Camden’s Hartstone Inn pairs a lovely inn with an excellent restaurant in a convenient, walk-to-everything downtown location. Former owners Chef Michael Salmon and his wife, Mary Jo Brink, inked the inn on Maine’s culinary map. And the current owners aim to keep it there.
The inn comprises three buildings. The three-story mansard-roofed main inn houses a cozy lounge, the Electric Daisy restaurant, 11 guestrooms and suites (three with private entrances), and a massage room. The adjacent Manor House has three suites. The Hideaway, a block away, houses seven rooms and suites (including one ideal for families). Tea and coffee are always available in the main inn, where guests in all three buildings come for breakfast.
What it’s like to stay in the Hartston Inn
Arriving guests may find it confusing initially, as there isn’t a lobby or a staffed check-in desk. But I was quickly greeted, and one of the bar workers carried my bag up steep stairs to my second-floor room.
Guest rooms and suites
No two rooms in the Hartstone are alike. Although decor and amenities vary from room to room, all welcome guests with a chocolate bar and have bottled water and robes. Some have jetted tubs, gas fireplaces, or both.
I split my stay between two rooms in the main inn, the loft for the first night and the Paris room for the second. In both, the décor’s contemporary vibe complemented the historical architecture. Each used books chosen for color, not content, as a design element.
The spacious L-shaped loft featured a queen bed and a gas fireplace, while the smaller Paris room had a king bed. Both had comfy seating areas, flat-screen TVs, and updated bathrooms with walk-in showers. The loft had heat pump air-conditioning, while Paris had a widow model. While I loved the overall feel of the loft, especially its tucked-in-the-back sense of privacy, it lacked suitable bedside reading lamps, which Paris had. Honestly, both rooms were lovely, but I preferred the loft’s end-of-the-hallway, back-of-house location sense of privacy.
Breakfast, included for overnight guests, is a self-serve buffet in the lounge. It comprises scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, housemade pastries, fresh fruit, granola, and yogurt. Guests staying more than a day or two might want to stroll downtown for a different menu.
What it’s like to dine at the Electric Daisy in the Hartstone Inn
Even if you don’t stay at the Hartston Inn, dine at its restaurant, perhaps after popping into its cozy bar for a cocktail. Snag a fireside table if the weather’s inclement.
Chef Dustin Shockley prepares a three-course, set-price menu ($65pp). Shockley honed his skills at several acclaimed Portland restaurants, including Five Fifity-Five, The Front Room, Sur Lie, and Solo Italian. And he’s put it all together here, adding his creativity and drawing from locally sourced ingredients.
The ambiance is casual fine dining — no tablecloths, but good service and excellent fare. The restaurant wasn’t full the night we dined, but I imagine it could feel a bit cramped if it had been.
On the June night we visited, the menu offered a choice of three appetizers, four entrées, and three desserts. We also enjoyed the focaccia bread, and a sorbet intermezzo served between the app and entrée. Each course offered a taste of spring.
We began with the green pea salad (green pea hummus, smoked carrot, tiny radish, hakurei, pepitas and sunflower) and the young broccoli (sunny egg, salmon roe, fingerling chips, carrot vinaigrette). Both were as pleasing to the eye as to the palette.
After the sorbet, we feasted on pan-roasted salmon (spicy cabbage cake baby bok choy, scallion chutney) and black lime quail (saffron couscous, apple, pickled carrot, scallion spinach emulsion).
As for dessert, how can one say no to a chocolate terrine (Amarena cherry, vanilla Anglaise, crispy chocolate pearls) or a Creme Louisa (lemon gel, strawberry, creme fraiche panna cotta)?
Bottom line: We thoroughly enjoyed everything and didn’t leave a morsel behind. The Electric Daisy’s menu changes regularly. Here’s the current menu.
And finally…
The Hartstone Inn and Electric Daisy are located in downtown Camden. When here, it’s easy to park your car (free) and forget about it. It’s easy to spend a few days here shopping, boating, feasting, and simply relaxing. But if you need more stimulation, there’s plenty available in the area, from great hiking to intriguing museums.
Some of the main inn rooms face Route 1. We didn’t have a problem with noise, but light sleepers might want to request a room away from the road.
If you stay in Manor or the Hideaway, you have to come to the main inn for breakfast.
The inn is somewhat pet-friendly. One dog weighing 35 pounds or less is permitted in three guest suites, all with private entrances, for $75 per night.
The Hartstone offers a special that pairs a stay with a two-hour sail on Penobscot Bay. The boat leaves from Camden Harbor, a 5-minute walk from the hotel. Also within walking distance are shops, restaurants, bars (check out Lucky Betty’s across the street), and outfitters offering cruises, paddles, and other fun activities.
The rewards for coming during the quiet season include cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, tobogganing, and even alpine skiing with ocean views at the Camden Snow Bowl.
The Hartstone Inn is one of seven members of the Enthusiast Hotel Collection.
See more Checking In reviews.
