2 Best Hotels in Cambridge, Boston

As you enter the private courtyard set back from bustling Kendall Square, say "hello" to Celeste, a 25-foot-tall armillary sculpture that serves as a centerpiece surrounded by plush couches that fill up in the evenings for live music and cocktails. The hotel's extensive redesign (from lobby to guest rooms) was recently completed, taking inspiration from the academic and literary history of the neighborhood. The relaxing, paired down room decor directs more attention to staring out of the floor-to-ceiling windows for vast views of the Boston skyline, the courtyard, or the Charles River. Get out into city with the use of the hotel's bikes and kid-sized Micro Kickboard scooters (along with Nutcase helmets), or grab a workout in the 24/7 fitness center. The amenity fee also allows fun add-ons, such as GoPros and Polaroids, movies in the courtyard, summertime kayaks, wintertime snowshoes, and more. And don't forget to stop by the nightly wine reception and morning coffee held in the lobby, a trademark for a Kimpton hotel. Of note: you can borrow fashion accessories from the Anthropologie collection and even have live plants brought into your room for your stay.

The stately 1927 Harvard Square landmark overlooking Cambridge Common park features classic furnishings (hello four-poster beds) in handsome, warm tones, but it's the hotel's signature bright-red neon sign towering overhead that really puts it on the map as a Cambridge classic. In the lobby and common spaces, lovely architectural touches include grand arches and a bi-level ballroom with a carved ceiling and gilt mirrors. The on-site Nubar Restaurant & Lounge is the perfect place to escape into a stylish setting with a cocktail.