Middle Street Inn review: the best small inn in Bath, Maine
Looking for a friendly Bath base? Middle Street Inn pairs small-inn charm with big-hearted hosts, comfortable rooms, and a quiet, walkable setting near downtown shops and the river—ideal for exploring Bath’s shipbuilding history, local eats, and MidCoast day trips.
Rarely do you find lodgings without something to niggle at. Then there’s the Middle Street Inn, a small Bath, Maine inn where the owners have paid loving attention to every detail in a warm, intimate setting that feels like home.
The Middle Street Inn manages to combine historic charm on a quiet residential street with upscale amenities, a luxurious feel, and a cozy atmosphere. Seriously, owners Chuck and Jude have thought of everything, it seems, when they renovated the former private home that was, as Chuck called it, “half-ish vacant.” In other words, the prior owners had moved, so the house had been neglected for several years with an overgrown, weedy yard.
Both were tired of their fast-paced, big-city, executive, corporate jobs, and running a small inn seemed ideal. Both love to entertain, love people, and love to travel. They purchased the circa 1843 Greek Revival style home in Bath in 2016 and ran the renovation job themselves, transforming the spacious home into the best small Bath, Maine inn with just four bedrooms. The inn opened in late 2017.
“I like meeting people. Everybody has a story,” said Chuck. “I can’t imagine not doing this full-time.”
Modern touches at this quiet Bath Maine inn
I was particularly impressed with how they designed the layout of the rooms, with storage closets or other structures and spaces separating them all so not one of the rooms has a common wall with another or borders any common space. What is one thing you want to do well in a hotel or inn? Sleep well! And with the lack of voices or noise from neighbors, no real traffic sounds since it’s on a side road, and only four rooms so no herds of travelers are tromping around, you will indeed get a great night’s sleep. Plus, despite the home being some 180 years old, there are no squeaky floors or stairs due to their meticulous renovation of what become the Middle Street Inn.
Middle Street Inn’s Castine room
Each of the rooms is a bit different, but all have detailed touches that are a nod to today’s modern amenities without neglecting the historic aesthetic. I loved the fact that the room had TWO luggage racks. Sure, I was traveling by myself, but how many times do you and a traveling companion have to play rock-paper-scissors to decide who gets to use the one luggage rack? There were USBs and plugs everywhere to accommodate today’s addiction to technology. The Wi-Fi just RIPPED -- it was so fast because Chuck and Jude installed multiple routers, despite having only four rooms, to ensure all guests had the same quality.
The Middle Street Inn was also supremely clean, just gleaming and totally immaculate. I’m not a white-glove freak, but there is something about a spotless bathroom and dust-free bedroom that makes you feel good about a place.
My Machias room at the Bath Maine Inn with windows that let in tons of light
Rooms and amenities at the Middle Street Inn
All rooms are on the second floor, so you must be able to maneuver stairs, which could be a niggling point for some, of course. I had the Machias room with a plushy queen bed and east- and south-facing windows. There is also the Castine room with a king bed and oversized bathroom with windows facing south and west; the Reid room has a queen bed and a settee for sprawling out with a book. The largest room is the Georgetown, with a private side entrance, expansive windows, and a skylight in the bathroom.
Each of the rooms has furnishings and is painted with colors that beckon you to relax. The mattresses are from a local company, and I had such a great night’s sleep that I found myself considering a purchase!
Jude is the cook at the Middle Street Inn, turning out lovely full hot breakfasts at a common table or outside on the back deck. Help yourself to coffee or tea, and feel free to grab some granola if you'd like a nibble before breakfast is served.
The common sitting areas are also cozy for sipping a beverage or chatting with other guests. One point is that, being such a small inn and serving breakfast at a common table, you also should enjoy interacting with other guests — again, a potential niggle for those who are less than social.
Bath, Maine, is a great MidCoast base
From this Bath, Maine inn at the southern end of MidCoast Maine, travelers also have an excellent base for exploring up and down the Maine coast, from Portland farther north into MidCoast Maine (and beyond if you don’t mind driving). You are less than an hour from the Portland airport, less than 30 minutes from Damariscotta, a mere 35 minutes from Boothbay Harbor, and only an hour from Rockland. Meaning you can nestle into a small-town feel and a quiet environment and still get to some great MidCoast Maine sights, like any number of Maine lighthouses. In Bath, a popular attraction is the Maine Maritime Museum.
“Jude and I are very aware people are here for a good experience,” Chuck said. “We are in charge of their memories. We are the stewards of their time here… and we know not to mess it up.”
The Middle Street Inn in Bath, Maine, is an inn I'd love to enjoy again. It would be a great base to explore the working waterfront and maritime history of Bath, as well as the outdoors, small towns, and lighthouses on the Phippsburg peninsula of MidCoast Maine. And you get to meet some great people, too.
Disclosure: Therese Iknoian was fully hosted at the Middle Street Inn. The review, opinions, and ratings here are our own and are not approved, provided, or otherwise endorsed or influenced by the hotel or Visit Maine.
