The Towne Motel
68 Elm Street
Camden, ME
Motel bones, bed-and-breakfast heart, two blocks from Camden Harbor.
About The Towne Motel
The Towne Motel has been a Camden landmark since it opened in 1955, a classic mid-century motel two blocks from the harbor. Since 2013, innkeepers Siobhan and Katja have run it with the warmth of a bed and breakfast, renovating the rooms while keeping the retro character intact. What sets it apart is how personal they have made a motel format: they open their own attached living quarters each morning so guests can gather over coffee and home-baked muffins. The walkable setting is the other draw, a five-minute stroll from downtown Camden, its shops and galleries, restaurants, the public library, and the working harbor on Penobscot Bay. It is a small, hospitable base for exploring the Midcoast.
What The Towne Motel Is Known For
The Towne Motel's achievement is turning a 1955 motel into something that feels genuinely hosted. Opening their own living quarters each morning for coffee and homemade muffins is the kind of gesture that no chain and few independents match, and it transforms the standard motel format into a bed-and-breakfast experience. Pair that hospitality with immaculately kept rooms and a walk-everywhere location two blocks from Camden Harbor, and the result is a small property that consistently sends guests home feeling looked after.
Amenities
- Pets Welcome
- Breakfast Included
- WiFi
- Homemade baked goods each morning
- Innkeepers' living quarters open for breakfast gatherings
- 24-hour communal kitchen with self-serve items
- In-room coffee makers
- Two-block walk to Camden Harbor
- Renovated retro rooms
What Guests Love
- Innkeepers Siobhan and Katja open their attached living quarters each morning for coffee and home-baked muffins, often Maine blueberry.
- A communal kitchen in the main building stays open around the clock with help-yourself breakfast items and drinks.
- The location is two blocks from downtown Camden, an easy walk to the harbor, shops, restaurants, and the library.
- Rooms are renovated and immaculately kept, with fresh bedding and updated bathrooms.
- The personal, hosted feel turns a classic motel into a bed-and-breakfast experience.
Worth Knowing
- The property is small and popular in summer. Book ahead for peak Midcoast season and fall foliage weekends.
- The in-town location keeps the harbor and downtown within a short walk, so you can leave the car parked for much of a visit.
- Pets are welcome. A pet fee applies; contact the property directly to confirm current amounts and any restrictions before booking.
- Breakfast is a self-serve spread of baked goods, coffee, juice, and yogurt in the innkeepers' living room and the communal kitchen, not a cooked-to-order meal.
The Room
The rooms carry retro charm updated with modern comfort. Renovated within an older building, they read as spotless and well maintained, with fresh bedding, tidy tiled bathrooms, and controllable air conditioning. Larger rooms and bathrooms give more space than the motel's vintage exterior suggests. A coffee maker sits in each room for early risers, and the design keeps things clean and comfortable rather than themed or fussy. The care that Siobhan and Katja bring shows in the details: guests consistently describe the rooms as immaculate, the kind of upkeep that turns an older motel into a genuinely inviting stay.
The Grounds
The Towne Motel keeps the classic two-tier motel layout, with rooms opening to exterior walkways and parking close at hand. The main building holds a communal kitchen area open around the clock, stocked with help-yourself breakfast items and drinks, and the innkeepers' attached living quarters open each morning as a cozy gathering space. The setting is the standout: this is a walkable in-town property, two blocks from the heart of Camden. From the door it is a short stroll to shops, galleries, restaurants, the public library, parks, and the harbor, so the car can stay parked for most of a visit.
The Experience
Staying here feels like being hosted rather than checked in. Mornings center on the innkeepers' living room, where coffee, juice, and fresh-baked muffins, often Maine blueberry, are set out for guests to linger over. Siobhan and Katja add the special touches that make an old motel feel like a bed and breakfast, from the baked goods to genuine local advice. The rest of Camden is right outside: a five-minute walk carries you to the harbor, the restaurants, and the shops, and the schooners of the windjammer fleet sit at the docks. It is an easy, friendly, walk-everywhere kind of stay in one of Maine's prettiest harbor towns.
Details
Camden, ME 4843
The Boutel designation is earned, not purchased. Boutels is editorially independent and has no financial relationship with any listed property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does The Towne Motel have EV charging?
No, The Towne Motel does not have EV charging.
Does The Towne Motel have WiFi?
Yes, The Towne Motel has WiFi.
What is there to do near The Towne Motel?
Camden Harbor: 0.3 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk. Camden Hills State Park and Mount Battie: 1.5 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there. Camden Snow Bowl: 3.3 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there.
How far is The Towne Motel from Camden Harbor?
0.3 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
How far is The Towne Motel from Camden Hills State Park and Mount Battie?
1.5 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there.
How far is The Towne Motel from Camden Snow Bowl?
3.3 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there.
How far is The Towne Motel from Camden Harbor?
The Towne Motel is about two blocks, a 5-minute walk, from Camden Harbor and downtown Camden.
Does The Towne Motel have a pool?
No, The Towne Motel does not have a pool. Its draws are the walkable in-town location and homemade breakfast, with Camden Harbor a short stroll away.
Is The Towne Motel pet friendly?
Yes. Pets are welcome at The Towne Motel. Contact the property directly before booking to confirm current pet fees, room availability, and any restrictions.
Is breakfast included at The Towne Motel?
Yes. The Towne Motel includes a self-serve breakfast of home-baked muffins, coffee, juice, and yogurt, set out each morning in the innkeepers' living quarters and a 24-hour communal kitchen.
Can you walk to downtown Camden from The Towne Motel?
Yes. The Towne Motel sits two blocks from downtown Camden, an easy 5-minute walk to the harbor, shops, restaurants, and the public library.
What is parking like at The Towne Motel?
The Towne Motel offers free on-site parking, with spaces near the rooms in its classic exterior-access motel layout.
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Things to Do Near the Midcoast, Maine
Camden Harbor
0.3 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
0.3 miles, about a 5-minute walk, reaches the working harbor at the heart of Camden, home to the windjammer schooner fleet and ringed by shops and restaurants.
Camden Hills State Park and Mount Battie
1.5 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there.
1.5 miles, about a 4-minute drive, brings you to the auto road and trails up Mount Battie, whose summit delivers the classic panorama over Camden and Penobscot Bay.
Camden Snow Bowl
3.3 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there.
3.3 miles, about a 7-minute drive, leads to the community ski and recreation area, notable for its rare ocean views out over the bay from the slopes.