1. The Royal Sonesta Boston

    1. The Royal Sonesta Boston

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    Cambridge, MA

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    The Royal Sonesta Boston

    3.2 (339 reviews)
    Open Open 24 hours

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    Arvian D.

    I stayed at the Royal Sonesta hotel for one night during a business trip to the Boston area. My flight arrived a little before noon on the day of check-in. I went straight to the hotel from the airport to see whether it would be feasible for me to check in early. Upon arrival at the hotel, I was met by a bellhop who got my luggage out of the taxi and showed me where to go to check in. I was extremely happy that the hotel was able to accommodate an early check-in. The front desk clerk was very professional and courteous during the check-in process and gave me instructions on how to get to my room as well as gain access to the Wi-Fi should I choose to. The aesthetics of the hotel are really nice, and it is quite modern with paintings and unique structures. There is a big heated indoor pool as well as a gym. There are also restaurants within the hotel. The room was spacious and looked and smelled clean. The bed was quite soft and comfortable. The shower pressure was great; it also remained warm for the entire shower. The view outside my hotel room was absolutely fantastic. I utilized the small living room area to watch television, and I used the desk to do some work. Unfortunately, the remote control was not working initially, so I had to call the front desk to have someone come up to fix it. The repair person came within 15 minutes and fixed the problem. I enjoyed my stay at this hotel. It is in a location that is conducive to various activities within the vicinity. It was a refreshing experience.

    View from the room
    Amanda B.

    Friends and I decided to take a trip to Boston in October, and were shocked by the cost of hotels. The Royal Sonesta was the most affordable at the time, that was still centrally located to public transportation/trains stations and near the places we wanted to be able to get to. Our only requirements were least expensive, fit 4 adults, not terrible reviews, safe, and near public transportation. I didn't look at much else on the website when booking, so when we walked into the lobby we were surprised by how beautiful it was. This was not at all what we were expecting for the price point - but in the best way. We arrived late around 11pm or midnight and were promptly greeted by Naima at the front desk (spoiler alert Naima was the highlight of our stay). She was training someone that night, so he assisted in checking us in as she gave us all the information we would need and joked around with us. To have someone who's that bubbly and kind late at night is a treat! When we opened our room key holder and saw all the key designs we were giddy with excitement, and promptly looked up all the different hotel mascots using the "hotel guide" QR code. The room was spacious, clean, and comfortable! We easily slept all 4 adults in the 2 beds and had plenty of room for luggage, unpacking, and to sprawl out. The views were great, despite some construction nearby. My only real "complaint" or let down was the water pressure in the shower was really bad. I don't mean it just wasn't as good as at home, I mean I you to stay in the shower and intentionally scub your hair for an extended period of time to get the shampoo out, and even then you may get out of the shower and notice there is still shampoo residue and have to get back in. It was barely enough pressure to wash your hair - and we tried everything to adjust it and nothing improved. The location was walkable to a train station, multiple bus stops, to a mall, and to other nearby things that may be needed. The area felt very safe, even walking around at night. The daily dining credit could be used at the Starbucks/coffee shop/little store in the lobby, plus any of the dining location - which worked well for us to grab a speciality drink in the AM before brunch reservations. The hotel is dog friendly, so we did get to see a few pups too! We were in and out at weird hours, but most nights/late nights and early morning Naima was at the front desk, always just as bubbly as when we met her, always engaged in a conversation with guest, always waving hello or goodbye to us, or always having a quick conversation with us when she wasn't busy. She is a true gem. Any questions we had, she had answers. She was so delightful and truly seemed to love her job and the hotel guests. It's so rare to find people, particularly that work odd or overnight shifts, that are just filled with so much joy and really elevate an experience as a guest - Royal Sonesta is lucky to have her! If you arrive late or super early and see a woman at the front desk with a giant smile, just know you are in for a treat! Overall, the hotel is lovely, the rooms are spacious, the staff is friendly, and the small details such as the mascots and card keys are fantastic. We had a wonderful stay and I would recommend this hotel to anyone visiting the area.

    View from room
    Sara S.

    My son and I stayed here (just the two of us) back when he was three. We had an almost magical time and I told everyone I knew about it. He's five now, and I still had such fond memories of that stay, I decided to repeat it, this time for two nights. I booked directly through the Sonesta website, and paid an extra $75 for early check-in at noon, so that we could make the most of our stay. When we arrived at the hotel, the lobby was completely packed with young adults (college kids?) draped across all of the chairs and couches, sitting cross legged in the middle of the floor, leaving crumpled bags of chips and empty coffee cups everywhere, blocking the entrances, and even interrupting guest check-ins to ask the front desk staff if they'd mind charging their phones. I saw signs for a Harvard debate team event and guessed maybe they were there for that? I'm not 100% sure. They were annoying, though. I didn't (and wouldn't) say anything about that, but the friendly front desk staff member immediately thanked me for my patience and upgraded my room to a river view, which was a really nice surprise! The $1 parking that I told everyone about after our last trip is now $45. (Inflation, I guess.) After we checked in, we soon realized that one of the elevators in the west tower was broken, so there was a really long line to get onto the one working elevator, and as we slowly made our way up to find our room on the 8th floor, it stopped on every single floor, as exasperated travelers who were trying to check out kept squeezing in beside us, even while fully knowing that the elevator was headed up, not down. As we stood packed together like sardines, one woman said she'd been waiting for the elevator for more than half an hour before finally getting on. (That elevator remained broken for all three days of our stay, but it was really only a major inconvenience at certain times of day.) Our room itself was clean, quiet and comfortable, and the view across the Charles River was every bit as captivating as I remembered from our last stay. The linens were crisp and bright white and the housekeeping and front desk/reception staff were all especially great. Just really helpful and welcoming and kind. The big draw for us this time was the indoor pool. The heating unit in the pool room was broken, though - keeping the air temperature at somewhere that (I'd guess) was in the mid-fifties. Not comfortable at all in mid-February, so I opted out from any swimming... The water in the pool was warm-ish, though, and my young son still wanted to swim. I sat on the side, bundled up in a sweatshirt, using multiple pool towels as blankets, while he happily swam and played in the water on each day of our stay. The hotel has multiple on-site dining options. We visited Art Bar for both breakfast and lunch on our second day, had dinner at Monteverdi on our second night, and grabbed coffee/snacks from the on-site Starbucks both days. Food was great at both of the full service restaurants. Service was hit/miss. At Art Bar, the same server took care of us (and every other guest in the restaurant) at both breakfast and lunch, which surprised me. She provided quick, polite and efficient service to us both times, and was very kind to my son. At Monteverdi, our young server was warm, helpful and attentive at first, but then she completely disappeared after serving our food and my five year old had a bathroom need that eventually turned into an emergency (and there's no restroom located inside the restaurant). I finally had to flag down the host staff to ask for our check. She was happy to get it for us and we thankfully made it to the restroom down the long hall and around the corner just in the nick of time. The man who took care of us at Starbucks on our final morning was unfriendly and even a little bit rude. My son was admittedly tired and whiney and having kind of a hard time. The counter server didn't appreciate that, I guess. He was perfectly nice to everyone else who waited in line with us, but didn't even bother saying hello/please/thank you/you're welcome to me, and he actually seemed to be rolling his eyes and glaring at me as I placed our order. It seemed like an overreaction to the behavior of a typical five year old and did not feel like the best customer service, obviously. Overall, our stay was not anywhere near as magical as I remembered it being the last time we stayed here, but it was still mostly positive. It's a clean, quiet, affordable option for families, the location is convenient and most of the staff are helpful and kind. You could certainly find worse options than this hotel.

    Pretty sweet and varied weight rack
    Alejandro P.

    Easy five stars. Seriously from top to bottom, start to finish- if you're in the fence about this place stop looking and book your stay. The staff was beyond great the room was super clean and it's ideally located in a part of the city that's as scenic as it is convenient for those who like to run or walk places. But let's talk about the hotel gym. No really, let's. It's awesome, it's MORE than Kenough for all your needs. I had a great time visiting the city and seeing old friends. They're not old, I just knew them from way back when. Maybe, just maybe, the great hotel stay was the friends we made along the way.

    They have this at the hotel.
    Marilu F.

    This hotel was picked given its proximity to all the tourist attractions. That said, I was not expecting much, but let me tell you I was heavily surprised by how much this hotel offered. Let's start with the room. The room had the most comfortable bed I have ever had at any hotel. It felt like a marshmallow and every night I visited Morpheus sans complaint. I felt so well rested in Boston that it was ridiculous and that's EVEN including the crazy walks that made me chafe. It's as if this bed had restorative properties in it. We had a TV with lots of channels, a mini fridge, a desk, and even multiple ways to charge our phones. Then there's the bathroom that had a bathtub, which in itself is shocking as most hotels just have showers. In terms of amenities, we had free Wi-Fi, a pool that my companion went to at some point, and a lot of other food options. For one, there was a tiny Starbucks on site, and this little Starbucks was like any other except that it also sold things you may have forgotten to pack, such as Advil or pads. It was really hard for me not to go to Starbucks every day given how readily accessible it was, but I managed and only went when absolutely necessary. There's also a restaurant on the other side of the hotel. I did not go to it, but my companion did. He was not too happy with it, but the fact that the option was even there is what counts to me. The staff overall was very friendly and our stay went swimmingly. This was my first time staying at any Sonesta and I wonder if others are just like this one. If they are, then I'm definitely a fan of this hotel chain.

    Tamiini S.

    Stayed in West Tower. The room is very worn with torn carpeting, holes in sheets, scratched furniture, and popcorn ceiling. The walls are paper thin and soap and shampoo containers were empty at time of check in. Plus, only one elevator was working for 7 floors of rooms. Staff are nice but that doesn't make up for the expensive, outdated living arrangements. Was giving it two stars. Downgrading to one star after calling housekeeping and waiting for an hour for soaps and shampoo to be filled (empty at check in) so I can get to a meeting.

    Lobster roll
    Cynthia L.

    We went to Cambridge for our daughter's PHD graduation. This was the perfect location for our needs. We enjoyed a nice meal outside in the patio overlooking the water. Customer service was great too. Would recommend staying here if you're in Cambridge.

    Talia P.

    Stayed at the Royal Sonesta for a conference. The hotel itself is beautiful. Central to everything! Gorgeous views overlooking the water. The hotel was completely FULL. I received a handicap accessible room - I felt guilty because what if a guest who was handicapped needed it. On the positive, the bed was comfortable, the hotel was accessible to everything. It had a Starbucks (though the lines were extremely long each morning). The downside... check-in took FOREVER. There was only one receptionist. Then another showed up and it was still moving slow. No one asked for my email at arrival. At least they offered juice and iced water to the guests in the lobby. Just asked straight for the credit card. A receipt wasn't provided to me upon checkout. I had to call and email at least 5-6 times before finally receiving a receipt. For the rooms to be expensive, I wished customer service was more responsive. Overall nice stay. I'd only stay again for the location and if there isn't another hotel nearby available.

    Roseanne P.

    Had stayed at the Royal Sonesta during my stay in Boston. There was a bit of a wait for check-in but Kaley at the front desk made the process quick and efficient. The room itself was cozy and pretty much a basic hotel room. On the plus side they did provide free water bottles. There is a restaurant and bar on the main floor and a cafe that serves Starbucks which was a plus for the early morning meetings. We had rented a meeting room for the day and it was comfortable for our group. There is great wifi access in the hotel as well. Overall a great stay!

    Lobster roll at ArtBar

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    Comfortable hotel. ArtBar is a good restaurant at the hotel. They should get the second elevator working ASAP.

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    Page 1 of 9

    The Royal Sonesta Boston Reviews in Other Languages

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    Review Highlights - The Royal Sonesta Boston

    The hotel is on the river bank of the Charles river with a running path and easy walking distance to MIT.

    Mentioned in 42 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Multicultural Arts Center

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    We held our wedding at the Multicultural Arts Center in Cambridge and it was the most beautiful,…read moreintimate, old-world-Boston setting for a wedding! We got married in late October and were fortunate enough to get a sunny, mid-60s day. The brick outside is absolutely beautiful, but the space inside is just take-your-breath-away lovely! We had ~115 people attend our wedding and had more than enough room for a dance floor with a DJ. We even had a Bulgarian Dance Group come in and do a performance and there was enough space. We worked primarily with Jeff R. at the CMAC who was amazing! He was extremely helpful throughout the entire process (even on the day of the wedding itself - he was there until long after the event ended). He even recommended an uplighting vendor who was great as well and he added all of these mini touches that made the entire experience special (like focusing a light on us as we made our big entrance down the staircase as husband & wife).

    This venue is absolutely beautiful. We were struck by both the courtyard, where we had our…read moreceremony, and the theater, where dinner was served. The theater itself is so beautiful that, other than table linens and flowers, we did not decorate it at all because the architecture, marble, and ceiling are so striking. We also used the standard lighting and did not need any extra lights. CMAC gives you a list of approved caterers, so it narrows your options a bit (which was good for us, since we needed a place to start) and will rent tables and chairs to you. We also rented a piano for dinner, and all of these items come out of your deposit. The location is great in that it is close to the T and a parking garage; we walked to a boat near the Cambridgeside Galleria for our coffee and cake, which we would not have been able to do at another location. It was just perfect for us!!! One thing that was absolutely amazing was the event manager. Jeff completely took care of us and helped us by giving suggestions and being really flexible around rehearsal and event times. He even let us lock up items after the wedding and come back the next day for them. He was awesome! THANK YOU, JEFF!

    The College Club of Boston

    The College Club of Boston

    4.7
    (55 reviews)

    I can't recommend The College Club of Boston enough. It's a beautiful victorian style building. Old…read morefashioned, but truly iconic. I was staying for 2 nights, my first time in the city. I was very unsure which area to stay in, but I'm so happy I chose CCB because the location is absolutely perfect. Back Bay is very nice and safe. You even have a wonderful park just outside the doorstep to walk around, and the lovely Boston Commons only two blocks away. Check-in/out was one of the most seamless experiences I've had with hotels/airbnbs. I didn't have to check in with anyone, and I received the door code a few days before. They have a lovely dining room for guests with homemade cookies, fruit, coffee and tea. Unfortunately I didn't take advantage of the breakfast, but I'm sure it's great too. CCB is really the perfect mix of a hotel and bed/breakfast. I was unsure about doing the solo room with a shared bathroom, but other than having to wait for the other guest to finish his shower so I could take an urgent bio break, it was no issue at all and I would hands down do it again. I'm pretty sure the other floors have a bathroom if you absolutely need it though. For the location, price, comfort, and amenities, College Club of Boston is a no brainer. I got the please to quickly meet the GM on my way out, and she is super sweet. I even left my airpods in the room, and without hesitation they are shipping them back to me. 5 starts forsure.

    We had our wedding ceremony here. It was absolutely perfect. We had 12 guests total, but the space…read morecould definitely accommodate a considerably larger party. The venue itself was breathtakingly beautiful, clean, and presentable. We requested a charcuterie board, champagne, and fruit platter, and it was stunningly displayed and high quality. There was a great mini-bar. Anna the manager was very responsive and accommodating. I am extremely pleased with our experience and would 100% recommend this venue!

    MIT Faculty Club

    MIT Faculty Club

    4.8
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    Full disclosure: I have perhaps some undeserved bitterness toward the MIT Faculty Club since my…read morebike was stolen from the rack outside. The club itself was a disappointment. I heard my conference would be held at the MIT Faculty Club and was expecting something luxurious. Instead, the club is on the sixth floor of the Sloan Building and is a collection of function rooms along a hallway. As Cat mentions, the views from the faculty club are amazing. Unlike Cat, I found the food surprisingly delicious. The veggie dishes were my favorite, including a chickpea-and-lentil stuffed tomato and an amazing corn side. MIT also seems to have its own red and white wines, labeled with "MIT 150," which were not particularly good but definitely a kick to drink. The decor could use major improvement. The furniture is what you'd find in a mid-level hotel. The chairs, by the end of multi-hour meetings, provide less-than-optimal ass-cushioning. The AV support for the club was also some of the worst I've experienced: Guys, learn how to use a projector, PowerPoint, and an audio hookup, and you'll solve a lot of your problems. Finally, there is the area security issue. I realize the Faculty Club was not responsible for the theft of my bike, but when I went inside to ask the admins for the number for the MIT Police, they were not surprised by my dilemma and said it happens all the time. If you visit the Faculty Club, be particularly vigilant about your property.

    My husband & I had our wedding reception here in October 2012 and had a wonderful experience! We…read moreworked with Elizabeth and she was amazing to plan with- every little detail was perfect and this place truly is a hidden gem. Our guests loved the food and atmosphere of the club and the city of Boston looked gorgeous through the venue windows during our reception. Elizabeth coordinated all of our vendor arrivals and set-up and made wedding planning a complete breeze. The Faculty Club had recently been updated prior to us getting married here and everything from the carpeting to the decor and furniture looked great and lent itself to a very classic and sophisticated feel. The staff was professional, attentive and all around amazing- I would recommend the MIT Faculty Club to anyone as a wonderful Boston area wedding venue!

    The Royal Sonesta Boston - hotels - Updated July 2026

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