Inn on Carleton

We only stayed here one night, but liked what we saw. Last trip to Maine was devoted to Portland and we stayed on Munjoy Hill. The West End, in comparison, is a little busier, but still pretty with all the stately old homes.
The Inn was larger than I thought. Our room was on the third floor (next time I would book earlier or just spring to get a lower floor). Otherwise, it was a beautiful house with a fancy living area and a clean room with a comfy bed. The host was a nice guy and allowed us to have our space. He also provided suggestions for dining nearby.
Breakfast was delicious and checkout was quick and easy. There is a security pass code on the door, so you can go out on the later side and not worry about bothering anyone too much. The location is not bad, and the value is very good. It’s not a super tiny B&B, but that is actually an asset for many people. I would stay here again.

My husband and I drove up to Portland this past Saturday with no real plans. We grabbed a visitor guide and started calling some b&bs. We had viewed The Inn on Carleton the previous night on line and we liked the location and charm of the building. Boy were we happy we stayed here!
Innkeepers Leo and Patty (who took over this summer) were adorable and very helpful. My husband and I stayed in room 5 on the third floor and it was very pleasant. A electric fireplace led heat and charm to the room. The room was simply and elegantly furnished and admittedly did not have a great view but that didn’t bother us. We spent a bit of time down downstairs in the common area enjoying the fireplace and music (as well as tea and cookies left out by Patty).
Breakfast both days was amazing. By far one of the best b&b meals we have enjoyed. The inn was close to great restaurants and night life — and only an hour walk (or ten minute drive) down to the waterfront.
The price was fair for winter and we had no complaints. We will definitely be staying here again!

I rented the whole inn for a weekend in August for my wedding, and my whole bridal party stayed here. They loved it, and it ended up being very reasonably priced for them compared to what the big hotels were charging. It’s a beautiful spot, nicely decorated and comfortable, with a great little patio out back. The inn staff was incredibly friendly and accommodating, especially as we had our hair done at the inn on my wedding day and were generally running around like crazy getting ready. It worked out perfectly for my group and I hope I’ll have a chance to stay there myself some day soon.

I’ve been here with my wife two weeks ago. This is one of the finest B&B I’ve been in. The owner (which changed a few months ago apparently) is super nice, has great advices, and the breakfast is good. On top of that, the rooms look really nice.
It is a little bit expensive (although all the hotels /​B&B seems to be actually), and the location is not the best, but still a great value for money in our opinion.

Recently visited Portland for the first time, ever. I did several searches for
Places to stay and the Inn on Carleton was top on the list. BOY am I happy that my boyfriend and I stayed there. The charm, the rooms, the owners, the out door patio, the BREAKFAST — all just truly wonderful. Romantic, short walk into the west end of
Portland, and just one of the best places I have ever stayed. If you visit Portland, HIGHLY recommended staying at the Carleton! You will not regret it!

Stayed here a Friday night a few weeks ago. Only stayed one night as we could not get a reservation for the following night (which as it turns out was a real bummer.) We arrived late, but with no issues we were able to get to our room where a warm, welcoming, and personal note was waiting for us. The room was immaculate and very cozy, with a faux fireplace adding to the ambiance. The next morning we headed down for breakfast, greeted by the effervescent, Cindy, and were promptly served a delicious meal. She gave us some great tips on places to see in Portland, and then we went on our way.
As I mentioned above, it was unfortunate we were not able to get a reservation for Saturday, because there’s probably not a better place in Portland to stay.

Great place to stay in Portland. We had very comfy, clean and charming room. Great breakfast. There are warm and friendly folks taking care of you. It’s an easy walk to Congress St.

The best Bed & Breakfast experience we’ve had, very friendly staff, charming and well tended rooms and a very good breakfast. We spent two nights in the winter, room was kept at a nice warm temperature and not drafty at all. A beautiful old brownstone with lovely wide plank floors and appropriate décor. Free wi-​fi and electric fireplaces throughout, bathroom was clean and had good hot water and water pressure. Thy even put out a plate of delicious chocolate chip cookies for the guests!

After staying here on two different occasions, I can now safely say this is one of the best B&Bs I have ever stayed at. Located on a side street about a 15 – 20 minute walk from the Old Port, the Inn on Carleton is absolutely amazing. We have stayed in Room 4 and Room 6, and the beds here are the most comfortable beds I’ve ever slept in. In fact, I tend to miss breakfast in the morning because I don’t want to leave them. And that’s another thing I love about this place: the breakfast. If you make it out of bed, the breakfast is to die for. If you don’t make it out of bed, you don’t feel bad or awkward for missing breakfast because the inn keepers are the nicest people (and may give you scones to go). They also have fresh baked cookies daily, and keep an assortment of snacks, water and tea available throughout the day.
Parking here is no problem. There’s 3 spaces next to the building, and then the Inn has a deal with the people who own the parking lot across the street and will give you a pass to park there if there are no spaces left.
I think this Inn is in a great location, especially for people who are somewhat familiar with Portland and have done the Old Port thing. There are tons of restaurants and shops up their way that you probably normally wouldn’t have encountered (I highly suggest Petite Jacqueline, it’s to die for.). But even if you’re new to the area, it’s not that bad of a walk. And the rates here are cheaper than most hotels and B&Bs in Portland.

After a two-​night stay here, I posted a review on TripAdvisor under the title «Snide manager» saying, among other things, «The location is great, the facility itself is a gem and the owners are very personable. For that I give it 4 stars. But from the moment I checked in, the manager’s attitude was totally off-​putting. Having chatted with the owners, this young fellow, Dylan, clearly has their confidence („like a member of the family“) but he could kill their business. Myself, I would think thrice before staying there again and putting up with his nonsense…»
Owner Buddy decided to post a long response which was, in parts, fictional and altogether much too defensive. Poor show. Sometimes one should just own up and say «too bad he couldn’t have made your stay more enjoyable» and move on. Particularly online.
So here on Unilocal I’m taking off two more stars. I stand by my original opinion that although the inn is top-​notch, their manager is often unpleasant and needs training.

This review is horribly overdue. My husband and I spent three nights at Inn on Carleton for our honeymoon the beginning of July. We stayed in Room 1 and it was romantic and perfect for us! The location is also fantastic. In the room there were two reading chairs that were wonderful on a rainy day.
Buddy and Cindi helped make the last days of our honeymoon some of the best. They are friendly, kind, and knowledgeable. Their restaurant recommendations are fantastic!
The building and rooms are beautiful. The breakfasts are delicious. The owner (Buddy) is fantastic. If looking for a B&B in Portland, stop and call Buddy.

I don’t think there are enough «fabulous-​es» in the world to cover how I felt about this B&B. The style was a great mix of modern and old world charm, the food was fantastic (though they do try to stuff you to the gills!), the bed was extra comfy. Mostly, Buddy and Cindy were amazing, attentive and just the nicest folks ever.
We’ll be going back for sure!

I stayed with my boyfriend for our anniversary here and we couldn’t have been happier with the b&b! Such a lovely building and our room was wonderful. It was clean, cozy, and warm! (Room #4: large bathroom with tub and shower. Electric fireplace. Comfy queen bed)
Buddy and his staff were great! All extremely friendly and helpful! They gave great recommendations for dinner places and breweries. Everything was in walking distance.
The breakfast was amazing! Stuffed French toast one morning and eggs Benedict the other morning. Homemade cookies and brownies during the day to snack on.
Five stars!

This B&B blows every other B&B out of the water. My boyfriend and I came to Portland for an anniversary, and stayed in the Blue Room, located on the third floor in the corner. It was so fresh, airy, clean and well decorated. No foot traffic which I liked, and the semi-​soft semi-​firm bed offered a great nights sleep. The bathroom was a happy pale yellow –with a two facet shower, a small claw foot tub, bath robes, fluffy towels… There is also a fireplace, which has multiple settings to produce heat or just flames for ambiance. It was absolutely perfect.
Buddy and Cindy are FABULOUS– what a pair– so welcoming and personable, they make sure you have everything you need while making you feel right at home. They provided great suggestions for our time in Portland (the suggestion for peaks island turned out to be the best day ever!- bike riding, ocean views, local refreshments!) And Cindy made a dinner reservation for us at a local bistro one night– so we had nothing to do but show up! It was really nice.
And the breakfasts… how can I begin to describe their delicious breakfasts –no words can describe the unbelievable spread Buddy and Cindy offered on our stay, but I can try…
As soon as you sit down in the morning you are welcomed with a fresh fruit bowl, and the choice of tea or coffee (juice and water are also available, of course) Home made blueberry pancakes started us off on the right foot our first morning. So light and sweet, but filling and pleasing for the day ahead. The second day also started with a fresh fruit bowl, this time paired with a small loaf of banana bread. The main dish– homemade hash with ham, coupled with 2 poached eggs and homemade hollindase sauce. Finished off with homemade key lime lemon sorbet? Heaven in breakfast form. My boyfriend, who normally doesnt eat breakfast, was floored by the presentation and taste of it all, and ate everything on his plate. There is also a spread of tea and snacks throughout the day, should you be lounging around. They have water, beer, wine glasses. They literally have everything you need to be happy –literature about exploring Portland, or refreshments and DVDS for hanging out at the B&B.
Buddy, the owner, is so helpful, so nice and so friendly. Him and Cindy really made the B&B for me. I will recommend this place to everyone going on a trip to Portland, and will definitely be returning to this charming 19^th century home– turned luxury B&B– on my next visit to Portland. My only regret is that the weekend came and went too soon!

We spent four glorious nights recently at the Inn. I can’t think of a single thing they could have done to make our stay more enjoyable. The location is fantastic; beautiful, quiet street and we were thrilled to see how truly lovely the interiors are.
This place is so comfortable, with such attention to detail. Buddy was friendly and warm and Cindy is the heart and enthusiastic angel who greets you every morning. We can’t wait to come back to the Inn and to the beautiful city of Portland. If you have never been and are considering the trip you won’t be disappointed and both Cindy and Buddy have a ton of suggestions if you need them, as far as places to go, where to eat, etc.
Absolute FIVE stars !!!

From initial contact to departing and everything in between, enough can’t be said about our great experience! We traveled to Portland celebrating a wedding anniversary. Our hosts Buddy and Cindy were exemplary. Accomadations are modern and up to date, at the same time there is an old world charm. I did not want to get out of bed, it was so comfortable. Then, I didn’t want to get out of the shower. The best! Then came breakfast… Next stay I’m going to just begin with Buddy’s sweet potato pancakes. Don’t miss this gem.
Thanks from Paul & Gloria!

I truly think that so many people give B&Bs a good review out of pure guilt… that they’ve met and spoken with the owner so now they feel obligated to give them five stars.
I can honestly say with 100% certainty that this was the best bed and breakfast I have ever been to. It is located close enough to downtown Portland to walk (should you choose) but still close to neighborhood gems. Add to that, it was actually cheaper than area hotels!
The décor of this place is classic and simple. Has a vintage feel without the normal clutter and hoarding tendencies of other bed and breakfast spots I’ve been to. The bed with comfy, we had a claw tub, as well as a shower, and a flat screen TV. Yes, a flat screen. Just because I’m at a b&b doesn’t mean I don’t want to watch the boob tube.
Regarding breakfast, we enjoyed lovely hot and unique dishes each morning prepared by awesomeness man of the year, Buddy. The portion sizes were just right. Let’s not forget his afternoon cookies which completely messed up my diet for the rest of the trip but who cared… it was worth every bite of caloric bliss.
I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a nice getaway in Portland, Maine. It was just wonderful.

An absolutely phenomenal B&B. Buddy, the owner, is fantastic and always available. You can just walk right in and he’s always there.
The rooms are beautiful. The kind of place you’d dream to live in someday. My only slight complaint about our room was that the floors were extremely slippery. Yes, I fell once.
The brunch was great. He started a with a great lemon coffee cake. My eggs were cooked to order. And he had a fantastic french toast that day too. Tea, bottled water, cookies, chips, etc. were available for free throughout the day/​night.
But I’m always looking to upgrade, so after we stayed here, we actually walked to a nearby B&B to check it out for next time potentially. We couldn’t walk right in, had to call twice, and finally the owner said he couldn’t show us around because the rooms were being cleaned. Come on, just come say hello to us or show us around the main areas. Anyway, this ensured that I’ll be going back to the Carleton next time.

Jen and I stayed here over this past Thanksgiving weekend, during our jaunt to Portland ME. This place had come recommended by the internets, and lemme tell ya: they don’t disappoint!
We got there a bit before check-​in time, so we asked if we could just use the parking space for a bit while we touristed the town, and they said «sure, no problem!» When we got back, the nicest guy IN THE WORLD (he was the owner) welcomed us, and told us «eh, it’s a slow weekend, so I just went ahead and upgraded you to the corner suite.» yessssss.
The owner also mentioned in passing «oh, we have a breakfast in the morning; be sure to come down and have some!» Where I was expecting a small buffet of random stuffus, the owner himself literally cooked us a 5 course meal, ranging from grilled grapefruit to pumpkin bread french toast! We had to ask him to stop bringing us food! It was great.
The room was gorgeous, cozy, with very warm décor, and top notch service. I most definitely recommend this place, and will continue to go back there any time I’m in Portland.

Hidden away on a quiet street, is a really quaint B & B! If my boyfriend hadn’t drove by on a separate trip, we would have never found this place! A small little place that only has 6 rooms — three rooms on 2 floors. Each room has a different theme, but all still within the Victorian time period. Most of the rooms have a shared bathroom — but my boyfriend was sweet enough to book the room with a private bathroom =).
When we first walked in, the inn keeper was really nice, checked us in and brought us upstairs to our room. When we walked in there is a really high bed with a four high posts (I felt like it was a bed from the Tudors). The bathroom had an old four clawed bathtub, with a stool to climb in. If you do book a room with the private bathroom — don’t be alarmed when the toilet starts making noises — it happens whenever someone from a different washroom flushes!
Breakfast and wifi is included with the stay. When we came down for breakfast, we had expected only to see muffins and cereal — but it was a full sit down breakfast, which is made to order. You could order, eggs, bacon, sausages, omelettes, yogurt with homemade granola or the special of the day. He also puts down a plate of fresh, hot danishes to nibble on while you wait for your breakfast. We both had the special of the day, which was a vegetable soufflé made with a crossiant, served with sausage and fresh fruit. Plus we had ordered a yogurt with granola, which was really good!
When we checked out — we were informed that they were closing for a couple of weeks to perform renovations — so I’m very curious to know what they are going to do. Just as we were about to leave, the inn keeper convinced us to grab a handful of candies for the road =p
Overall, great little inn! Next time we stay in Portland, we will be back.