Hotel at a Glance: Le Méridien Cambridge-MIT

Located just across the Charles River Basin from downtown Boston, the upscale Le Méridien is in a bustling area of Cambridge known as Central Square. The hotel is within easy walking distance of shops and international restaurants, as well as a Red Line station where you can catch subway trains running to and from downtown Boston and Harvard University. The hotel is also just a few blocks from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which offers student-led campus tours Monday–Friday.

The AAA Four Diamond hotel’s interior is sleek and contemporary, with modern furnishings and original artwork in the guest rooms and suites. A tranquil rooftop garden features stone pathways and wooden benches where you can sit and look out onto quiet, tree-lined streets.

At the hotel’s onsite restaurant, Sidney’s Grille, the executive chef serves contemporary American dishes such as amish chicken with roasted fingerling potatoes. This Getaway includes buffet breakfast for two—choose from items including made-to-order omelets, smoked salmon with capers and onions, and illy coffee.

Cambridge, Massachusetts: Historical City with World-Famous Universities

Cambridge lies about 3 miles west of downtown Boston, on the banks of the Charles River. The city has a long and storied history, beginning with its founding in 1630 by members of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Later on, the city served as an important center of rebel activity during the Revolutionary War. Cambridge Common, located on the campus of Harvard University, was a camp and training ground for the Continental Army. A few blocks away, the house of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow functioned as George Washington’s headquarters during the British army’s siege of Boston. The home is only open for tours from June through October, but you can stroll through the gardens all year long.

Cambridge is home to two of the most prestigious universities in the world: Harvard—the oldest university in the United States—and MIT. Both offer guided campus tours year-round; Harvard even hosts historical walking tours free of charge. The school’s campus encompasses three art museums and the Harvard Museum of Natural History, which holds 12,000 specimens, including whale skeletons and a 1,642-pound amethyst. While you’re in town, pay a visit to Harvard Square to browse the small boutiques and bookstores.

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