Expert reviews
“Once the Engine 7 Firehouse, this city landmark is now a cool and classy all-American hotel. The 65 guest rooms exhibit a firefighter riff, alongside the requisite creature comforts.”
“This gorgeous Victorian firehouse turned boutique hotel near buzzy Kendall Square – a Historic Hotels of America member – is just minutes from downtown Boston. The Kendall’s Black Sheep restaurant is a gem, with a tempting menu that includes delicious vegan options.”
What guests liked
- Friendly staff
- Great breakfast
- Comfortable beds
- Boutique style
- Top location
All you need to know
This luxury hotel was originally built in the 19th century and this is evident in its design which typifies historic Victorian architecture. The hotel is located in a pristine location where it offers guests an opportunity to get closer to the famous city attractions of the city. The hotel is located just adjacent to the world-renowned MIT Campus in Cambridge.
The atmosphere in the hotel is cozy and serene, ensuring that guests feel at home when they are in Boston. For the Kendall Hotel Boston, the guests are the number one priority and their needs are put first. Throughout their stay in the hotel, guests should expect maximum comfort and nothing short of that. Five-star hospitality and the perfect departure spot to enjoy all the excitement and glamour of the city.
Immediately outside the hotel premises, guests can get to see the fantastic transportation system that would provide them with access to all the great and illustrious places in Boston. In fact, with the system, both downtown Boston and Harvard University are a stone’s throw away from the hotel.
The rooms in the hotel are designed with the best colors that give the hotel added elegance. The rooms are also furnished with the latest decors and equipped with modern hospitality amenities and facilities.
Guests have the opportunity to start their day with the deliciously prepared breakfast that the hotel offers. At the Rooftop Retreat, a wine hour is hosted each night where relaxation and refreshment are guaranteed.
Lowest price guarantee
We partner with Booking.com and Agoda. Both booking websites offer the lowest price guarantee so you can be certain you will always get the best deal for this hotel. If you have seen a better price elsewhere, all you need to do is contact the booking website and they will refund you the difference immediately. You can price match right up until the day before check-in.
Location
Recent guest reviews
11 August 2025
Great hotel, location and very friendly staff.
Great hotel, staff and location.
10 August 2025
We’ve found a favorite hotel in Cambridge/Boston!
So much to love! I have stayed at many places in Cambridge over the past seven years and this hotel is the very best. Well maintained and comfortable hotel that feels like home from the moment you walk through the lobby. Rooms are very well appointed and extremely comfortable. My husband loved the breakfast buffet, he could get a great breakfast while I could stick to my yoghurt. Plenty of options. Coffee was excellent. Fabulous location at MIT, near the Charles River and at the T —easy to get to Harvard Square or Boston. We will definitely be back.
10 August 2025
Great place.friendly staff
Closeness to the subway, breakfast was great, staff were very helpful
The uber pick up / drop off location instructions should be clear mentioned by the property. Uber location is automatically routed to the Kendall/ MIT subway pickup.
5 August 2025
Highly recommended!!
Very special place!! Cozy and very well placed in Cambridge!
1 August 2025
Overall - enjoyed stay. Very nice small charming hotel with character.
Room are clean, spacious with adequate amenities. Great and easy check in and check out process.
Space for breakfast has limited seating, you may find yourself strap for table, but not a major obstacle. Parking is a challenge if you are coming with oversize vehicle, but that's true for most of Boston and areas.
1 August 2025
Great hotel at Cambridge
I had a wonderful stay at The Kendall Hotel in Cambridge, MA. This historic property, formerly a firehouse, has been beautifully restored and maintains a charming and unique atmosphere. The interior decor is tasteful and full of character, adding to the overall experience. The location is excellent—right next to the Kendall/MIT subway station, which makes it easy to get around Boston and Cambridge. The staff were consistently professional, friendly, and courteous, always ready to help with a smile. Our room was spacious, clean, and comfortable, and the complimentary breakfast was delicious and generous. From start to finish, our experience at The Kendall Hotel was truly enjoyable. I would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting the area!
There was no suitable space to unload luggage at the hotel.
30 July 2025
Amazing. Highly recommend
A beautiful hotel, almost a boutique feel. Great staff and great location. We loved our time here
29 July 2025
Great little hotel with comfy beds, breakfast included
Comfortable bed, good breakfast, location, price
nothing
20 July 2025
Wonderful place to stay for a visit to universities
We loved the interior, cozy and lovely sofas. Close by to transportation and the campuses, it was a convenient location for us. In fairer weather a walk to the Boston Commons area would be great but it was hot so we took the nearby underground. Room was very quiet.
The ventilation was rather loud but it didn’t bother us that much. We stayed in a room with a large kitchen, but there was one pan, no cooking utensils. Also cups/plates just 4 each - we didn’t cook during our stay because there were nice places to eat and good breakfast is included and nearby supermarkets have a large hot meal section, but if you arrive and do expect to cook a bit for kids or other reasons you might be in for a surprise.
18 July 2025
Cool hotel with interesting concept
Cozy atmosphere, good breakfast, great and helpful staff.
16 July 2025
Lovely accommodation!
Fantastic!! So fun to see the old firehouse being put to good use!
The air broke one night but the hotel quickly fixed the problem!
10 July 2025
Great stay. My preferred hotel in Boston area
Top location, right on the MIT campus and next to the metro station. Historic building. Nice outdoor area for breakfast
Air Con too strong (as always in the USA..)
9 July 2025
Nice and quiet room.
The room is very clean, bed is comfortable, location is great. It's very quiet that I can't hear anything from the street or other rooms. Breakfast is really good. We will stay there again!
Nothing.
7 July 2025
Loved this place and definitely would recommend and return.
The history and how clean and convenient it was.
Nothing
5 July 2025
We thoroughly enjoyed out stay and would stay there again.
We loved the atmosphere and decor.
Room size was small.
28 June 2025
Close to everything in Kendall square and well appointed.
Unique and carefully maintained.
Room felt a bit cramped but that comes with the nature of the place which is using original architecture
25 June 2025
Very cute and comfortable
The staff was very friendly, and the hotel was super clean, very comfortable beds. When we got to the room they had water, apples, and brownies for us. Good breakfast. Close to a pharmacy, restaurants, and a bakery. We definitely will stay again
Nothing
24 June 2025
Unique hotel that does things properly(non corporate)
Everything , rooms super comfortable with good seating,. Very unique furnishings. Breakfast great, with real plates and cutlery!!!! A first for me on this trip.
Slight location issue but red line station is less than 100yds away so no major drama.
17 June 2025
Fabulous
Breakfast was a good spread
17 June 2025
very nice & quiet hotel away from busy and noisy areas. still an easy walk across the river into Boston
the staff was wonderful! i think Ron checked us in and he was excellent! it was very clean and comfortable.
the ubers had a hard time locating the hotel pickup area.
15 June 2025
A comfortable stay in a good location.
Excellent location with friendly and helpful staff. Comfortable hotel. When I left my bag in the car park on departure, staff were really helpful locating and handing back when we returned.
Parking not easy with a larger car. Breakfast didn't quite match the rest of the experience, with very few healthy choices. The beds were high (not a problem) and were comfortable, but they sat in a frame with sharp edges - all four of us hit our legs on these.
27 May 2025
Exceptional
The breakfast was good! Loved that there were gluten free options!! The location was fantastic. Close to Cambridge activities and super easy to get to all the activities downtown Boston. The staff here went above and beyond to make sure our stay was exceptional.
The pillows could be firmer, but that isn’t even a big issue.
27 May 2025
Fabulous
Very unique and special- decorated with a touch of humor; great location
27 May 2025
Fabulous
Different in a good way
20 May 2025
Exceptional
Everything was perfect! Thank you so much, next time in Boston will be only here.
17 May 2025
Other than the restaurant being closed and the fact that we were not notified of the situation, it M
The cozy vibe, the firehouse theme, cleanliness and location. We felt very safe.
Our only disappointment was the restaurant/ bar area. We were notable to comeback to the hotel and relax with a drink etc.
10 May 2025
Fabulous
Location; smooth operation
Some hum during the night. Hallway light shone through the door edges all night. No option to decline room refresh.
8 May 2025
Go here. You won't be disappointed.
Excellent breakfast, beautiful room, fantastic location. It felt clean and the staff was very helpful. It was a great place to stay and I wish we had more time there.
My only two slight issues were one that the wait times to check in and out can be long since staff is limited, and two the parking is only for cars and small SUVs. My pickup truck couldn't get into the garage. I found the parking fee to be kind of high.
30 April 2025
Traditional hotel with an authentic vibe in great location - lovely experience!
Extremely comfortable bed and courteous staff.
Fan in the bathroom didn’t work.
28 April 2025
Exceptional
This is an absolute treasure! It's a definite place we will return to. The charm of the hotel is beyond words, as is the staff. There is so much to see and do in the area, and all of it is walking distance.
Our schedule didn't allow us to extend our stay as if it had we would have stayed longer.
22 April 2025
excellent
All
19 April 2025
Enjoyed the location. The breakfast was excellent and the people at the desk were friendly.
Liked the room overall and breakfast was very good.
Could use more drawer or dresser space and more hangers in the closet.
15 April 2025
We’ll be back if my son goes to school in Boston.
Amazing front desk staff morning through night. They engaged in lively conversation and made the stay even better. The maid staff was also very thorough.
15 April 2025
Very comfortable, quiet and amazing location
Beautiful hotel. Will definitely stay there again.
15 April 2025
Great place for a family get together. We ate breakfast at the hotel 2 of our 3 mornings.
Breakfast was good. Eggs were warm. I love having 2 bathrobes in the room.
All good.
14 April 2025
Amazing
The cozy feel Great staff Clean Comfy bed Warm rooms Great food And very peaceful
The amount to pay for parking $50 for one night stay
13 April 2025
Exceptional
Friendly staff
Nothing. Pretty perfect.
11 April 2025
Nice hotel - a change from large chain hotels
Lots of character- beats the Marriot opposite
5 April 2025
Delectable
A charming hotel in a historic building. Thoughtful decor and steps from public transit.
3 April 2025
Beautiful hotel to stay in Cambridge, MA
Beautiful hotel with lovely touches. Stunning rooms and superb showers in the bathrooms. Fabulous breakfast and above all superb and very kindly helpful and concerned staff.
21 March 2025
Very comfortable, enjoyable stay
Neat old feel, very welcoming staff. I booked 3 rooms and had some special requests, they did everything I asked for. It was a surprise for my husband's birthday. Great breakfast, breakfast room and social area. Also oved location
Everything was excellent, no dislikes at all!!
19 March 2025
Great Location!
Comfortable rooms and bedding. Great breakfast included. Close to the Kendall/MIT station
N/A
28 February 2025
great stay
very nice quaint hotel. perfect location. very well appointed.
13 February 2025
Exceptional
nice location, in MIT
8 February 2025
This hotel has seen better days but it's still a great place to stay on a business trip to Cambridge
I like this hotel and this was my fourth time staying there. It still has its great vibes, the location is perfect between MIT and the big tech offices and right on the Red T Line. The staff are very friendly and helpful.
This was my first time back to this hotel since 2019 and I was sad to learn that the in-house restaurant had closed down. The breakfast used to have a better selection of coffee an pastries, as well as a better coffee machine, and there were free apples all day IIRC. They also used to gift complimentary t-shirts to people staying for long and that sadly had also been discontinued. The elevator was broken for 6 days out of 13 that I stayed there (but the staff were very helpful with the luggage).
7 February 2025
Excellent, boutique hotel. Would stay again.
Small boutique hotel with personality - so much nicer than a bland chain hotel.
Nothing
3 February 2025
I love fire trucks, and this hotel was a great way to learn how far the fire department came!
Absolutely everything! Very historical and breakfast was amazing!
17 January 2025
It was the perfect place to stay for our MIT visit.
This hotel was totally charming. Warm and comfy for our January visit. The complimentary breakfast is varied and delicious.
Zero. We will stay here again
15 January 2025
Charming restored building with lovely staff and good location.
A lovely restored building. Charming room and common room. Wine in the early evening and snacks. Breakfast decent. Good location could walk to restaurants and the train station. I would stay there again.
Hotel facilities
Business facilities
- - Meeting/banquet facilities (additional charge)
- - Business centre
- - Fax/photocopying
Reception services
- - 24-hour front desk
- - Express check-in/check-out
- - Luggage storage
- - Concierge service
- - Invoice provided
Activities
- - Fitness centre
- - Fitness
General
- - Non-smoking rooms
- - Facilities for disabled guests
- - Family rooms
- - Safety deposit box
- - Soundproof rooms
- - Heating
- - Non-smoking throughout
- - Air conditioning
- - Vending machine (drinks)
- - Vending machine (snacks)
- - Shared lounge/TV area
Cleaning services
- - Dry cleaning (additional charge)
- - Ironing service (additional charge)
Food & Drink
- - Kid-friendly buffet
Parking
- - Parking garage
Accessibility
- - Wheelchair accessible
- - Toilet with grab rails
Outdoors
- - Outdoor furniture
Miscellaneous
- - 24-hour security
- - Key card access
- - Smoke alarms
- - CCTV in common areas
- - CCTV outside property
- - Fire extinguishers
- - Delivered food is securely covered
- - Face masks for guests available
14 August 2025
My first visit to Boston and my stay was wonderful