International Guest House — Local services in Boston

You need to know what you're getting. You are getting a hostel. It's not a hotel. It's not an apartment. It's essentially a hostel. If you go in with that, it might be better. HOWEVER, to many, it's advertised as an alternative to college dorms and apartments in the area. I write this now 2-3 months into my stay at the IGH. There is no answer (even often during business hours) from the people who work here for at least 2 days most of the time, if they do ever get back to you. I am staying here during the time of COVID and online classes as a student. Most of my classes have been moved online. The problem with this is that the internet here is down ~1/3 of the time. I'm not talking about 1/3 of the day for like a lot of days. I'm talking about being down or unusably slow for 24 hours for 1/3 of the days of my stay (including a 2 week stint during class registration). I've missed 3 classes, 6 catchup meetings with classmates, and countless study sessions. In a place that's supposed to be putting students first (as a dorm), they do the worst job of anywhere I've stayed. It wouldn't be as bad if you could get your own wifi, but because it's a business address, there is no way to do that with local providers, unfortunately. When I say unusably slow, by the way, I mean that today it averaged .5mbps down and .05mbps up. For reference, starbucks has 100x faster download speeds. I would know because I've spent a disproportionate amount of time there. The room was fine overall so far and there are no real other complaints besides the service and the wifi, but in the time of COVID and high stress, the lack of these two things on a consistent basis has made this semester hell for me. As a bonus on the wifi, the standard when it's working is 10mbps down 10mbps up. If you want 15up/down, you can pay AN EXTRA $50 PER MONTH. Considering you can get a plan in a nearby apartment for faster speeds for cheaper, it's safe to say that that is highway robbery at best and a total predatory scam on foreign students at worst. Fell for it one month, there was no difference in uptime and reliability - just a bit of extra speed.

Overall, in a world plagued by COVID and stress, if you're coming here for vacation, go ahead. However, if you're a student wanting to do your...

I had a really good experience staying at this place. It’s clean, well-maintained, and located right in the heart of the city—only about a 10-minute walk from the subway and close to a lovely park.

The accommodation includes both breakfast and dinner, which made things super convenient. Housekeeping comes once a week, and towels are provided. Everything is ready—you basically just need to bring your suitcase and walk in!

Each person gets their own study desk, and there’s a shared kitchen area if you stay in the larger room (which fits around five people). They also offer private rooms and shared rooms for two if you prefer more privacy.

The kitchen staff are incredibly kind, and Larry, the head chef, is especially amazing. If you have any food allergies or dietary needs, he’s very understanding and will do his best to accommodate you.

Everyone here is pretty nice, and you can always talk to the staff if you have any issues—they’ll help solve basic problems right away.

Overall, it’s a cozy, convenient place with a warm and helpful team. Definitely recommended if you’re looking for a comfortable and...

I stayed in the IGH for 1 year (2023-2024). Until this moment, the cafeteria have had a lot improvements, mostly made by Larry. He is such precise, dedicated, good and kind that he would always say "Hello sunshine" to me whenever I went down and make sure that there would difinitely be some food I love everyday. He observes and is always open to any comments from me and my peers. That is why what he changes always matters. I also love the different drinks that are served along the food! Overally, the food there is very nutritious and fresh. I also hope there were more types of fruits though. It's surprising that I just have two photos of the food in my gallery but still it looks really good and I believe that Larry will make them a lot better in the...