Much Nicer Than I expected

I came as part of a tour group, and, considering the price I had paid, was not expecting anything special. The hotel was actually quite nicely decorated, recently renovated and clean. I was not particularly happy with the fact that they insisted having a copy of all of our drivers licenses, but i think they only did that because some of the people in the group were under 18. I am the type of person who doesn't find very many beds comfortable, but the beds at this hotel were quite nice--had lots of pillows, and, in a rarity for a relatively inexpensive hotel, had soft pillows. The only other minor complaints I have about the place is that the water pressure is poor, and that service can be slow at times. It was a great perk, though, to have free wireless internet access. The hotel is at the edge of a small warehouse/industrial district, and views may not be fabulous (my eighth-floor room had a view mostly of the suburbs, but rooms across the hall had views of downtown). I only ate at the restaurant for breakfast, and it was expensive, but the service was decent and the food was good. Some rooms are larger than others, but all the rooms I saw were at least decent sized. I've stayed in far smaller rooms. The "rooftop garden" and "fitness center" aren't all they;re cracked up to be, but no one spends much time in either anyway, and they serve their purpose. There is a subway stop only a short walk away, and there are several decent eateries in the immediate vicinity. That said, Boston in February is cold. I'd suggest wearing two pairs of pants and both a thick sweatshirt and jacket. That is no exaggeration. Anyways, above-average hotel, and a place I would definitely stay at again.

Excellent. Just excellent.

This is located only one block from the main MIT campus, about eight stories high. I stayed for four nights (originally planned three but the snow had other ideas). My room was large, spacious, the furnishings and decor modern and in good/new condition, medium sized bathroom with full sized bath. Daily cleaning was prompt and immaculate. The whole hotel looks very posh, spacious and modern, both inside and out.

The staff are courteous, professional and friendly when appropriate. The bar and restaurant staff remembered me and my drink preferences. Not wanting to sound elitist, but it was also nice to visit a US hotel where everyone spoke fluent English rather than Spanish, and can joke and carry out casual conversation rather than being limited to orders and responses. The breakfast buffet is solid and plentiful, you can really set yourself up for the day with that- there's a dedicated egg chef who will cook eggs/omlettes any way you like on demand.

There is free wired and wireless internet everywhere. The wired internet runs at a speed WAY above broadband - the hotel must be jacked directly into MIT's backbone to achive these speeds; you can also request a public IP address when you log in. The wireless is a little slower, like normal home broadband. Most of the staff are MIT students so they understand what geeks like and dislike, and can also help out with basic tech problems (such as "can I borrow a crossover cable?"). There's also a rooftop garden and a gym (why? It's a hotel for geeks- who is going to use the gym or garden?)

I have to search hard for criticisms. There is only one bar/restaurant and the menu choices are limited, but what they do, they do well (the clam chowder is particularly good). The room service menu is also limited. Other than MIT there isn't a lot nearby; but it is about two blocks from a T-subway station which takes you into the heart of Boston in less than 15 minutes. There is also a convenient, clean but pricey mini mart next door.

Great place!

Hotel at MIT was fantastic! We booked on line for just under 100/nt. They gave us a gorgeous corner room with 2 huge windows. At first, our heat was broken, but they moved us into the same corner room - one floor below - when they realized that it wasn't a quick fix. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The rooms were really nice - very boutique-hotel feeling, with modern furnishings. It was great to have a change from the usual cheezy hotel decor and to have some whimsy and creativity with the engineering photos and cartoons. The bathrooms were upscale too, with bowl sinks, and the Aveda ammenities were great. We asked for a refrigerator and they brought one up right away, no charge. The Star Market attached to the hotel and the free internet access/business room are two nice perks as well.

If I had to complain about something, there were 2 minor things - the h20 pressure in the shower could be kicked up a notch and the TV channels were lacking - things are bad when you find yourself watching 2 solid hours of Lizzie McGuire for lack of anything better. Those are totally minor issues though and a matter of personal preference as well.

As for the location, I see what people are saying, there is a Salvation Army nearby, and there are a lot of homeless people around. That said, there are also a lot of hip, young people milling the streets too. We walked to the T and back numerous times, including at 2 AM after New Years, and felt pretty safe. There were always two of us walking together though - for someone walking alone, I could see being a bit concerned. Overall, it seems like a nice area that is in the midst of a transition from a more downtrodden location to a happening, youthful scene. There were some cute restaurants and shops nearby, and some other nice conveniences, like a Walgreens and of course a Dunkin Donuts. The walk to the T was no more than 5 minutes, even with snow and ice, so it's really not bad at all.

We would definitely stay at the Hotel at MIT again.

Interesting, friendly hotel

I stayed here for two nights in December and thought it was great. The hotel is obviously designed for business meetings and travelers, but not in an obnoxious way. The staff are friendly and helpful. There's a very good restaurant (Sidney's Grill), a business center with terminals, printers, fax machines, etc., and free internet access in the rooms. The public spaces are impressive, including the very large library/lounge on the main floor. There's even an outdoor garden, on the third floor where all the business meetings take place.

The hotel plays up its MIT connection, but not too seriously. Everywhere are framed pictures of things like MIT professors giving lectures in the 1950s, and students doing lab experiments. Along with the usual tourist-oriented magazines in the rooms, there are issues of the MIT Sloan Management Review and the MIT magazine on Technological Innovation. (A big help if you have trouble falling asleep.) I loved the elevators; they were like stepping into a retro view of the future, complete with blue lights and atomic-patterned carpet! Who knew geekiness could be so hip?

The rooms are comfortable, with Aveda products, robes, and complimentary bottled water. There was no mini-bar, but that just saved me from spending too much on things that are bad for me. Ironically, the heating system was too loud -- not well engineered! Also, the towels need replacing. They've definitely seen better days.

The one major reservation (no pun intended) I have about this hotel is its location on Massachusetts Ave. Central Square is okay; I don't think it's unsafe. But it feels a little iffy, especially at night. It's nothing to worry about, but if that kind of thing puts you off, this hotel is probably not for you.

Clean and Cool

We loved this hotel. The staff was great, the room was beautifully-decorated, with wispy grey curtains, comfortable beds with hefty comforters with scientific formulas on them). The location is great, too--although a little hard to find since I wasn't familiar with Cambridge. We walked to MIT and local restaurants, drove in 10 minutes to Harvard Square, and got cheap breakfast at the Star Market that's right next to the hotel. The always-available computers in the lobby made it easy to find directions and e-mail home, since we hadn't brought a computer.

Oh, and the library on the main floor is beautiful. We turned off the television set in there one night when everyone had gone and just read...

If you drive, it's worth it to buy a parking pass to the garage next door.

Great hotel

This is a great hotel. The lobby is very attractive, with a couple of MIT robots on display and two public internet terminals. The rooms are very nice and well appointed. We had a great view of the Boston skyline from our window. My wife was particularly excited about the Aveda amenities. The rooms also has a Bose Wave Radio as the clock radio. The bathroom was very nice with a trendy Kohler sink.

The hotel staff was exceptionally friendly and helpful. I requested a refrigerator for our room at check in and they brought one to my room within 5 minutes at no charge. There is a very good breakfast buffet in the morning for about $13 in the adjoining restaurant. The staff in the restaurant was also very friendly despite the fact that my one year old dumped a couple plates of food on the floor.

There is also a supermarket right next door to the hotel which was great for stocking our fridge. The location was not as bad as I expected. It is on the edge of a MIT research center, near the corner of Mass Ave and Main Street. There were plenty of good restaurants within walking distance and the hotel was about a 5-6 block walk from the subway.

I would definitely stay here again and recommend this hotel to anyone staying in Cambridge. Check the hotel web site for "web only" reservation specials. This hotel is part of the Hilton family and recognize Hilton Honors status.

Nice, except for location

I stayed at the hotel with my two children. Everything about the hotel is nice excepting the location. Our room looked out on the roof of the building across the street and a trashy, empty parking lot. The nearest subway station - Central - is about 10 minutes away. The walk to the subway station is through a very slummy section of Cambridge. It is dirty and there are many homeless people and others hanging out on the street. I did not feel comfortable walking here with my children, and I would not want to make this walk at night. The supermarket was a plus with the children, as we could easlily get anything we needed at a good price. However, next time I will stay at Kendall Square, where the subway station is located nearby.

Lovely Hotel

A great University hotel. The amenities are nice (Aveda products) as well as the decor of the rooms/hotel. Free hi-spd access! - great for business travellers. The restaurant is excellent!

A great experience!

This is one of the most interesting hotels I've ever stayed at.

From the authentic MIT-designed robots in the lobby, to the high-tech elevators, to the photographs in the rooms and hallways, to the decorative circuit boards on the cabinets and (free!) high speed internet in the rooms and business center, this hotel looked like none other.

The staff was outstanding - with my room key ready to go before I even checked in. As a Hilton Honors member, they automatically upgraded me and gave me a free bottle of water. About 5 minutes after check-in, they called up to see if there was anything else I needed.

In the closet, there was not only a bathrobe, extra pillows, and ironing board, but also a complimentary umbrella to use in the rainy Boston weather.

The bathroom had a very funny cartoon from the MIT archives on the wall, and very high-quality bath products from Aveda.

I had only one qualm: the bed, advertised as a queen, was a lot closer to a double. Next time, I'll ask for a king.

But, at $79/night (an internet-only deal on the hotel website), this was a steal! It would be worth it at twice the price.

Wonderful

What a surprise - booked last-minute for a business trip and came in at 3 am to find a lighted room, chocolates on the pillows, music playing softly. Very nice Aveda products, and there is nothing like a new hotel, with new bathrooms, clean with funny MIT cartoons on the walls. All the tech stuff works great and it's so great to stay in Cambridge at a place with a parking lot (no waiting around for valets). A nice place that isn't full of itself - made me feel right at home.