Orono has two hotels. That is the whole in-town list, and it is the most useful thing to know before you book. One sits on the University of Maine campus, the other about a mile away. Everything else people call an “Orono hotel” is really in Bangor, eight to twelve minutes down the road. This guide gives you both, with addresses and phone numbers, plus the dates when the whole town sells out.
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The two hotels actually in Orono
Hotel Ursa, on the campus itself
1 Moosehead Road, Orono, ME 04469. Phone 207-962-1313. This is the most convenient bed in Orono and the one to try first if you are visiting the university, because it is on campus and within walking distance of the facilities rather than a drive away. It opened in March 2024, a 28 million dollar conversion of the historic Holmes and Coburn halls with a new-build wing, and it takes bookings from the general public year round. There is a coffee bar on site and it is pet-friendly. The University of Maine lists it first for campus visitors.
Black Bear Inn, a mile from campus
4 Godfrey Drive, Orono, ME 04473. Phone 207-866-7120. Sixty-eight rooms, 1.1 miles from campus, which is about five minutes by car. It trades as part of Choice Hotels’ Ascend Collection, so it books through Choice and earns Choice Privileges points. You will see it written as “Black Bear Inn and Conference Center” in some university material, and older guides call it “Black Bear Inn and Event Center”; the hotel’s own site simply calls it Black Bear Inn. We could not confirm its front desk hours, so if you are arriving late, ring ahead.
Places listed as Orono hotels that are actually in Bangor
These are all real, and all fine. None of them is in Orono. Distances are the University of Maine’s own published figures from campus, so you can judge the drive for yourself.
- Hilton Garden Inn Bangor, 250 Haskell Road, Bangor, ME 04401. Phone 207-262-0099. About ten minutes from campus.
- Comfort Inn Bangor North, 10 Bangor Mall Boulevard, Bangor, ME 04401. 5.8 miles. Choice Hotels publishes 207-770-6692; the university’s list still shows 207-990-0888. If one fails, try the other.
- Country Inn at the Mall, 936 Stillwater Avenue, Bangor, ME 04401. Phone 207-941-0200. 5.6 miles. Independently owned, 93 rooms, and the front desk is staffed 24 hours, which makes it the easier choice for a late arrival. Check in from 3pm, out by 11am. It is near the Bangor Mall, not connected to it, whatever older guides say.
- Hampton Inn Bangor, 261 Haskell Road, Bangor, ME 04401. Phone 207-990-4400. 5.6 miles.
- Courtyard by Marriott Bangor, 236 Sylvan Road, Bangor, ME 04401. Phone 207-262-0070. 6.6 miles.
If you want the cheapest decent bed near campus
- Milford Motel on the River, 174 Main Road (Route 2), Milford, ME 04461. Phone 207-827-3200 or 1-800-282-3330. 5.2 miles, roughly ten minutes. Independent, sits on the Penobscot, and has kitchenettes and two-bed suites, which makes it the practical pick for families or a longer stay. The university’s own list renders the address as “174 Maine Rd”, which is a typo for Main Road.
- Bangor Inn & Suites, 701 Hogan Road, Bangor, ME 04401. Phone 207-947-0357. 4.7 miles, about eight minutes. The nearest budget option off campus.
- Quality Inn at Bangor Mall, 750 Hogan Road, Bangor, ME 04401. Phone 207-942-7899. 5.6 miles.
- Howard Johnson by Wyndham Bangor, 336 Odlin Road, Bangor, ME 04401. Phone 207-942-5251. 10 miles.
The dates Orono sells out
Two hotels in town means roughly 163 rooms. University weekends exhaust that and push everyone into Bangor, so if your trip falls on one of these, book months ahead rather than weeks.
- Commencement 2027: Friday 8 May 2027. Confirmed on the University of Maine System academic calendar. Students vacate halls by 7pm on Thursday 7 May, with those in the ceremony given an extra day.
- Homecoming 2026: 23 to 25 October. Football against Campbell on Saturday 24 October. The university calls this its largest event of the year.
- Family and Friends Weekend 2026: 2 to 4 October. Football against Sacred Heart on Saturday 3 October.
- Move-in 2026: new students from 8am on Monday 24 August, returning students Saturday 29 August.
- 2027 homecoming dates are not published yet. The university announced the 2026 dates in March 2026, so expect the 2027 dates around March 2027. We are not going to guess them.
What about university housing?
The University of Maine does open around 3,800 beds between late May and early August, including suite-style apartments with kitchens. It is inexpensive, but it is marketed to groups and conference attendees rather than individual travellers, so do not plan a holiday around it. If you want to ask, the contact is events.hospitality@maine.edu. For an individual booking on campus, Hotel Ursa is the one that takes you.
One correction to older guides
If you find a guide recommending the University Inn on College Avenue, it has closed. The building was sold to Tyler Technologies and converted into offices, taking roughly a third of Orono’s hotel rooms out of the market. Booking sites still carry listings for it. It no longer appears on the university’s own lodging list, which is the clearest confirmation there is. That closure is also why the two remaining hotels fill so fast on event weekends.
Practical questions
- Do I need a car? If you are staying at Hotel Ursa and visiting campus, no. For anything else, yes. Every Bangor option assumes you are driving.
- When is the town at its best? Autumn, for the foliage, though that collides with homecoming. Late spring and summer are quieter and easier to book.
- Arriving late at night? Country Inn at the Mall staffs its desk 24 hours. Ring ahead anywhere else.
Addresses, phone numbers and distances checked 4 September 2026 against each property’s own site, the brand sites for chain hotels, and the University of Maine’s published lodging list. Prices change constantly and we do not quote them; confirm rates and availability with the property before you rely on them.
Where else to stay in Maine — every guide we have for the region.
Sammie O publishes Germ Trips, a travel guide covering hotels, restaurants, airport transfers and chauffeur services. The guides aim for practical detail and a clear recommendation rather than an undifferentiated list. Where a town has no good option, the guides say so and point to the nearest one that does. Guides are AI drafted. A small number have been checked against official listings, and those say so on the page.
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