Harvard Square Hotel

In a convenient location, but lousy service. After 3 days of complaining about the lack of air conditioning in our room (80 degrees at night), we were finally told that it did not work in *any* of the rooms. «It will be working tomorrow» (after we leave). No apology, no discount offered.
Also, the TV reception in our room was snowy on every channel. Sad.

Me and my friend stayed at the hotel for three nights. It suited our needs — the rooms were nice and clean, comfy bed, spacey, great room service (breakfast). Most of the staff members were helpful and nice. One of the staff members at the front desk wasn’t as helpful and flexible as we hoped. Walking in the area at night is a little scary. Park across the street from the hotel to avoid the high parking rate.

Location can’t be beat but that’s about it. The slowest hotel Wi-​Fi I have ever experienced, hair stuck to the door of my bathroom and linens that would be out of place at a motel six.
Avoid at all cost if you can.

Spent the night here last week and it was a $ 338 disappointment. The internet is glacially slow. One hour and ten minutes just to get to the log-​on page! Not an exaggeration. I went to the front desk for help and they couldn’t offer any. There were two poor guys from China in the lobby suffering from the lame wifi, too. Unacceptable, especially in one of the World’s tech hubs.
So, no Internet. All the business emails I had to answer that night were answered on my phone.
The TV in my room didn’t work, which was especially frustrating because of the lack of Internet. I called down for help and the guy who came up to my room couldn’t get it to work. No TV.
Oh, I tried calling the front desk a few hours before my arrival and no one answered the phone. It rang and rang before it disconnected. Tried again a few minutes later. No answer. Again, a few minutes after that. Apparently, there’s only one person manning the front desk from 11:45 AM — 12:15 PM on a Monday, and he or she spends a lot of time doing something else.
The maids begin cleaning rooms (banging their vacuum cleaners into anything they could hit) early, without regard to the guests who might be trying to sleep next door.
Rooms are small with modern-​ish furniture – mostly scuffed from the brutish maids. Bed was comfortable.
Normally when I check out of a hotel, the person at the desk asks me how my stay was. Not here. I’m sure they knew the answer, and they’re not interested in feedback, which is why I took the time to write this review.
The location is great. The employees, while useless, seemed friendly enough. Period.
They really shouldn’t advertise that they have wifi.

not impressed. one elevator which was broken and nobody working on it. rooms are minimalist and small. bed uncomfortable. room was mostly clean and staff were helpful except for carrying luggage up 5 flights of stairs.

Refused to hold a bag for a late flight. Literally never encountered a hotel that won’t do this. What the eff.

Best part of this hotel is its starbucks machine. Oh, and the location. However, it clearly has done SOME reservations over the last 7 or so years, but they stopped prematurely. First, their outdoor sign is so dated that im guessing its been there 30 or more years. They have attempted to «modernize» their rooms, but rather cheaply looking. Somehow, our room, initially looked nice enough, but the dim bathroom had a shower/​tub that was way outdated. I am picky when it comes to hotels, because i appreciate a good one. I absolutely cannot stand when the bedding covers are white sheet, comforter, white sheet. im willing to bet those comforters are not washed for each stay. There was no restaurant/​room service. Small things, like the interior of the fridge having some muck in it, and a few stains on the carpet. these things add up.

Upon arrival, the elevator was out of order. A very nice bellman assisted me up to my room. The room was clean, thankfully. Later that evening I proceeded to the shower. The shower handle came off in my hand. I was grateful that it slipped back on and I could turn the water on. It took about 5 mins for the water to get hot. The water pressure was extremely low. I don’t know if this is a hotel issue, or a local issue, but I certainly did not enjoy the shower. The WiFi was slow. A huge deterrent for me is that this hotel does not provide any breakfast, and there is no coffee maker in the room. I had to walk down to the lobby and grab a cup of coffee from the filled thermos, and then walk back up to my room. When I’m in a hotel, I want my coffee in hand, while I’m getting showered and dressed. If they could have delivered a thermos of coffee to my room, I would have considered that heaven. Some things I would appreciate is a complimentary tube of toothpaste, and a hairdryer that’s 1800 watts (not 1600w). Between the low water pressure and the hairdryer, it took me much longer to get ready. The two major items this hotel has going for it is its location, and its level of customer service. Note, there is an iHop, Dunkin Donuts, Market, and Starbucks nearby. Harvard Square is the perfect location to shops and restaurants.

Staff, lovely on the whole. Room, clean with nice furnishings.
That said periodic moments of the whole room shaking beyond typical «one room over antics» was a bit confusing. This is Massachusetts not California. Tonight I’m trying to sleep and am being kept awake by the entire ceiling rattling. I’m on the top floor. Contacted the desk, told them about it. Engineering will be looking into it in the morning (for all the good that does me now). As I finish this the rattling continues and the room vibration has resumed.

Location, simplicity, clean and friendly staff make this hotel a nice alternative to downtown Boston. A bit pricy for the value, but I guess you pay for location. Rooms are spotless but small. Self park very convenient to get in and out. Close to T (redline). They allowed me in early without a fuss to boot!

Arrived here to check in late at night (about 11:30) and buzzed the front door to be let in. No one answered… Knocked on a window and thankfully a hotel guest came to open it.
We had booked on Expedia for a king bed. Ended up being a full… Very small, but they had no other rooms. So, basically, other than the very friendly staff, horrible start.
Buuuutttt… The hotel seemed modern and clean on the inside. Took the elevator up (a very slow elevator) worried that the rooms might not be modern and clean… But they were immaculate and almost chic (although very, very small, which is honestly not a bad thing.
The Wifi sucks… It’s extremely slow.
Ultimately, for the price, this is a good place to stay. I’d recommend it based on the location (which, as everyone has said, is really great).

Like most Boston hotels, expensive. Great location for Harvard but small $ 350 room. Clean and friendly.

I do not recommend this hotel. The manager was very rude to my party. There was much disrespect not only in his condescending behaviors, but also in his hurtful mannerisms. The service was subpar, there were no closets, there were bed bugs everywhere and my wife got infected with lice. Next time I am returning to the Harvard area, I will definitely not be staying in this hotel. Do not be deceived by its convenient location and other reviews (I think there may have used to be a different owner): save yourself the time, the money, and the discomfort of the Harvard Square Hotel.

Location, location, location is a key advantage of this hotel, especially if you are visiting Harvard and want to be close to the T and Harvard Square. My Euro-​style room was on the small side, but not uncomfortably so compared to many city hotels. The room was painted bright white and was sparkling clean, with large a large photograph of what looked to be a walkway at the Alhambra. The room was perfectly fine for my 2-​night stay. The iron I used while I was there had seen better days, but that is often the case at hotels, I find. The front desk staff was very attentive and professional. I would stay here again.

I found this hotel very modern, comfortable, clean and convenient. They let me check in early. It was no fuss. They had newspapers, coffee, tea and sodas for you. What was really exceptional that I’d like to mention is the OUTSTANDING service I received from Sabina. I was desperate to find a hair salon at the last minute and she called and persuaded them to get me right in. I couldn’t be more grateful. Thanks Sabina!

Travel plans fell through and I found myself in Cambridge for two nights without a place to stay. Walking toward one of the many campus libraries and getting right with having to call up a Marriott or something at 300 a night, I happen upon Harvard Square Hotel.
So I head inside and talk with Jessica. They have single king rooms, and they have them for only $ 140. She was super helpful, comped parking for the day as I’d had to park elsewhere to talk with info services people.
My room looks recently renovated and is fantastic. The Euro-​style ²⁄₃ glass wall shower is a nice touch. Clean, a fridge, desk with both a desk chair and a modern armless occasional, and there’s even a free-​to-​use safe in the closet (a lot of places I travel charge to get a key – this one is digital). Free internet, and I get 3.18Mbps down on a network diagnostic test. Pretty solid for a hotel.
In all the room is great, comfortable, well-​appointed and a fantastic price. I’ll be back the next time I’m looking for a hotel on the square.

I have stayed here 4 times over the past 8 years. Always chose it because of the price and location. Was the best deal for a hotel a couple blocks from Harvard Square. When I arrived this year I was very happily surprised to see the renovations. The rooms are modern, clean, bright and quite beautiful. I always get a corner room as they are a bit bigger for the same price plus I like the open feel of 2 walls of windows. (Afternoon sun can make them hot so maybe keep the curtains drawn when you are out of the room.)
Room was super clean. The bed was extremely comfortable. Bathroom modern and spacious. Not a lot of room for toiletries but I don’t have that much so not an issue for me. Loved the big shower with no door, just modern glass wall. I like the modern décor, lots of bright white with pops of red. Great to have a good desk and rolling chair.
Free wireless and a refrigerator in the room. Starbucks coffee, fruit, snack foods in lobby for a reasonable charge. Staff is very friendly, helpful, efficient. iPad and printer in lobby. The desk also sent a fax for me.
Lots of cafes, restaurants and shops within the neighboring blocks. Lots and with great variety. Harvard Square is just around the corner. T station a block away (has elevator for luggage, wheelchairs, the stair challenged). Thrifty car rental just off the lobby. (I got a good price on a car at the end of my stay and was allowed to return it to the airport for no extra charge saving me extra transportation fees.)
This last visit was August 24^th to the 30^th so all the hotels were packed with parents and students entering Harvard. I booked via AAA and got a good price (Cambridge is pricey, especially when school events are happening. I paid a little over $ 200 including tax.) A friend I was meeting with stayed across the street at the Charles (our rooms faced each other) because his company paid for his stay. His room was no bigger or nicer than mine (again the corner rooms are a bit bigger than the other rooms) and cost about twice as much. The Charles has more amenities but I don’t care about a hotel bar or room service.
I will try to post some photos. With the renovation i have no reservations recommending this hotel.

I agree with lots of what was written about this hotel. You cannot beat this location in Cambridge, although what a bummer that Cambridge hotel prices have now joined the ranks of Washington, DC and NYC. $ 259 a night? Yikes. That’s quite a bit, considering what I did — and did not — get.
First of all, though, let me stress the positives: The room was immaculate and the bed extremely comfortable. it has a real feel of a European inn, but with more amenities. Loved the bathroom and the toiletries they provided; can’t recall the line, but it was a higher end shwanky one. I still smell great.
Also really appreciated that they offer free wireless internet access; they must take reviews seriously, because someone in a previous review mentioned there wasn’t any and now there is. Appreciated that.
A few challenges/​things I didn’t appreciate:
1. While I loved that it had parking on-​site, I cannot believe they charged $ 35 for it. It’s not like anyone parks your car for you, it’s just for having the pleasure of keeping your car there. Next to the Thrifty car rental. Having written that, I did ask whether I could keep my car there while I went to my meeting the next morning, and they did let me do that — so HSH giveth as much as it occasionally taketh away.
2. I agree with others that it’s unfortunate there is not workout room at the hotel. Fortunately, the weather was great when I was there and my workout room became the path around the Charles River, so it worked out. But in the winter or bad weather that’s something many of us frequent travelers look for.
3. Was so excited to come down to the lobby to see coffee out. Was then extremely put off when the person at the front desk asked me for my room number. «Oh,» I said, «There’s a charge?» Yup. Starbuck’s. $ 2 a cup. I stayed at the Hampton Inn a few days earlier in a room that was $ 100 less, still got free internet, and free coffee was brewed ²⁴⁄₇. I think having some coffee out for guests first thing in the morning and not charging them more would be a great change for this hotel.
4. One thing as a heads up – the air conditioning worked GREAT. And while I am NEVER one to complain about too much A/​C and you can adjust it in your room, the way my room was set up was that the fan blows directly on you as you sit at the desk. So while I was doing work, I had cold air going into my ear; not good. I kept shutting it off then turning it back on when the room got warm. Not sure if that was just my room or others as well, but worth checking int.
Overall, if you can afford it, this is really a great place to stay!

Pros: Great location, cleanliness, modern décor
Cons: Tiny bedrooms reminiscent of a dorm room, right outside a few bars so can get a little loud at night, no gym

My experience has been consonant with that of the other Unilocalers. The building was constructed as a hotel some 40 years ago and has gone through a large number of incarnations (according to the night person Emily). My friend Warren G. reports that it was a Treadway Inn in 1965. It is clean, nice-​smelling and functional. It’s basically across the street from Crema Café! So what more can you ask for?
1. A workout room. There is none, but you can go to the cardio room of the Inn at Harvard Square, which is a «sister hotel.»
2. Free wireless access. There are countless networks that I see, most of them locked. Some of the unlocked networks take you to a login page where you have to enter or username and password or to a page where you enter credit card info. The Harvard Guest network is the one that I’ve been using, but it times out every 30 minutes and then defaults to an «I Agree» screen before I can resume my activities. Do people have a tendency to renege on their agreements at Harvard?