Le Méridien Cambridge-MIT
- 20 Sidney Street
- Cambridge,
- Massachusetts
- 02139
- United States
- Map
- Phone: (617) 577-0200
- Contact Us
- Announcements
- 5:09 AM
Rated 4.1 out of 5 by 28
reviewers.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Lauren13 Great Location, Great Comfort
I recently stayed at this hotel to attend a conference at the Microsoft Center in Cambridge. I arrived a day early so that my partner and I could sightsee, and we were not dissappointed. The hotel is conveniently located near a T stop, and walking around the University Park area was great fun.
We were really impressed the moment we arrived at the hotel with beauty of the lobby area, the friendliness of the staff, and the ease with which we were set up in our room soon after. The room was very comfortable and stylish, and the view of metro Cambridge from our room was beautiful. I will be staying here again for next year's conference!
April 29, 2013
Rated 2 out of 5 by mplsguy037 Location is all they have going for them here
It is an unfortunately long list drawbacks that I have taken away from my very short stay here. At checkin, I was given the least personal greeting I've ever received at any SPG hotel: "Name?" Yes, that's it. Followed by "elevators are behind you." This was really shocking, almost as if I was bothering them to check me in.
The next day I needed to get a taxi and I needed to pay with a card. When I asked the front desk to help me get a taxi that will accept a credit card, the gal replied, they don't usually take cards here. Forgive me, but I didn't ask you IF the cabs already parked outside took cards - I had already been out there and found that out myself. I asked you to help me, but clearly I was again bothering her to stop just standing around and make any effort at all to provide a guest with what he was asking.
Later that same night, I had a horrendous experience with the restaurant service. After ordering a drink and soup, my bartender left and the only guy remaining was so busy that after 45 minutes of waiting for someone to check back, I decided to walk out. I went to the front desk to request them to order room service for me since the restaurant was too busy to serve me, even though I was sitting at the bar. The gal at the desk just looked at me until I spoke - no "how can I help you?" and no sign of s smile on her face. I could tell I was inconveniencing her by raising my issue. She proceeded to act as though I was making up a story and called the restaurant to see what was going on. No apology for my trouble or inconvenience. I actually felt like she thought I was crazy. I ended up going back in and ordering an entree, and despite the repeated apologies from the waiter, I have to say I was pretty surprised to not hear from a manager or see any portion of the bill reduced. This place is ridiculous!
I complained via Twitter to SPG and was told I should hear from the manager on duty. I received no phone call that evening nor did I receive any note or call the following morning.
In short, I tend to give second chances, but this has been quite a string of poor service from the front desk, to the restaurant, to management's lack of attempt at any sort of service recovery. This has been an utterly abysmal hotel experience.
April 2, 2013
Rated 3 out of 5 by Cydneejo Showing its age
I've stayed at this hotel several times but was surprised to see how it has aged during my most recent visit in April 2013. The mattress was lumpy, the minibar was half empty and the marble topped desk and table had permanent rings. The wall covering in the elevators was torn and the service in the restaurant was extremely slow and inattentive. In addition, the restaurant filled with smoke during lunch to the point where they opened exterior doors but would not provide an explanation. They did, however, comp our lunch.
The property is inching towards seediness and needs a rehab. The wait staff in the restaurant desperately need training.
April 16, 2013
Rated 4 out of 5 by deerisle Great location, comfortable room, buffet could use improvement
This property is in a great location right in the middle of Cambridge. It is near the Red Line (T) and the #1 bus to Boston. It's also very close to MIT and fairly close to Harvard. There are a variety of restaurants in the area at all price points.
I had a great experience from the staff from the moment that I checked in at the front desk. They found a platinum upgrade for me (decent sized suite), and the room was very comfortable. The bed was very comfortable, and the room clean.
The only downside was the buffet breakfast. The staff was very pleasant and tried hard, but there were many items that had run out on the buffet, and it took about 10 minutes for them to be replenished. The coffee was not hot despite coming straight from the small pot. The platinum amenity only includes the continental breakfast which would normally be okay, but the pastries and bagels were the quality that you'd expect in the frozen section of a budget grocery store. Once the fruit and berries were replenished (after 10 minutes), it was okay but disappointing. The staff tried very hard to make up for the lack of food quality, so I was left to conclude that the problem was the lack of poor supervision by the chef.
Would I stay here again: definitely because the location is so good, and the room was very comfortable. Hopefully I just experience the buffet breakfast on a bad day.
April 26, 2013
Rated 3 out of 5 by Gary2001 Great location, No SPG recognition
I checked in late for a 1-night stay. I asked about special amenities for Platinum members and the guy checking me in said they had none at this hotel. He then mentioned "by they upgraded you to a suite", but when I got to the room I found it was not - very weird. The room was nicely designed, but pretty dated. Location is great, though.
When I asked in the morning again about Platinum amenities the woman at the front desk said she'd be happy to deduct $10 from my breakfast charge. I later found out she "redeemed" my standard welcome points award for that.
February 28, 2013
Rated 4 out of 5 by RafKam Decent Option, Good Location
Although I was conducting business in Boston, I found that my other SPG choices in the Back Bay area were fully booked, so decided to try the Meridien. It’s very conveniently located to access the Back Bay area of Boston, and you get the student area feel due to its proximity to MIT. There is also a supermarket in the same building and a few restaurants options within a 5 minute walk.
Check in was a breeze, and I was upgraded to a “suite” which actually just felt like a normal bedroom with a tiny annex where the bed was found. It was a corner room and both sides faced a parking lot. The room was comfortable nevertheless, and I had a very good night’s sleep once I turned off the noisy aircon. I would stay again.
September 28, 2012
Rated 1 out of 5 by MITvisitor Worst hotel I have every stayed at
2nd stay, only because it's near MIT. Paper-thin walls; I was woken frequently during the night--could hear EVERYTHING, everywhere. In-room coffee pot water well was dirty; had to clean it myself. Temperature controls were off kilter; needed repair. Had dinner at Sidney's restaurant in the hotel. Ordered petit filet with asparagus--the meat was like shoe leather. I was hoping for a better experience this trip, but it did not materialize. Cross this hotel OFF your list!
April 1, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by Lance49 Better than expected
I'm an airline employee who stays in hotels weekly in the US And overseas. This is one of the cleanest hotels I have stayed in. The staff was extremely polite and the rooms were large, modern and very clean. Cambridge is a very nice area with many local restaurants in the area. We attended the Red Sox game and it was a short walk to fenway. Cab fare back was only $10. Indoor parking cost only $25 for 24 hrs and its attached to the hotel. Can't wait to visit again!
July 12, 2012