room was sub-par. There was a tear in the bottom sheet, stains on the comforter, and a view of dumpsters. Those dumpsters were utilized by restaurant staff late at night, and loudly emptied by trash trucks VERY early in the morning, leading to poor sleep. Also, I'm 5'5" and had to duck under the showerhead to wash my hair. Also, you have to pay for parking on the street or in a parking garage a couple of blocks away, which can be a hassle. (And the garage is closed on Sundays and holidays.) read more

Charles Inn - The view from my room. - Hotels Near Me - Bangor, Maine

We stayed here during a two day music festival at the waterfront. Very friendly and helpful staff, clean spacious room, great location. They offer parking that was cheaper than the event parking in the same garage. Short walk to the venue, and lots of options for eating, drinking, and shopping in the immediate area. Prior to booking, I emailed them to clarify some concerns, and they were very polite and accommodating. Despite them warning us that our particular room might be a bit noisy at night, we found it to actually be very well sound-proofed. I like that they allow you 24 hour access to the parking garage that is locked up at night, and they provide a key to the lobby door so you can go in and out at any hour (the hotel lobby is locked at night). There is a connected coffee shop, where we had some great coffee and a good light breakfast the next morning. read more

@@ road trip post @@ Pros: * Right downtown, very convenient. * Not too expensive. I can't remember what our exact rate was, but it was reasonable. * Seems like the hotel got a renovation from "Hotel Impossible" which involved themed rooms like "Brady Bunch room" or "Great Downtown Fire room". We had the latter. There were little touches of firefighter themed knick knacks as well as a street fire hydrant, a firefighter hat. * Coffee shop attached to the lobby. We didn't try it so I can't report on quality. * Our room had a nice view of the square outside. But also had street noise from the bars and such. Didn't really keep us up. Cons: * WiFi didn't work. I found the network, but it had no/low signal. Also, it's one of those "pay this much to have good service" or pay nothing and have "free internet" that doesn't work. I was never able to connect. * As mentioned above, the room had a firefighter theme. That was kind of cool, but then there was a huge George W. Bush quote about 9/11 firefighters. Good to have a quote about them, but the hotel could have picked a less controversial figure than Bush. * Bed dipped a little in the middle. * Seriously some of the most drying soap ever. My skin was dying. Oh yeah, and on top of that? No lotion. That's a first. * Semi 24/7 service. After 10 p.m. you use an actual key to get into the hotel. The lady working the desk will answer any calls (aka you are waking her up if you need anything). Overall, it was a pretty good experience but no working internet, Bush quote, and drying soap/no lotion combo wasn't great. read more

Best place to stay when you're visiting Bangor. Clean and comfortable historic hotel in the center of the town. The room was recently renovated. Friendly staff. Plenty of good places to eat and drink within a short walk. read more

Can I give this place lower than one star? This was the worst hotel experience that I have ever had. It started with getting there late, and my key being in the lock box by the front door. First, there is no where to park, so you have to lug a bunch of bags to get to the hotel. Second, as I was standing there around 10pm, I got harassed by a woman outside telling me to give her my phone. (It was really scary, and it shook me up for the rest of the stay). Then once I finally get into the door and into my room, the room is outdated, filthy, and there was literally no water pressure. The sheets were stained with holes in them and on top of almost getting robbed outside, our door did not lock fully. So, we were not able to dead bolt it shut and had to fiddle with it to ensure it somewhat locked from the outside, making the rest of the stay an uneasy one. The one nice thing, was the nice woman at the front desk when I called to ask about a later check in. But I am sorry, that does not make up for the crap hole of a hotel. So it's clear to say, I do not recommend this place to anyone. Just spend the extra $50 a night and go to the Hilton. read more

This place was horrible! The worst hotel I've ever stayed at. The heat didnt work, the beds were hard are rocks, the rugs locked disgusting and everything looked like it was gonna fall apart. Most rooms come with basic amenities but not this one. Nothing but a bucket for ice and a small coffee pot. No mini fridge. No microwave. Nothing! The sheets on the bed are thin and have holes through them. The first room we went in wasn't even maid up, so they end up giving us another room which honestly wasn't any better. I will never stay at the charles inn again. read more

Cool hotel in a perfect location. Located right in the heart of downtown Bangor you can easily access any bar, restaurant, or office from the hotel'a doorstep. There are some neat rooms too. I recommend the USS Maine 301. Street-side of the hotel has very pretty views of the city. The staff are very nice as well. We left something important in our room and they called us immediately for us to pick it up. read more

Before moving to Bangor, we would stay at the Charles Inn. We've stayed at least three times, and in general, love staying in such a great location. This review was from our first trip, in October of 2016. But truly, it applies to each stay. We love it here. We still visit the cafe in the lobby and pop in to say hi to the staff. My husband and I spent 4 nights at the Charles Inn in Bangor in October 2016. The lobby was quiet, quaint, and inviting. The reception desk was beautiful and the receptionist, Dana was remarkable. She made our trip just amazing. Our room was on the second floor, a double. It was clean and bright and comfortable. Nothing too much or overly frilly, but comfortable and pleasant. The bathroom was clean and compact and the room layout was just big enough that my husband and i were able to have a little space from each other. The location of this hotel is excellent. There is a cafe that shares a wall with the lobby and cafe guests sometimes recline in the lobby. The coffee is great and the whole place feels cozy. You're in the center of the down town so walking to everything is easy. There is no parking, but you are about a block from a parking garage. If you aren't from Maine, the parking prices are a steal. $4.50 for 24 hours and free on the weekend (it's $6 now in 2017). read more

The charm and quaintness and perfect location of this Inn was obliterated by the complete lack of comfort in the hotel room: the sagging squeaky mattress, rough sheets, hard as rock pillows, scratchy comforter, low water producing sink faucet- not even enough to brush one's teeth......all need to be replaced with better quality products.... even at this price level, it's kinda basic upgrades. read more

This place is by far the worst hotel I have ever stayed in. Read the other's reviews, (sort by newest) they are true. The sheets are stained, worn and I doubt washed. The carpeting is the dirtiest I've ever seen in my life. I had to moved to a different room because the first one wasn't vacuumed at all. More importantly, it didn't have a window, meaning there's only one way in and one way out. Think of an old hotel in very poor condition and being stuck in that room if a fire broke out... I can't believe the fire department hasn't closed them down yet. Or perhaps the board of health should be the ones to close them down. The bathrooms do not have any grab bars in them at all. They give you two towels that don't match and are very thin. The locks on the doors are very hard to use and don't work all the time. I needed help twice to open my door. The heat wasn't working in the building (this December) but there was a little electric heater. Once we put that on, the heat from that was full blast and couldn't be adjusted. We either boiled or froze. And you are not allowed to open the windows, but we did. It didn't matter if they were open or closed, the noise from outside was ridiculous!! They make you sign an agreement that you won't open the windows, smoke marijuana, smoke cigarettes or use e-cigarettes. But they have the nerve to charge us to stay in this dump. We cut our stay short. Thankfully they didn't charge us for the rest of the time we were going to stay. I would have refused to pay and would have called me credit card company to fight it. Also be aware, they add a gratuity to your bill along with all the taxes and fees. They must do that because no one would ever tip someone for a filthy room. We went 2 miles away and stayed in a really, really nice Marriott for $50 less! YES, $50 less. It was truly a gross experience! read more

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TERRIBLE! This Inn is so outdated. The room we stayed in was called "The Brady Gang Room". It was laughably decorated with mob memorabilia. There was a window A/C unit that has seen better days. It worked, but looks terrible. The location is right across from some pubs and the live music kept us up WAY past midnight. So loud! The hotel front desk person was very nice, but that is the ONLY good thing I have to say. DON'T STAY HERE. read more

Just a place to rest your head while having an excellent location. If possible, book a room online. We paid $110 or so while online it was 70$. The room was old fashion and bare- not a problem except for the price. The sink was outside the room with low water pressure. There was only one small bar of soap. Squeaky bed. The carpets were old and dingy. Once again, wouldn't be a big deal but they bragged about being on a Travel Channel "rescue this hotel show". read more

Charles Inn - Small simple room for over 100$. Should've been at most 70$. - Hotels Near Me - Bangor, Maine

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Excellent service, awesome location, traditional feel with a renovated look. Our innkeeper, Dana, was amazing. We stayed for a week and she upgraded our room to a suite for free. Amazing customer service and will visit again! read more

Good: Manager friendly and helpful. Cleaning people were nice. Prompt response to request for new towels. Great location. Walkable to area restaurants. Nice lobby area and access to cafe through lobby. Bad: Mattress very soft and with divot in the middle. Filthy worn out carpet in room and hallways. Threadbare towels. AC in window. In the 30's and very drafty. No blinds. Thin worn curtains. Only lamp showed extensive rips in shade when light on. No night stands. Moved the coffee table next to bed. No Kleenex!! Had to buy our own. Packets of shampoo/conditioner instead of little bottles. They were so hard to open I had to use my pocketknife! Get nickel-and-dimed: had to pay an extra 25$ for fridge. Terrible internet unless you pay extra. Toilet bangs against wall when sitting. Subpar lighting in bathroom and mirror needs replacing. Put towel back on bar to hang and bar fell out. Couch uncomfortable. TV stand and coffee table looks like they were found for free on the end of someone's driveway. Cheap fiberglass tub and shower with shower head very low. Had to bend over to wash hair. It looks like someone started to update our room (lovely bricks and woodwork walls) but never finished its update. Renovations that were done seemed a good idea but not well executed. They need to put money into maintenance and improvements. This place could be great. It's got great potential. I don't think I would stay here again. read more

We were headed into Bangor from Acadia NP when we inferred from an advertisement that The Charles Inn was a "boutique" hotel. It hardly is a boutique hotel. It was more like a YMCA or a hostel. Pretty basic accomodations but clean and relatively quiet. read more

IGNORE THE BAD REVIEWS FROM THE PAST!! My wife is a travel nurse and had the pleasure of staying here from two months! This is a better, more refined Charles Inn than from the previous ownership and management team. Coincidentally, the name of the building originally was the Phenix Block (spelled traditionally), built in 1873 following the great 1869 fire that originated in the area and destroyed 10 business blocks. The hotel, Bangor's first art gallery hotel, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The original foundation and brickwork from 1873 can be seen from under the building in the basement. Toward the front of the basement are remains of tunnel ways to bring in illegal booze built during Prohibition time. These tunnels spanned many blocks from the canal way of the Kenduskeag Stream near the Penobscot River. The Bangor Historical Society and the Bangor Ghost Walk make a stop here for its haunted history. Legend has it that the hotel was one of the original buildings in Bangor burned during the Civil War. A union soldier was helping to carry items out of the hotel to save them. He was hit on the head by a brick and was killed. His spirit has never left this property since. They say room 405 is where he died and is said it is haunted. The room was the subject of a ghost hunters investigation a few years back. The investigators found a probable presence within the building. However, no guests have been confronted by the spirit directly and have not left out of fear. In 1937, the famous gangster Al Brady (FBI Public Enemy) and his gang lost their lives in West Market Square located directly in front of the hotel. The gunfight between the gang and the FBI began outside Dakin's Sporting Goods Store a few buildings down from the hotel. Contrary to the marker placed down the street from the hotel, Brady was gunned down and killed across the square in front of the building where Paddy Murphey's pub resides. The only suite in the Charles Inn, Room 201, was the office of the CEO of the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad during the time of the building's existence as a mercantile prior to it being converted into a hotel. We had the pleasure of staying in it! A large safe converted into a library is in the corner of the suite! Anthony Melchiorri and his team from Hotel Impossible refurbished the room upon shutting down the bar below this suite. Tony Shalhoub of "Monk" recently stayed in this suite as well! Located in the heart of downtown Bangor (The Queen City of the East and home of Stephen King), West Market Square directly in front of the hotel is home to the New Year's Eve ball drop. This hotel, featuring Victorian decor, is a crown jewel of the area and the owners are VERY hospitable, professional, and polite. Verbal history lessons about the building and surrounding area can be available upon request. Enjoy your stay, and if there are ANY issues (large or small), to which you hopefully won't have any, notify management and they will promptly take care of you! Again, ignore the bad reviews from the past! This is a new Phoenix rising from the ashes of bad experiences and poor management! We loved our stay and will definitely be back again! read more

We were in town for the Dolly Parton concert. Great location. I didn't expect much for the price we paid but still expect cleanliness. Nasty stained carpets, weird smell. Our room overlooked the garbage alley. No bar of soap in the bathroom. The sheets seemed clean. Hard to close curtains and covered in cobwebs. Rooms have very thin walls so between the couple having sex next door and all the drunk people coming in and out through the night playing the piano at 3 in the morning, it was hard to get a restful sleep. I would suggest if there is no one at the front desk through the night they should lock up the piano after 11pm. I heard they were on Hotel impossible, we were obviously not in any of the rooms that had been renovated. Luckily the weather was nice so as soon as we woke up we could hang out outside with a coffee. read more

We didn't get to stay at your beautiful hotel this time but your employee by the name of LeeAnne (not sure of the sp) helped my boyfriend and I find a place to stay because The Charles Inn was completely booked. She clearly went over and beyond her job so with staff like that working at the Charles Inn we will be back to stay at your hotel.... THANK YOU so much every hotel should have a "LeeAnne" working there, so helpful and nice. read more

Update: I heard from the management and they are making some changes. I like a place that is responsive to their guests' needs. Although I no longer live in the area, I hope someone will write an updated review. read more

Disappointing. After knowing this hotel had been on Hotel Impossible, we expected more than was delivered. Hopefully, our room had not yet hit the "re-done" list. The curtain barely covered the window, with no room darkening quality at all. The toilet articles are obviously on the money saving list, but the microscopic sliver of soap and difficult to open plastic packets of shampoo were really annoying. Another issue was not being informed about the lack of parking on the premises. I don't have an issue with paying to park in a public garage, but it would have been nice to have had the info ahead of time, especially since it's over a block away, and there isn't a convenient place to pull up to unload luggage. On a positive note, the receptionist was friendly and helpful. She was also alone and could not provide an extra pillow for several hours as she was busy and there was no one else available to retrieve it. I'm glad the toilet wasn't overflowing. Wouldn't recommend. read more

I frequent this place not as a lodger, but as a consumer of fine beverages and an avid listener of just terrible open mic nights. I can't speak for the rooms but hey, there is nothing wrong with the bar. A well thought out selection of beer and a nice atmosphere is to be found here in this establishment. With just a few taps, the man surprises me with a jolly pumpkin offering. A beer more suitable to my pallet then any of the dozen or so on tap down the road at the "beer bar". read more

If you are looking for a nights stay in Bangor, chose the Charles Inn. My guy and I have stayed a handful of time. Beyond friendly and helpful staff, and fun, unique rooms that are spacious, comfortable, affordable and in the heart of Bangor. I highly recommend the Charles! read more

We tend to like "old charm" hotels, and chalked up the negative reviews as people mistaking this for a hilton. basically, we read and believed the review preceding this one. Unfortunately, we were wrong. It is old, but not "old classic." Rather it is "old run down." The mattress was thin and bowed. Bathroom is dated to 1970. Rooms lack decoration except for cheap curtains. carpet is stained. It is a shame. the central location and restaurants surrounding drew us in. There is an outdoor brick area being built that will make for a great outdoor addition. But until someone puts some money into a restoration, we will stay away. Why not one star? it was generally clean. and it was priced at a point where we should probably have known (110/night) what we were getting. read more

I love the Charles Inn because it is NOT a chain hotel where everything is predicable. It is owner operated, Connie, the owner seems to be there 24/7, it is a funky funky place that is more like staying at a friend's. There only two features I find annoying are the heat which is either too much or not enough, without a middle ground and the TV channel selection is exceeding limited. Otherwise, especially where it is right down town and just a short walk to where I need to be for work and withing walking distance of a whole slew of really great restaurants, I love this place. If you like it quiet, however, ask for a room at the back as the music entertainment can be loud if you are in the rooms right at the front. In short, if you like chain hotels, this place is not for you. If you like a down home touch, you will like it. read more

Our first stay was July 1-5, 2016. There was a snafu with the reservation, and a few minutes of untangling needed to be done at the front desk on arrival, but nothing terrible. Nevertheless, management gave us a coupon for a free three-day stay on our next visit. (Our daughter lives across the street--location is perfect for us.) Certainly exceeded our expectations in that regard. Also, the Booking.com site has it wrong: no free continental breakfast, and again management gave us a coupon for $40 off our next stay to compensate for that. The coffee shop attached is lovely, the lobby is a delightful, inviting spot for meeting folk, with antique furnishings. My husband and I (from Syracuse) were traveling to visit our daughter along with our son and his wife (from Brooklyn). When the air mattress deflated under them in Helen's studio apartment the first night, they were able to use the free 3-day stay to make the rest of their visit much more comfortable. Our room was the USS Maine themed room. It's an old building with lots of character, and the floor is so uneven it sometimes felt like we were riding the waves, so that fit with the theme. The theme decor was simple and straightforward, the furniture very comfortable (lovely king-size bed) and the air-conditioning was a relief. All staff very friendly, and it was a joy to not be in a cookie-cutter hotel. We will be back! She graduates from UMaine in 2018 with her PhD. read more

We tried two rooms in this downtown hotel before giving up entirely. We traveled with another couple who also tried two rooms and were disappointed. This hotel is in a perfect location and has a lot of potential. We ate at two great restaurants less than a half of a block away. Staff is generally helpful and accommodating. The lobby and reception area are quirkily homey. The price for a downtown hotel was very reasonable. The bathrooms, though outdated, were clean, but the towels were worn and stained. I say the staff is "generally helpful" because when I complained about the sound of water continually running behind the wall in our first room, we were met with a "so, are you saying you want a different room?" in a belligerent tone. Why yes, we did. The noise alone was a problem, plus I didn't feel comfortable not knowing where the water was coming from or going to. The was the "Travel Channel Room" and was a good size with a charming full size vault used as a library, but there was no light in the vault, so it was hard to peruse the book selection. Air was leaking in around the window air conditioner, making the room cold. (We were there in October.) And the room, though renovated by The Travel Channel, was not attractive. The second room had a lumberjack theme with a nice sitting area and a charming electric "woodstove." Though it also had a window air conditioner which allowed cold air to leak in, the baseboard heat and the electric stove kept the room warm. Soaps, shampoos provided were puny and on the cheap side. The shampoo was in little ketchup sized packets that were hard to open. The television remote did not work well and therefore only a few channels were available. There was no hair dryer in the room and when we called the front desk (on our cell phone because there was no phone in the room), we were told hair dryers were not provided in the rooms, but we could come down to the lobby and pick one up to use. Our friends had more serious problems. The first room they had sloped to one side and had a strange chemical smell. The bed in the second room was so uncomfortable they put the mattress on the floor to sleep. Then they discovered the bed springs had a large hole (about a foot square) that looked like it had be chewed by mice. I will say we saw no other signs of vermin, but we were all put off by the possibility. That was it for us. We canceled our reservations. Management was very apologetic and refunded our cost with no argument. We weren't looking for or expecting a five-star hotel, but did expect basic comfort and were disappointed. We only allowed two stars because, in the end, management was very responsive. read more

We had a incredible visit here this weekend.We first spoke with Danna by phone and she was so accommodating and kind.She went above and beyond to make our trip smooth.Then we had the pleasure of Kristen all weekend.She is the queen of customer service.She is fun, kind, engaging and treats every customer with respect.Thank you to both of them for making our son's graduation weekend perfect! read more

The only good things about this hotel is location because it's in downtown near a lot of restaurants. It is also pet friendly, and the staff is nice. But I really don't have anything good to say. I've stayed in a lot of hotels and this is by far the worst experience I've had. They say they have free continental breakfast, but if you want it, you need to go to the other hotel in the next town. They say they have free WiFi, but if you actually want something that'll work, you have to pay them a ridiculous amount per day. Instead of giving you a microwave and fridge in the room, they give you cheesy Stephen king decorations that don't even look good, and all of the "antiques" in the rooms are cheap or fake. If you want a fridge or microwave, it's an additional fee for each per day. Parking also isn't free unless you are lucky enough to snag street parking. If not, you have to pay 10 dollars a day to stay in the parking garage that's far away. I don't usually complain about hotel beds either, but it felt like two twin beds pushed together with pillows made out of hard recycled mattresses. They will charge you a ridiculous amount if anything becomes damaged, but the room and hall carpets are stained and gross. I could go on, but I just highly recommend anything else in the Bangor area over this place. There's other pet friendly hotels that are much nicer. I wish the owners would stop buying hotels that they obviously can't afford the upkeep for. read more

Leading up to our Bangor visit I had a hard time getting in touch with anyone at the hotel so I booked online. Upon arrival we met the owners and it turns out they had just taken over so the previous owners were probably to blame for that but the new ones were extremely nice and went out of their way to make us happy with our stay. The rooms themselves are rather run down but the hotel couldn't be anymore convenient to downtown. Bars, restaurants and shops within walking distance. I would stay again. read more

Stayed here recently. Room was SO hot!! AC was useless. Room was big, furniture OK. We liked the tall bed posts on the beds. Bathroom clean. However, the carpet was dirty, and just worn out. The tile on the bathroom floor didn't appear very clean either. The mattresses and pillows were terrible. We would not stay here again. read more

Spectacular place to stay! The rooms are beautiful, the staff is incredible and the location couldn't be nicer. Great place to stay if you're exploring Bangor for a few days. Very welcoming and accommodating! read more

Checked in having reserved two rooms on the same floor (one for us and one for our teenaged children) but was told they couldn't put us on the same floor the first night. We rolled with it and said we would work with them. The next night the rooms were on the same floor. Great! We spent the day with our son-in-law, daughter and granddaughters and came back late in the evening. The second room had no heat and was very cold (mid-March, snow falling). Called the desk and they sent two space heaters. The space heaters blew the circuit breaker for the room. Went to the front desk but it was closed for the night. Called the after hours number and explained the situation. The voice at the other end of the line said he would take care of it, with a huff. I was in the door way of the darkened room, looking down the hall when a guy in PJ's came around the corner, opened the panel, flipped the switch without a word of apology or explanation, then walked away. Sort of rude if you ask me. Next morning we checked out. We had planned to stay for several more days, but given the poor customer service we decided to find better accommodations. We also asked to be refunded for the one room that we had the heat and power issues with and was told that they would. It has been more than a week and they have still not refunded our money, not for the one room and not for the rest of the week we paid for, in all $705.51. Most reputable companies only charge as incurred. Not so with the Charles Inn. I am hopeful that we will get our money back, but so far, no joy. read more

I would like to start by saying that any hotel staff that we had contact with during out stay recently was nice, engaging and courteous. The hotel is conveniently located and the exterior is quite charming. The little "house-pug" was a sweet little thing that greeted our own little pooch warmly and added a nice quirk to the business. Unfortunately, for the price paid for the stay, the hotel could be better-run. One of the most important things that we remember is that we really should have had more warning about the noise level at the downstairs bar. For the two nights that we stayed here, we could not actually get to sleep before about 2AM because the bar directly downstairs has live music and the walls are super thin, so we could hear all of the commotion from the entertainment and the bar guests up in our room on the 4th fl. Furthermore, the bar across the street also played loud music that we could hear through our thin windows. We are actually from NYC and very amenable to bars and entertainment, but if the sound was so loud on the weekends that it would keep us up, we feel that there should have been warning on the hotel website or from the hotel staff at the time of the reservation. We visited the bar in an attempt to 'join them if we can't beat em' and the bartender was so in-the-weeds that we could feel his inability to keep up and tend to us, as he was a little short and quippy. Perhaps he should procure a barback? The beer selection, however, was wonderful. Additionally, I think we were slightly privy to some arguing from hotel management and staff, both of whom were nothing but nice to us when we dealt with them directly. Both mornings, I woke up to the sound of the cleaning staff using one of those roller hand-held cleaners on the carpet floor upstairs. The rooms should be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner, as these carpets are not young. The mattress felt like cardboard and frankly should have been replaced well over 10 years ago. This hotel could be so much more, but it is currently be a long way from its potential. We do appreciate the effort. read more