The Charles Hotel — Hotel in Cambridge

I'll start by saying this, the only problems I had with this hotel (and there were very, very few) were COVID related, and this is not just a problem here. Hotels across the country are still charging pre-pandemic rates, and providing slimmed down service. What this meant here was no in-room dining, and no housekeeping unless specifically requested. Other than that, this was an amazing hotel that I would recommend.

Rooms: 5/5 I was in a room with 2 double beds, and when I say double, I mean it. There was no way two adults could fit into either of these beds, they were very small. That wasn't necessarily a problem, but it's something to keep in mind. The room was very spacious and clean, and was one of the better hotel rooms I've stayed at.

Amenities: 4/5 Like I said at the beginning my only complaint was COVID related, I think we are past the point where hotels can still get away with not providing full pre-pandemic levels of service. That being said, the restaurants on this property were great. Henrietta's Table was a delicious breakfast spot each morning we were there, Noir was a great spot for a nightcap, we also enjoyed sitting there before a Red Sox game. Outside of the COVID stuff, the amenities were what I would great!

Service: 5/5 The front desk staff could not have been nicer. They were very accommodating. When we asked for housekeeping, the maids were in our room within the hour. When we would call down for ice or towels, they would be to our room in 5 minutes. They were also very helpful in arranging transportation for us to various locations around the city.

Location: 4/5 The reason I give location a 4/5 is because unless you are going to be doing things primarily in Cambridge, instead of Boston, this hotel is rather out of the way. It didn't end up being a huge deal, as the front desk staff is very helpful with transportation, and the Harvard T station is located a block away, it's just something to keep in mind. Anything you need to do in Boston, is likely out of walking distance.

I will be very excited to return to the Charles Hotel. The rooms were great, the amenities were fantastic, and the staff...

As of this time, as I am writing this review, we are still in this hotel in Cambridge in Harvard Square in the area of Harvard University. My husband who has a doctorate degree, was working at the lobby of the hotel finishing up his documentation work. He absolutely understands that ensuring security of guests is a very important task of hotel staff. However, while he was working, the security guard approached him and asked him with a condescending tone, RUDELY AND ACCUSINGLY, “Hey, what’s your room number? Are you a guest here?” Probably, if this establishment is a cheap motel in a bad neighborhood it is not surprising to be treated rudely. There is a more respectful way to verify hotel guests. The rudeness was insulting and absolutely unacceptable!. The worst part is, when my husband talked to the manager on duty, he does not seem to understand that what happened was inappropriate and unacceptable. He does not seem to know the proper decorum and etiquette of employees in a supposedly 4-star hotel whose target clients are intelligent, highly educated people. The manager on duty does not seem to know the difference between being respectful and being rude.

To the top management of The Charles Hotel please reprimand the manager on duty & the security guard on July 27, 2024, at 1:15 am. They should know how to be respectful, tactful & polite to hotel guests.

On the other hand, the female front desk staff on duty, who recognized my husband, had empathy and understood that what happened was unacceptable. We commend her. She should coach the manager on duty.

Additionally, in this hotel, even if you put your “Do not disturb” sign, you will still hear a loud knock on your door in the morning. Also, the microwave oven provided in our hotel room was not clean & still smelled Indian spices and DISGUSTINGLY had pubic hair inside the oven!

This gives you an idea of how star rating of this hotel is not...

Not Welcomed!!! We booked this hotel because the kids liked the pool on the website. We spent $400. From the start we were not welcomed. When we drove in, there is either public parking or valet parking. We wanted to check in and then drive around Boston. The valet gave me a hard time to leave the car downstairs for 5-10 minutes to check in and drop off luggage. He later commented about me leaving the car and my wife overheard him. There was another car that drove in after us and was still there after we left. Everywhere we went we were stopped to ask "Can I help you ?" WHY??? The pool was closed at 2pm possibility due to New Years Eve. However not on the website. Apparently the pool is owned by another company and does not follow the hotel's schedule. So we were going to try the pool in the morning. Surprise!!! The pool is open at 7am. The kids can't use the pool until 10 am because the members complained in the past that the kids were too loud and disruptive. Check out is at noon!! Now we are stuck in the room until 10am. My kids are counting down the minutes until they can use the pool. So if you have kids don't come here!! THE MEMBERS WILL NOT ALLOW IT. You will however get to use the pool for 1 hour before checkout. BTW the beds were too small and not all that comfortable. I would downgrade this hotel to a 2 or 3 star. It is not kid friendly! It was not worth the $400 I spent to stay here. I thought I would have received a lot better service and treatment than what I received. When management receives this review, Don't bother contacting me. I will never book this hotel again! This is a poor representation...