Residence Inn By Marriott Boston Cambridge Center

This is a great location for anyone who is traveling to Boston. The hotel is a 5 minute walk from the T and it is very safe. The breakfast was terrific. The hotel is clean and the rooms are great for couples or families.

This was one of the nastiest hotels I've ever stayed in. I checked in at 7:00PM and when I arrived in my room it had a disgusting smell. I called the front desk and was told that the room was a smoking room. I asked for a non-smoking room, (as I booked), but was told that there were none available.

The front desk were extremely dismissive of my problem; they did not offer any apologies or suggest resolution. They offered to send up some air fresheners - I declined and said that I'd open the windows. When I tried to open the windows but they were locked to only open about 4 inches. I called down to the front desk and asked them to do something. The next thing I know the door to my room opens, (without maintenance knocking), and in walks someone that did not speak English with an ozone machine. As far as I could work out he was not allowed to run the ozone machine with me in the room because it was harmful. He kept asking me to go out of the room which I was not willing to do given that I had work to do and had just arrived. Bottom line was that he ended up leaving without any resolution.

I appreciate that sometimes they run out of non-smoking rooms but it is unreasonable to expect someone to pay $281.00 per night for a room that smelt like an ashtray. I am sitting in the room right now and my eyes are actually watering which I assume is because of the residual smoke in the room. The sooner I can check out in the morning the better.

Also - There was no network cable in the room. I called the front desk and then waited 45 minutes before calling again to eventually get a cable sent up.

We stayed for a weekend in December - had a 2 bedroom suite - it was very spacious. Hotel was very clean, staff was friendly and accomodating. The complimentary breakfast was very nice - they had a wide variety and it was kept well stocked - they never ran out of anything. Will definitely look for this brand next time we're in need. The coffee and popcorn in the room were great extras. Location is just a half a block from the subway, so we didn't have to spend any money on cabs. The hotel had coffee, tea, and cocoa available all the time. The pool and spa were clean and enjoyable. Although we didn't cook, we enjoyed the refrigerator and ice maker in our room. The hotel keeps snacks, sodas and water available for purchase in the lobby at a reasonable price. It was overall a big hit with every member of our party.

I stay here frequently. It can get pricey during busy times, but if you can pay under $200 it's a solid pick. Good rooms, good staff, good service, and the typical Residence Inn amenities (e.g. breakfast, evening snack).

Don't think twice about it. If you can get a room under $200 then this is an excellent value for the area. I was on a 3 night vacation and used the T (subway) and cabs for all my travel. Both are very convenient to this hotel. I imagine they cater to business people during the week. You are 3 stops away from central Boston on the T, which is less than 5 minute walk away (cut through the lobby of the Marriott next door and you are there). There is a also a large Starbucks on the ground level of the hotel. No complaints at all about this facility and I have stayed in literally hundreds of Marriots.

My wife and I wanted to stay in Cambridge-near Harvard Square, the North End, etc., and chose this hotel near MIT. It was a block from the "T" station and was perfect for our weekend adventure. The room was spacious and the breakfast was excellent. We avoided hefty parking fees by parking in Alewife and riding the subway into Kendall Square(where this hotel is located). Overall a wonderful experience at this Marriot. I would stay there again in a " New York" minute!!!

Our family stayed at the Residence Inn Cambridge over the Thanksgiving holiday. We were not disappointed. Our room was large and clean. The staff was friendly and very generous and helpful with recommendations and other help. While the hotel is in the middle of a multi-building office complex, and on the edge of M.I.T., all Boston sights are only minutes away on the Red Line, located only a 1/2 block away. We had wonderful meals at the Legal Seafoods and Marriott hotel, again located only 1/2 block away. If you are traveling with a family in Boston, you just can't beat the size of these rooms and the convenience of this hotel.

My family of five, including three children ages 15, 13, and 2, stayed here three nights (Aug 26-29). I was looking for a 2 BR/2 BA suite hotel and there are not many in or around Boston except the Residence Inn and Summerfield Suites. I decided to spend more so we could stay close to the attractions and not drive much. This hotel is located a very short five minute walk from the Kendall/MIT subway T-stop on the Red Line, which takes you right into Boston. The hotel is only a 20 minute walk to the Museum of Science, 15 minute walk to the CambridgeSide Galleria shopping center (where you can catch the Cambridge River Boat tour), and a 10 minute walk to MIT. The hotel itself was very clean and the two BR suite was rather spacious. Each bedroom had one queen bed, although I wish the bigger one had two double beds instead. We ended up paying $20 for a twin rollaway. Parking is across the street in a safe, public garage at $20/day. Although the breakfast was satisfying, the selection was limited to a few hot items (scrambled eggs and Belgian waffles everyday and either pancakes, french toast, or biscuits) and a few cold choices (cereals, some fruit, breads). Breakfast is included free, though, as part of your stay. All in all, a great hotel and would stay there again.

We stayed at two Residence Inns on our recent trip and found them a great value for traveling families. We wanted to see the Boston sights but hotels there were a bit expensive. We arrived the weekend after the DNC and had a wonderful time. The "T" station (Kendall/MIT) was nearby and easy to get anywhere you wanted. Look for the musical pipes in the station, there are handles on the wall to make them chime. Breakfast was fantastic. Definitely use the grocery buying service, we left our list in the morning and found our food stocked in our kitchen by evening. This is a free service, just pay for the groceries.

We couldn't find a reasonable ($100 range) place to stay for our June 2003 visit to Boston. We ended up spending a bit more, but were very happy with the Marriot Residence Inn in Cambridge. The rooms were spacious and clean, the free breakfast was outstanding, and the location fine. Very close to MIT, and not much else, but about a short block to the Mass transit station (Kendall/MIT). Very impressed with Boston's train system--easy to figure out and well run. We didn't need to drive anywhere else the whole trip. Even Fenway was not hard to get to!

Parking was $20 a day more. There is a Legal Seafoods nearby, and a few other places to eat, shop (but no liquor stores--what do the college students do? We were there on the weekend--I think that there is a free reception during the business week).

There are closer places to stay near all the history Boston offers, but for the money we wanted to spend, this was terrific. Quiet, safe area, friendly staff, good rooms, and no problem getting to tourist stuff--would stay there again.