Witham Family Hotels was founded by entrepreneur and businessman David J. Witham after moving his business to Maine in 1986. In the early 1970’s Mr. Witham and his sister bought from their father a motel and cabins located in the heart of Hampton Beach, NH called the Marguerite Motel, named after their mother Margaret. There he grew the business to three hotels and bought out his sister before eventually selling the properties in New Hampshire to relocate to Bar Harbor Maine after stumbling upon the Bar Harbor Inn and successfully making an offer on the hotel. Through hard work, loyalty to his employees and guests, and uncompromising standards, the portfolio today consists of 8 properties all within Maine.

A lifelong New Englander, Mr. Witham had a gift for seeing the potential, both in property and in people. He invested many millions of dollars refurbishing hotels that did not meet his high standards, starting from scratch when necessary. He also fostered a team of employees, now numbering more than 430, who represent the gold standard in hospitality and customer service. Witham set lofty goals for himself and his staff. From every Witham team member, he demanded no less than a total investment in their job responsibilities. “Never accept things the way they are just because they’ve always been done that way,” he liked to say. Witham was notoriously demanding, but his employees greatly admired his dedication to perfection and the values he established for the company.

More than 30 years after Witham Family Hotels was founded, Witham employees remain true to those values. The passion, skill and excellence of our loyal and dedicated staff epitomizes the “Family” in Witham Family Hotels. This family extends to Witham’s many repeat guests, some of whom have been Witham customers for more than two decades. Today the company is run by Mr. Witham’s son, David C. Witham, a third-generation hotelier who since the age of 14 has held most every position imaginable in the hotel industry. He too strives to carry out the company’s values that have driven it to the successes achieved while also keeping a keen eye on the future with the goal of taking the company to the next level regarding both the guest’s experience and a positive work environment for all employees.