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The Rice Cottage featured in Country Living magazine

Photo gallery for The Rice Cottage featured in Country Living magazine

Property exterior from the back field.
The front yard. Photo by J. Robbe
Great room
Great Room
Small dining area in the Great room.

Reviews

9.6 out of 10
Exceptional
3 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 42500 sq ft

Popular amenities

  • Dryer
  • Kitchen
  • Fireplace
  • Washer
  • Barbecue grill
  • Parking available

Explore the area

Map
Southwest Harbor, ME
  • Acadia National Park
    ‪3 min drive‬
  • Acadia National Park's Visitors Center
    ‪18 min drive‬
  • Asticou Azalea Garden
    ‪19 min drive‬
  • Bar Harbor, ME (BHB-Hancock County - Bar Harbor)
    ‪21 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 4)

Bedroom

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom

2 Single Beds

Bedroom

1 King Bed

2 bathrooms

Bathroom

Toilet · Shower only

Bathroom

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Kitchenette
Separate dining area
Garden

About this property

The Rice Cottage featured in Country Living magazine

1874 Colonial farmhouse set back off Main Street with slight water views, and just a block from the shops, restaurants and Island Explorer bus line. The front yard has a new cedar picket fence so we can accommodate a dog up to 25 lbs. Living room with fireplace and dining area, furnished with antiques throughout the house. Gourmet kitchen with Wolf stove, laundry, remodeled bath with shower, and a master bedroom suite with queen bed, mini kitchen and eating area. Upstairs is a bedroom with two twin beds, a bedroom with two twins used as a king, and a full bath. Great quality linens. Beautifully furnished and decorated. Fully stocked kitchen with black granite work island. Small rear deck looking out to the back field near harbor. Cable TV, VCR, CD player, DW, New W/D, WIFI, fans, heat, gas grill. Long distance calls require a credit/calling card. Small dogs up to 25 lbs are considered. A 7% Maine Lodging Tax will be added. The Rice Cottage was featured in Country Living Magazine September '07. Email us to see more photos.


This home is just a block from the shops, restaurants and the Island Explorer bus line. 1 mile from Acadia National Park. Boating, canoeing, bicycling, hiking are just a few of the activities available. Close to Bar Harbor, Northeast Harbor and Seal Harbor. We just recently remodeled the upstairs bath room and have new mattresses in all of the bedrooms. The Rice Cottage has been featured in the September '07 issue of Country Living magazine.
We have a customized cancellation policy we can send you.

Property manager

Cummins or Diane Speakman

Languages

English
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Amenities

Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Pet-friendly
Air conditioning
Outdoor space

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Summer 2025 book now and experience the beautiful views!

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10.0 out of 10, (51 reviews)
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House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 21
Check out before 11:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

Pets allowed: dogs less than 9 kg per pet (limit one pet total)
Small dogs, 25 lbs. max.
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
Please keep pets off the furniture and don't leave pet alone in the house unless it is in a crate. Thanks.
Please put items and furniture back where they were found before checking out. Thanks.
Please turn off appliances, lights and fans when leaving the house. Thanks!

Important information

You need to know

This property is managed by a private host (a party not acting within their trade, business or profession). EU consumer law, including the right of withdrawal, will not apply to your booking. The cancellation policy set by the private host will cover your booking.
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property

About the area

Southwest Harbor

Located in Southwest Harbor, this holiday home is in the city centre and by the sea. Bar Harbor Whale Watching is a popular attraction and the area's natural beauty can be seen at Acadia National Park and Acadia National Park's Visitors Center. Travelling with kids? Consider Pirate's Cove Adventure Golf and George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History. Sailing and surfing/body boarding offer great chances to get out on the surrounding water, or you can seek out an adventure with mountain biking and hiking nearby.
Map
Southwest Harbor, ME

What's nearby

  • Acadia National Park - 3 min drive - 2.6 km
  • Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse - 8 min drive - 7.0 km
  • Acadia National Park's Visitors Center - 18 min drive - 17.6 km
  • Asticou Azalea Garden - 19 min drive - 19.5 km
  • Cadillac Mountain - 32 min drive - 27.6 km

Getting around

  • Bar Harbor, ME (BHB-Hancock County - Bar Harbor) - 21 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Jordan Pond House Restaurant - ‬29 min drive
  • ‪Hansen's Outpost - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪Beal's Lobster Pier - ‬17 min walk
  • ‪Gott's Store - ‬3 min drive
  • ‪Tan Turtle Tavern - ‬22 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is The Rice Cottage featured in Country Living magazine pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows dogs (limit 1 total) with a maximum weight of up to 9 kg per pet.

What time is check-in at The Rice Cottage featured in Country Living magazine?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at The Rice Cottage featured in Country Living magazine?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is The Rice Cottage featured in Country Living magazine located?

This family-friendly Southwest Harbor holiday home is located by the sea, within 2 mi (3 km) of Wendell Gilley Museum and Acadia National Park. Flying Mountain Trailhead and Long Pond are also within 3 miles (5 km).

Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 26 out of 31 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 3 out of 31 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 31 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 31 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 31 reviews

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

MARINA M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great location and very nice house

It is our second stay at this property, we were glad to come back
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

David S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful Fourth

Lovely home with beautiful and intriguing decorations. We’ll stocked kitchen that was a pleasure to use. Bedrooms were quiet during our stay, particularly the ground floor suite.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Dennis A., Chagrin Falls

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Rice Cottage - Loved it!

We have stayed in Southwest Harbor several times and we both agree the Rice Cottage was by far the nicest accommodation we have experienced. We had two teenage grandchildren with us that each had their own bedroom in the cottage with a shared bath and we enjoyed the newer great room accommodations. The kitchen is very well stocked with utensils, pots, pans etc. and easy to work. The stove and outside grill are 1st class. We enjoyed a few home cooked meals in the cottage dining area and played cards in the great room every night. The cottage is filled with antiques which add to the quaint Maine atmosphere and is truly unique for a rental. It's location is convenient to walking to town shops and restaurants. Note that there is a farmers market during the summer on Thursday mornings with pastries, breads and fresh lobster at a very reasonable price for home cooking. We sure enjoyed that! The hosts communications were clear and timely and much appreciated. To say the least, we really enjoyed our stay at the Rice Cottage and would certainly return there in the future. Dennis & Sue Atkins
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Sharon S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Rice Cottage is a dream vacation!!!

If I could give Rice Cottage 10 stars, I would! Owners Diane and Jay have an absolutely beautiful home and I am so grateful that they are willing to share it. The antique décor is thoughtfully and beautifully arranged--an antique lover's dream!. My husband and I spent our visit in the new master suite but I had to keep going upstairs just to look at and admire the beauty of the 2 other bedrooms! The cottage was impeccably clean and had everything necessary for a wonderful vacation. It rained most of the week but the cottage was so cozy and it was actually a delight to watch the weather change hour by hour. Doing Acadia's Jordan Pond trail early on a morning with light rain and a pretty stiff wind was the highlight of our trip. As the Irish say, theres no bad weather, only the wrong clothing! Thankfully we were well prepared! I recommend the Jordan Pond and the Ship Harbor trails as fairly easy and absolutely gorgeous. Also took a drive to Stonington, a fishing village on Deer Isle,about an hour and 20 min away--absolutely magical! Schoodic is about the same distance away and so worth the drive. We found Rice Cottage to be well situated to explore the Acadia area with so much to do and see within a short drive. The view out the back window presents a meadow loaded with so many lupines and other wild flowers it will make your heart sing even in the rain. We would stay at Rice Cottage again in a heartbeat! Highly recommend this home as your vacation base!!!
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

MARINA M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Excellent house with perfect location. Very accommodating owners, perfect communication, very clean

Highly recommend
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2022

8/10 Good

Tim S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful stay in Southwest Harbor

I want to give this place a 4.5 but no option for that. The proximity to town is great. Place is very quaint, well kept up. Owners are very attentive and helpful. Couple items could/should be fixed but you can see they do care about their place. There is a lot of stuff in this house, but all has its place. I just want to thank the owners for a great stay.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Ron G., Littleton, CO

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing stay!

Overall excellent!
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2021

10/10 Excellent

Carol B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely stay

Rice cottage was a perfect place for us to stay a few days. It has a well equipped kitchen, comfortable beds, is very clean, and the location was beautiful, quiet and welcoming after a busy day exploring Acadia.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2021

10/10 Excellent

Charles H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Summer stay in southwest harbor

We spent a wonderful extended weekend at this beautiful property and loved every minute. We especially liked the central location, beautiful courtyard and lovely meadow.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2021

10/10 Excellent

Kendall D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Acadia

Very clean, comfortable, well-appointed home.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2021

10/10 Excellent

Jim and Linda H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Quiet cottage in the center of SW Harbor

Booked this at the last minute due to a change of plans. Eventually were able to talk directly with owner, Jay, to work things out. Great location within steps of restaurants, shops & downtown. Also a short drive to hikes and parks. Would definitely stay here again.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2019

10/10 Excellent

Maria K.

Nice location and the inside has charming setting

This cottage is located in a nice small quaint downtown area where you can walk to pick up some groceries and cook in or go out for a satisfying meal. The cottage has a mix of an antique and modern feel with all the comforts of home including some thoughtful decor. You can easily take a short drive to reach the carriage road trail heads for biking/walking or the mountain trail heads for hiking. We did some biking while there and loved the carriage trail system. We'll have to come back for some hiking next time:) Bar Harbor is approximately a 25 minute drive. My husband, two teenage boys and I had a wonderful stay here! Thank you!
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2018
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

8/10 Good

Wayne T.

Perfect place for a visit to Mt. Desert Island.

The Rice Cottage is lovely and Southwest Harbor is the perfect location for a visit to Mount Desert Island. The house (actually two conjoined buildings) has been in the owners' family for over a century. Although the structures are old, they are immaculate, with beautiful antique furnishings and high quality linens. Also, the owners are actively improving the house - as our stay ended a truck arrived with a load of new tile for the upstairs bath. The house is tucked behind the Kingsleigh Inn and a little hard to find on GPS. The on-line photo of the cottage is the back entrance. It is also of a style typical to the island so you won't readily recognize it. However, the owners provide turn-by-turn directions and, if you follow them, you won't go wrong. Additionally, Southwest Harbor is a small, quiet village with good restaurants and a market and all the amenities you might need. It is not so busy or touristy as Bar Harbor, but only 20 to 25 minutes away and even closer than that to the national park. The Rice Cottage would be a 5 star in my book except there is really no water view to speak of and some of the adjacent homes between the house and the water do not add positively to the view. Nevertheless, we would certainly stay there again should we return to MDI.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2017
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

John R.

Period charm and modern pleasure in a beautiful, central location.

Hydrangea's hide the cottage from the road and line the entrance way, providing a great privacy barrier. Once inside, we felt right at home. The interior is a wonderful mix of old and new, which has been beautifully arranged. Everything was extremely clean and fresh smelling, but not overpowering. I have allergies to perfumes & dyes, so I run from too much potpourri. There is a working fireplace, but it was too warm to use it during our visit. We could only imagine how nice it would be to return after a hike and have a fire in the fireplace and a refreshment in hand. The kitchen is well stocked with most everything needed to prepare a gourmet meal, and the Wolf stove was a treat to cook on. There is a beautiful back yard meadow view from the kitchen window, with a gas grill on the deck and picnic table for dining as well. We had a little laugh about some of the negative reviews and all agreed that we would love to return.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2017
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

8/10 Good

Annamarie L.

A great place to stay when visiting Acadia

Great location in Southwest Harbor and a great place to stay when visiting Acadia. Even though it is steps from the center of town you don't even notice the neighboring buildings when you are in the house. The house was beautifully decorated with antiques in every room. This was a little daunting at first because of our two young boys but we just moved the most fragile items out of reach and settled in comfortably. The in-law suite was great because we were staying with extended family. It is the coziest room in the house and also had the TV. The kitchen was well stocked with cooking supplies. Chairs outback were great for star gazing and you can see a LOT of stars. The owners were really helpful and easy to work with.
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Lucille J., Southold NY

Wonderful!

We truly enjoyed every minute of our stay. The cottage is lovely...beautifully decorated with every possible amenity. It is situated close to town; walking distance to terrific market, great restaurants and shops. The owners were gracious and even called to make sure all was well. Lucille and Dan Jones/Southold NY
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Denise W., Portland

West Coast to East Coast for Maine Fall Colors

We loved this place! Rice Cottage is a quintessential, well wrapped, jewel of a cottage. Perfectly appointed, with all the amenities one would want. Conveniently situated in South Harbor Maine, it proved to be the ideal launch pad for our week of exploration and sight seeing the Maine coast and Acadia NationaPark. Especially noted, were the beautiful cozy linens that welcomed our weary bodies to bed every night. Ahhhhh. The natural history of the island is well spun throughout the design and layout of the home. We found Rice Cottage to be both interesting and comfortable. I particularly loved the pastoral views and natural light that enhanced our experience, as we relaxed in our home away from home.We cannot wait to return. Don't miss this ***** stay!!!
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Jane F.

In season or Off season a cozy, convenient rental

We have rented the Rice Cottage for three summers for 3-4 weeks at a time in August. We decided to try it for Thanksgiving week. In the summer we particularly like that, with children grown, this location provides walking distance to Main St shops and restaurants but yet the house is set back off road so no road noise to deal with. In summer we find the house quiet, sunny and cool. Beds are comfortable, appliances new and the owners have a fine sense of decoration. For off season, it does get quiet on the island but that is what we expected. You can't beat the hikes on MDI, all a short drive away, but we had a wintery, icy time so that didn't quite go as planned. The house has two full baths and sleeps 6 comfortably. Good cable TV set up for football games etc. Sips restaurants was open all day and Havana over in Bar Harbor, our favorite, was too. Much of the rest was closed. There is now a fenced in front yard and an expansive open back yard so if a dog comes along you can be happy and the dog can be happy. Our repeat bookings and off season stay pretty much says what we think of the Rice Cottage. Good luck
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

6/10 Okay

Dale J.

Good location - bad location

Spent the last week of August here. It's an interesting home. As you can see in the pic it's made up of 3 parts, the bedrooms and living room which flow in to what appears to be a newer section with the kitchen and then a newer section that is a day room coupled with the laundry and downstairs bath. It's located within an easy walk to downtown Southwest Harbor. However, it sits immediately behind the Kingsleigh Inn. And by immediately I mean just steps behind. It's close enough that I was awakened several mornings by either their guests out and about or their heating system kicking in. The exterior view photo above is the back of the house, taken at an angle away from the Inn. The kitchen has a gorgeous picture window looking out to the adjacent pasture. However, it doesn't open. In order to get any airflow to the kitchen (remember, no A/C to cool it) you open two windows on the front of the house (facing the Kingsleigh) which is also where the trash is kept. By the end of the week, that wasn't a good combination. As for the mentioned water views, that is possible during the winter, but during the summer the view is blocked by trees and the neighbor's house/garage. I also, personally, found the furniture to be uncomfortable. Maybe that's just me. But after a day of out-and-about or hiking it was tough to find a comfortable way to kick back and relax. Quality of property: A Quality of amenities: A+ Layout: B Location: A+ Value: C-
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Jennifer F.

Cute cottage in town - perfect location in SWH

We spent 4th of July week exploring Acadia and had an excellent location in the Rice Cottage for our stay. This was our first time to Maine, and it was hard to know where to stay. It was my family of four, (two pre-teen kids), plus the grandparents. We had plenty of room in the house for all 6 of us. We loved being able to walk to dinner (Sips, Red Sky and Fiddler's Green for dinner and Sips and Sea Biscuit for breakfast all yummy! (Avoid Grumpy's for breakfast, not a good choice on our part and we all left Grumpy!)) or get groceries right in town. The kids could even walk to ice cream by themselves. Even saw 4th of July fireworks out the bedroom window upstairs. We had a mixed weather week, cool at the beginning and then very warm at the end. We are used to central AC, so a tough adjustment without it, but all in all we made use of the fans and stayed comfortable. Recommendations while in Acadia - Dive In boat tour with Captain Ed, the best thing we did on the trip, educational, informative and just plain fun. We spent a lot of time hiking the trails, and even did the bridges carriage ride. Jay and Diane were wonderful to deal with in renting the Rice Cottage. We spoke a few times and exchanged e-mails before the trip and Jay checked in to make sure all was well when we were there. The cottage was clean and well maintained. Beds were very comfortable and we all slept great every night. Overall the Rice Cottage met all of our needs for the week and we had an awesome time. Thank you for allowing us to stay in this little oasis.
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Karen H.

Annual fall girlfriend trip

Rice Cottage was the perfect location for our girl trip. The house is fabulous, very comfortable. We would stay there again.
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

David W., alexandria, va

loved it

Stayed there with my family in September this year. Great location, very nice accommodations - the place was spotless, very charming, very comfortable and functional. Owners were very responsive and informative. If we ever return to Southwest Harbor I would definitely stay at Rice Cottage again!
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Absolutely Charming!

Dear Jay & Diane, We want to thank you so much for providing us with such a beautiful home for our family vacation. The Rice Cottage was absolutely PERFECT! We were pleasantly surprised to see that the home was conveniently located just steps away from shops and restaurants of the quaint Southwest Harbor. We enjoyed the charming antique decor, the cleanliness of the home, the large selection of linens, the fully functional kitchen and especially the chairs in the back yard where we could watch the hundreds of butterflies in the fields for hours! I look forward to recommending our home to family and friends with future travel plans to Acadia. Most sincerely, Violeta
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Beth G.

This is a beautiful home! Met our expectations!

Well appointed home in the center of Southwest Harbor. We walked to the bakery in the morning and out to dinner in the evenings. Lovely set up. Our teenage children were upstairs in the original house and we had our own suite in the new area. Clean, clean, clean. Plenty of towels and kitchen was superbly stocked with everything we needed for a comfortable stay. The owners have thought of everything to help make your vacation a special one.
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Just Like Home

I recently rented the Rice Cottage for my my family. I saw pictures of this New England cottage on Home Away before I rented it but I could not have imagined how much it added to our amazing Vacation. It was like coming home to all of us the moment we walked through the door. The original cottage was precious with a studio addition that overlooks a beautiful meadow and was perfect for those of us who needed more privacy and could not do steps. It was very peaceful, private and quiet throughout the house. Everynight we would go into the main living room to enjoy a warm fire an tell stories of our daily activities. The house was well equipped with everything we needed. The linens and bedding were of the finest quality which made for a wonderful nights rest. The decor was amazing, while at the same time as beautiful as the cottage was we still felt we could make ourselves at home. The surrounding shops, homes, and residents of Southwest Harbor were idyllic and were a great addition to the quintessential New England community just a short distance from Bar Harbor. There is a library just a few doors down and the water can be seen just beyond the meadow. I gave this place five stars without a second thought. It is not the first time we have traveled and rented homes for family vacations but this certainly was the best we have ever experienced. The owners were very helpful and accommodating, I am sure we will return again and again. I am already looking at flight fairs for early fall.

About the host

Hosted by Cummins or Diane Speakman

Host profile image
This property has been in our family since 1882. It was purchased by Anson I. Holmes from James A. Freeman. We still have the original deed.

Why they chose this property

Julie Rice Speakman was the daughter of Anson Holmes and her son is the current owner Cummins (Jay) Speakman.

What makes this property unique

The house has a lot of charm and is furnished with New England antiques.

Languages:

English