The best views of the Boston skyline lie on the Cambridge side of the Charles River. All the prime river-front property belongs to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but many of the hotels in Kendall Square in east Cambridge enjoy this view from their higher floors. Though Kendall Square is located in the midst of the MIT campus, a host of technology and bioengineering businesses, such as Microsoft, Google, Genzyme and Akamai, are also located in the area, so many area hotels are geared toward business travelers.
A central meeting point in Kendall Square, the Boston Marriott Cambridge is an ideal location for conferences or informal meetings. Located on top of the MIT/Kendall subway stop, both downtown Boston and Harvard Square are less than ten minutes away. For business travelers, the hotel offers wireless Internet throughout the hotel, on-site laundry and dry cleaning and a full-service business center with printing and shipping facilities. The sumptuous lobby and attached Starbucks offer many nooks and corners for small, private meetings as does the landscaped rooftop garden over the adjacent parking garage.
Boston Marriott Cambridge
Two Cambridge Center, 50 Broadway
Cambridge, MA 02142
617-494-6600
marriott.com
The Kendall Hotel showcases the historic side of bustling, high-tech Kendall Square. The main hotel building was originally the Engine 7 Firehouse in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when Cambridge was primarily a shipping wharf and warehouse district. In 2000, it was converted into a boutique hotel to stave off its demolition. Today, each of the 77 guest rooms and suites maintains a unique character composed of historic accents and reproduction period furnishings. The Black Sheep, the hotel restaurant that fronts onto Main Street, features American cuisine made with local, organic produce.
The Kendall Hotel
350 Main Street
Cambridge, MA 02142
866-566-1300
kendallhotel.com
Exuding the quality and ambiance you would expect from a Starwood hotel, the guest experience at Le Méridien is shaped by the LM100, a group of artists, designers, musicians and food professionals. From the color-rich geometrically-patterned carpets, spacious dimensions in hallways and guest rooms, and hand-picked art from the MIT List Gallery art collection, every detail conveys the intellectual energy that characterizes the surrounding areas. The exquisitely landscaped courtyard and rooftop garden are highlights of the experience. Le Meridian is the official hotel of MIT.
Le Méridien Cambridge-MIT
20 Sidney Street
Cambridge, MA 02139
617-577-0200
starwood.com
Long-term business visitors can make themselves at home at the Residence Inn, a Marriott extended stay hotel. Each guest room includes a full-sized kitchen and fridge and a work space with high-speed Internet and an ergonomic desk chair. For a $150 fee, you can even bring your pets with you for the duration of your stay. The hotel aims to create a sense of community among its long-term guests and provides an evening social hour three nights a week.
Residence Inn by Marriott Boston Cambridge Center
6 Cambridge Center
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
617-349-0700
marriott.com
