4.6/5 Excellent
965 reviews
Amenities
4.4/5
Cleanliness
4.8/5
Comfort
4.6/5
Condition
4.6/5
Neighborhood
4.8/5
Service
4.6/5
Recommendation
82.5/100

Most Recent Reviews

5/5 Excellent
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Ana Melissa
01/27/2024
Rooms are comfortable, clean.
5/5 Excellent
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Dennis
01/04/2024
Good Bostonian food. Clean rooms. Courteous staff.
5/5 Excellent
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Savvas
01/04/2024
Beautiful hotel and room!
5/5 Excellent
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Donald
12/18/2023
Revisiting a favorite
We love staying at the Charles. It is so comfortable—simple but elegant. Staff is always sincere, helpful and extremely helpful.
5/5 Excellent
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Richard
12/17/2023
Great location convenient to shopping and public transportation. Hotel was clean and had a nice vibe. Room was comfortable and quiet.
5/5 Excellent
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Mary
11/28/2023
Great check in. Lovely rooms, excellent staff and location. Only downside was too many dogs, but a fabulous stay nonetheless.
5/5 Excellent
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Susan
11/25/2023
The Charles is our go to for staying in Boston. Great location and the staff are always lovely.
5/5 Excellent
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Barbara
11/22/2023
Very family-friendly!
Our grandkids loved exploring the nooks and crannies in the lobby and eating pancakes loaded with whipped cream at Henrietta's Table. The staff were so forbearing and helpful. Great location. Comfortable rooms. Internet could have been better.
4/5 Good
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Ellen
11/19/2023
We enjoyed being in Cambridge
5/5 Excellent
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Mark
11/13/2023
Great hotel in the perfect location. Not cheap, but comfortable and decent value for money.
5/5 Excellent
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jennifer
11/12/2023
Wonderful stay
5/5 Excellent
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Violetta
11/12/2023
The Charles Hotel was clean, staff was friendly. Food and service at Henrietta’s Table food and service, also very good. We were visiting Harvard and the hotel was conveniently located nearby
4/5 Good
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Meline
10/12/2023
Conveniently located walking distance to Harvard.
4/5 Good
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Annabelle
10/02/2023
I was happy that the hotel was able to accommodate our room location request. The valet options include an EV charging port which is wonderful but the valet person who returned our car didn’t know how to properly disconnect the electric power cord so the converter was stilled attached when he brought it up and i was worried he would damage the car when he was trying to force it off until I told him to stop and let me do it.
3/5
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Todd
09/26/2023
room smelled somewhat funky
5/5 Excellent
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Rodney
09/21/2023
Wonderful situated in Harvard Square — very nice rooms, lobby area that has work stations and nooks for working or decompressing and a “real” workout center w/ modern equipment.
5/5 Excellent
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Jonathan
09/20/2023
A great hotel. Excellent location
3/5
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Eunice Martinez
09/14/2023
Hotel was very charming but the overall experience was lacking. Found a glove in my room Lunch in Henrietta’s Table was horrible and no service, when in sat in the outdoor area. Very disappointed
5/5 Excellent
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Ana Melissa
08/28/2023
Great hotel, front desk was extremely helpful. easy walk to restaurants, Harvard.
5/5 Excellent
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Oyebimpe
08/27/2023
great place to stay
5/5 Excellent
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Perry
08/26/2023
I’ve stayed at The Charles Hotel many times over the past 30 years and it’s in better condition and better run than ever. The service is very good. It would be nice if they provided complimentary bottled water, and it’s too bad that you no longer have access to the adjacent fitness club and pool, but the new fitness room was adequate.
5/5 Excellent
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Vlad
08/20/2023
:-)
5/5 Excellent
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Zheng
08/10/2023
Super convenient and all around a star.
5/5 Excellent
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Jason
08/02/2023
Great stay at The Charles! Convenient location. Great dining at Henrietta’s Table. Well appointed rooms. Right in Harvard Square!
5/5 Excellent
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kirsten
07/31/2023
Very comfortable with consistently high standards.
5/5 Excellent
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Kimberly
07/31/2023
What a delight in Harvard Square. The entire staff is so warm & welcoming.
1/5
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Bryan
07/27/2023
Excellent
4/5 Good
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Lynn
07/25/2023
Wonderful Cambridge vacation.
Great location in Cambridge. Big rooms.
5/5 Excellent
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David
07/23/2023
Everything about it was fantastic. Thanks.
4/5 Good
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sophia
07/18/2023
walkable very pricy though
4/5 Good
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Kristen
07/07/2023
There is no room service which is a huge pain.
5/5 Excellent
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Fernando Lerdo de Tejada
07/03/2023
Loved it !
4/5 Good
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Danielle
06/30/2023
Front desk were helpful, and responsive when I asked for something. I would add they should have some sort of orientation for the hotel for guests who have never been or know the area.
2/5
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Andrew
06/27/2023
Air conditioning did not work, mini bar did not cool, very bad service at front desk, agressive room service people coming into occupied rooms.
5/5 Excellent
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Christina
06/23/2023
We have a had a great time getting our daughter off to Harvard and it was so convenient to go back and forth from The Charles Hotel to campus and all around Cambridge. The hotel itself was clean, quiet, and we ate in multiple restaurants within The Charles.
5/5 Excellent
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Robert
06/03/2023
Clean , convenient and a great restaurant in Henrietta’s Table. Made getting to and from reunion events easy.
5/5 Excellent
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Marie
06/02/2023
Perfectly situated & beautifully appointed
5/5 Excellent
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mary
05/28/2023
Hotel was lovely and located almost directly across the bridge from Boston Calling
5/5 Excellent
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Lucy
05/22/2023
The Charles
The Charles has maintained the high standards it had when it first opened. Clean, friendly service, comfortable bed, nice restaurant choices.
2/5
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Maia
04/30/2023
Overpriced, underwhelming
Check-in to this pricy hotel was cold and rushed. Room was ample and aesthetically pleasing. Restaurant service was appalling - we waited well over an hour for our entrees (restaurant was not packed), and waiter was so inattentive we had to track him down to get our drinks refreshed.
5/5 Excellent
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Jessica
04/25/2023
Friendly and warm staff, meticulously clean rooms, unbeatable location
4/5 Good
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Suzanne
04/16/2023
Mostly great, bad bed
It’s a beautiful hotel. I had stayed there several years ago and loved it. However the mattress was one of the very worst. Henrietta’s table is top notch. Highly recommend
5/5 Excellent
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David
04/08/2023
Quite, comfortable and perfect location. The down side is the hours on serving food and no room service
4/5 Good
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Andrew
03/30/2023
Still no coffee or tea in the rooms which is irritating. And still overpriced. Otherwise solid as usual.
5/5 Excellent
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Jacquelyn
03/26/2023
The bed was the most comfortable I have ever slept in.
4/5 Good
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Christopher
03/07/2023
A wonderful, romantic weekend
We really had a wonderful experience. We were greeted immediately by the valet, bellman and front desk. They upgraded our room to a Riverview. The restaurants were excellent, especially Enza! Special kudos to tizzy the hostess, who allowed us to easily change the reservation time. The room was great. The bed was comfortable, and the cleanliness was superb. The only glitch was the housekeeping staff knocking on our door, despite the do not disturb sign.
5/5 Excellent
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Young
02/21/2023
Great location, clean nice rooms.
3/5
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Elissa
02/20/2023
Staff at front desk wasn’t very helpful re extending our stay and we asked for late check out which I’m certain they could accommodate but just didn’t want to. Beds uncomfortable but very clean overall. Location convenient.
5/5 Excellent
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Gideon
02/02/2023
Sarah and Heidi and front desk check-in/out team members are terrific, as led by Alex the General Manager. The entire hotel team is credit to the Brand - kudos and keep up the good work!
5/5 Excellent
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Cecilia
01/30/2023
The team is always professional and helpful, kudos to Management and the team members - keep up the good work!
1/5
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Alex
01/29/2023
They checked me in to a room that already had someone staying at.
5/5 Excellent
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pauline
01/22/2023
Hotel was lovely, service was great. Lot's of food options. Very convenient to Harvard. Charming town.
5/5 Excellent
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Gideon
12/17/2022
Staff at front desk always very helpful and professional, Heidi does a fantastic job. Staff @ Henrieta's terrific - credit to the BRAND. Cleaning staff professional and friendly.
5/5 Excellent
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Jill
11/19/2022
The staff behind the check in desk were wonderful.
3/5
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Verified traveler
11/11/2022
Tone deaf on the environment.
In a progressive area like Cambridge one would hardly expect to see a giant pile of one use disposable plastic water bottles at check in. Shame on you!!!
3/5
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Ylva
10/24/2022
Great location for visiting Harvard. Close to the airport. Great food at the Noir restaurant and in the Harvest breakfast room. But this has the feel of a much lower level hotel that has been spruced up to look like a boutique hotel. The price is not a reflection of the quality of accomodations. To give an example. The Room 616 'Dean's Suite' mastet bedroom backs onto a vent / airshaft. There is a strong humming deep noice and the bed vibrates. It sounds like sleeping next to a window mounted A/C! You have to reinforce the wall or reduce the price of this 'suite'. Also, the decor is not quite suite level nor the toiletries. The showerhead is also too low for anyone 5'10 or taller and the shower doors do not close. It is also common for hotels who claim boutique status to always offer plenty of water to guests available in the room free of charge. Another peculiar things also struck me - the black 4 poster bed (West Elm?) has sawed off spindles to fit below the ceiling. That is a creative low costsolutionI guess ? But there are visible paint chips / marks from the saw - not very 'suite' either. 
5/5 Excellent
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BRIGHITA
10/11/2022
Excellent services and comfort!
4/5 Good
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John
10/05/2022
I was expecting much better!
Check-in was a huge problem. Apparently, their payment system was down. I get that, it happens. But the front desk people were terrible at communicating with the guest (me) as to what they were doing about it...and a HALF HOUR later the FOM came up with the idea of taking us up to the room with her master key and sorting out the issue later. Not a great start. Also, there was zero indication that Room Service did not exist, and that their primary, casual restaurant was closed on Monday and Tuesday nights. Plenty of plans-changing on my end for a basic need like eating dinner. On the plus side, the FOM was friendly, the place is very handsome, well-located, and the room was WAY comfortable.
3/5
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Andrew
09/29/2022
Overpriced. No tea or coffee in the room.
5/5 Excellent
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Susan
09/25/2022
Great place to stay. Clean, impeccable service and location is perfect
5/5 Excellent
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James
09/15/2022
Always good…have stayed from years!
5/5 Excellent
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Jayme
09/13/2022
Very nice room and amenities. Walkable to many sites.
5/5 Excellent
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Alyssa
09/12/2022
The property was in the center of Harvard Square and easy walking distance to Harvard. the restaurants in the hotel although pricey were amazing esp Enza Italian Restaurant
5/5 Excellent
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Judith
08/11/2022
The updated interior design of the public spaces and rooms is superb and so appropriate for an academic community. Exciting, yet reserved. Had a delicious breakfast outside in the courtyard. Excellent service.
4/5 Good
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Tao
08/05/2022
In room fridge was locked
5/5 Excellent
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Karen
08/01/2022
Very high end and service oriented. Should not be a fee to park there.
5/5 Excellent
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sherry
07/18/2022
We had special requests for the preparation of our room and all were done to perfection. The staff were so kind and welcoming. We cannot wait to visit again!! Thanks for an amazing stay!!
5/5 Excellent
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George D.
06/26/2022
Very friendly and courteous staff in the lobby as well as the restaurants. The facilities have aged a little, but our stay was still very comfortable.
4/5 Good
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Michael
06/09/2022
Well located for Harvard events. Very clean and attractive.
5/5 Excellent
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Martha-Anne
05/18/2022
Excellent
Very enjoyable stay at a comfortable clean hotel with good staff. Breakfasts excellent.
4/5 Good
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Heidi
04/21/2022
Nice restaurants and location
5/5 Excellent
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Roshanak
01/17/2022
Fantastic! Love the renovations
4/5 Good
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Dharmesh
11/29/2021
The location was excellent and staff were friendly and attentive
5/5 Excellent
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Richard
11/28/2021
Great location
Great location right in Harvard Square, which is why they charge what they charge. Due to Covid, we had very little interaction with staff, which was just what we wanted, but they quickly took care of our few needs. The non-Covid-usual in-room amenities (coffee maker, mini-bar) are not on offer, though you can ask for such things to be provided (perhaps for a price; we didn’t ask). Our one meal—breakfast—in the hotel was excellent and reasonably priced for the neighborhood. The parking fee is eye-watering, but if you don’t like that, don’t go to the Boston area in a car. They did make a mistake on our bill (an honest one, I’m sure), so be sure to check your folio before checking out on the in-room TV.
5/5 Excellent
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Susan R
11/28/2021
Even during Covid the maid service was incredible. This nice lady kept checking on us for towels, cleaning, etc. Felt like a private butler.
5/5 Excellent
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Paula
11/28/2021
Holiday Time in Boston
Very lovely hotel perfectly located.
5/5 Excellent
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Rebecca
11/21/2021
Best place to stay for events or business around Harvard.
3/5
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Jay
11/17/2021
You cannot print from your phone or iPad. There isn't a wifi enabled printer - just a USB cord if you have a PC. No PC is available to use. The "Business Center is like a large closet with the USB Printer. You can email the desk but that doesn't always work and you lose confidentiality. The pool is closed and the "workout room" is a conference room with a few machines and random dumbbells. Workout room TV doesn't have a remote, no TVs on the machines and there are no towels in the room. No coffee makers in the rooms (unless you know to ask for one...) and no room service. Refrigerator in the room is locked and no minibar service There is a mirror in the shower for men to shave but no footrest for women to shave - that is not right. Hello 2021. Henrietta's Table - the main restaurant has good food but service was not great for carryout and prices are very high. Front Desk staff were very good - but they cannot fix the issues noted. Location is excellent and the rooms are comfortable. For the price you should expect more attention to the details or what today's travellers need.
5/5 Excellent
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Samantha
11/07/2021
It was a great location and so conveniently located. One weird thing about both room 716 and 717 was that the lamps would not turn on unless they were plugged into the wall vs the little adapter. They should check these. Very annoying.. but that was the worst part so it was a great experience overall!
5/5 Excellent
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Katherine
11/02/2021
Convenient, clean high end hotel in Harvard Square
5/5 Excellent
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David
11/01/2021
Location. Small hotel
5/5 Excellent
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Derek
10/15/2021
Excellent accommodations and service. The only negative was the lack of access to a full gym. There was a temporary fitness room but it was pretty minimal. I would stay there again notwithstanding the gym situation.
4/5 Good
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George
09/25/2021
The best hotel in Cambridge, located near Harvard Square and next to the Kennedy School.
5/5 Excellent
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Vijay
09/12/2021
Excellent location
5/5 Excellent
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Felix
09/08/2021
great as always
5/5 Excellent
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Heather
09/06/2021
Dean suite has a pullout couch for your teen! Beautiful, well-run, quiet hotel with excellent dining in heart of Cambridge. Convenient location to Harvard, Kennedy School is right next door. Farmers market outside on sidewalk on Sunday is a happy bonus!
2/5
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marc
09/03/2021
Motel style bathrooms. No turndown minibar or beverages in room. “Suite” bedroom was a bed in a windowless room without ventilation behind a slatted door on runners. Felt like it was once a closet. This is a holiday inn with a nice lobby.
5/5 Excellent
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Melanie
08/28/2021
Excellent location and staff. I was moving my daughter into Harvard and it was walking distance to everything!!
5/5 Excellent
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Jennifer
08/21/2021
College Drop-Off
The Charles was fabulous as always. Only thing I'd improve: No one asked us/explained to us parking options at check-in, so we ended up with an unstamped parking ticket and had to pay extra (at each time of departure with car).
2/5
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Verified traveler
08/19/2021
It is in a rundown condition. The mattress was not supportive and no basic amenities were provided, with our mini fridge not emptied from the previous guests and our shower lacking shampoo. Complimentary coffee/tea was difficult to get and its hours confusing. Lobby and surrounding area is nice.
4/5 Good
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Verified traveler
08/18/2021
good location, over priced.
5/5 Excellent
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Verified traveler
08/16/2021
Great hotel
5/5 Excellent
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Verified traveler
08/08/2021
Great location and service!
5/5 Excellent
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Verified traveler
08/06/2021
Beautiful property right at campus. We’ve got a room with campus view and city skyline view. It was after rain, the view of the Boston skyline was the best that I’ve seen. The restaurant food was super fresh. Definitely would stay again if going back to Harvard.
5/5 Excellent
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Verified traveler
08/04/2021
We’d definitely stay at The Charles Hotel again. Extremely friendly and professional staff! The rooms are clean and nicely furnished with comfy Frette sheets and towels.
3/5
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Martha
08/04/2021
Stayed in July 2021. Contrary to the hotel’s website, which
5/5 Excellent
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Natalia V
08/03/2021
Comfortable and well appointed
Comfortable and well-appointed hotel. Room was spacious and very clean, with daily maid service (rarity during Covid). Room service still not running due to Covid. I didn't have a car so didn't need to park - hotel is very close to the Harvard Square T stop. Lots of common areas with plugs in which to work. Wifi was fast.
5/5 Excellent
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Verified traveler
08/03/2021
It’s a great place to stay in a fantastic part of Boston.
5/5 Excellent
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Verified traveler
08/01/2021
great location. minutes away from Harvard campus. also close to many restaurants. super friendly stuff. clean and comfortable room.
5/5 Excellent
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Verified traveler
07/24/2021
Fantastic
Our favorite hotel in the Boston area