Renovated older hotel in excellent location The hotel is very well located -- close enough to Harvard Square to easily walk to public transit, shopping, and restaurants, but just far enough to be away from the noise. It clearly underwent a major renovation sometime in the last 10-15 years, but the age of the building is still evident in the nice lobby and tiny elevators. The exterior is basically unchanged since the building opened in 1927, and inside you still feel like you are in a nearly-100-year-old building (except for some goofy light fixtures in some of the hallways). We were given a room on the club floor and it was larger than expected for this age of hotel, with four windows and tons of natural light. There were minor blemishes if you looked closely, but maintenance seems good since the renovation. Overall, we felt that the Commander was an excellent value given the general prices of hotels in the inner Boston region; therefore 5 stars.

Pleasant stay in Cambridge! We were pleasantly surprised with this hotel. We were looking for a property in Cambridge for just a night’s stay and we did not really expect much from this hotel. However, the manner in which the property has updated the rooms, yet kept some of the classic older features is very impressive. When you pull up to the hotel, you feel like you are arriving at a fashionable, older Boston home- the brick facade, the way the hotel is set back off the street, with lots of greenery- it is lovely. The lobby is nicely sized and check in was quick. Then you get to the elevators and see where they really kept the older style of the building. I have never been in a smaller elevator and it became quite a joke with my family. We literally had to squish together to get the elevator door to close. We had connecting rooms- one with a king bed and one with two doubles. The style of the rooms were elegant and very homey. The king room had an original bathroom. It was painfully small and reminiscent of the bathroom I had in my NYC apartment many years ago. The shower and tile work needed updating. However, our room with the two double beds had a completely updated, modern bathroom. Plus, the bathroom was probably 3x the size of the bathroom in the king room. Rooms were clean but I did not get the feeling anything special was being done to “sanitize” during Covid. I have to comment on the window treatments, which I know another reviewer previously did. They are beautiful. They look like something I would have in my home and not heavy, ornate or the alternative- drab and a bit dirty looking, like you often find in hotels. They were layered, roll down shades which complemented the style of the room and also filtered light perfectly. Our one complaint was the breakfast. The only option was a buffet- which I was surprised was even allowed since there is still a pandemic going on. When we went to the breakfast, there were several empty tables, yet the hostess insisted we sit at a low coffee table with armchairs surrounding it. It was impossible to eat there, plus it was directly under an air vent and freezing. Eventually she agreed to give us one of the empty tables that she was saving for some unknown reason. The server was not wearing a mask and she came up incredibly close to my face and spoke to me. I was very taken aback. There was no one overseeing the buffet, I did not observe any handles on the buffet dishes, or service wear being sanitized or even switched out. It was kind of gross watching person after person touch the spoons and plop them back on the counters. Had there been a viable breakfast option close by, we would have left. That being said, we enjoyed our short time here and would come back to this hotel if we were in Cambridge again.

Great hotel! We had a wonderful stay in Sheraton Commander. It was a perfect location in Cambridge, Ma. Walking distance to very good restaurants. Next to a big park, close to Harvard square. Big spacious, clean rooms. Beds were very comfortable. Staff were extremely polite and helpful. We will definitely go back next time.

Renovated hotel with mix of 1920's and modern feel Stayed here for 2 nights during August 2020. Communicated via app text , hoping to reserve a top floor. Quick and receptive response, indicating that the room I booked unfortunately had no top floor level. But was very grateful when I checked in my app indicated I had been moved to club level!) The hotel is right at the middle of a large T-street, across from large park. There's a small parking lot(fits about 20 cars). During this time, it was unmonitored but I'm sure they check plates. I still stopped by reception, and the gentleman that was there was very courteous and even gave us an alcohol wipes pad. I have him my car description. Parking is not free.($20 a night I believe) Do not park at the street as all are permit parking - except Sunday. The hotel is quite a walking distance to main Harvard Square - a brisk 15-20 min walk across the large park. The neighborhood is very quiet and peaceful. There is a small children's park right across that has very nice swings and play area. The hotel also includes Nubar - a highly rated restaurant but never got to try. At the time, they occupied the outside area of the main entrance where you walked in to check in the hotel. The lobby is massive, with the counters in the middle. There are four sets of elevators one for each "wing" of the building. These elevators are one of the smallest elevators you have ever seen! Fits only about 4. Renovated steel elevator with a splash of 1920s feel like the hotel. The club level essentially has a lounge area but it was not open at the time. We were situated at a peaceful corner by the stairs. You can tell they can never truly remove the original architecture but they tried really hard. The hallways are beautifully carpeted and lighted with vintage lamps. Waiting area by the elevator had the roaring 20s feel. As you walk into the room, you can tell they have to put a lot of piping/cables in the ceiling as the the ceiling is lowered to about 7 feet high. Nicely carpeted and very clean - you can walk barefoot. They outfitted the doors so you can unlock with your phone and the room felt solid and soundproof. Brownish wallpaper was used but there were 4 nice big windows all around. The curtains were a treat, a "rolling" pull curtain that was not cheap to install. The windows were its original windows and sealed. The bathroom was quite small, while the tub was raised quite high. A fixed shower spray was installed - that was very refreshing. Water pressure was great. The toilet looked very old and flush was relatively weak. The products were Neutrogena , I believe. Simple but effective. There was a rack with towels and by the sink was a nicely installed lighted glass mirror that matches some areas of the hotel. The vent fan was a little noisy when turned on . There were some hang towels that hanged under the sink. Hair dryer was included and there were 2 sets of hooks - good enough to hang used towels and clothes. I loved how they retained the 1940s type door(with big glass window although faded out so you can't see through) Door had a little trouble closing properly but was workable. From the right corner to mid room - was a long , vintage looking brown table. On the corner brown table hosted the typical size TV with the typical cable channels. A little to the right of it was a relatively large desk with a vintage looking lamp. A large window sat right in the middle - making it a great work desk. The chair was modern and comfortable. By the TV sat the AC, controlled on the wall. By the AC , sat a vintage looking chair with foot rest . It was quite firm and comfortable. I used it to block the AC during the nights - so that the AC doesn't blow right at us in bed. A large mirror is hoisted on the wall by the relatively large closet. There was a luggage holder in there and a nice robe, which we didn't use. A safe and hangers were provided. 1920's paintings dotted the room. The bed was foam style(not spring) but quite firm. I still prefer spring coil beds. Somehow the beds retained the drape frame(to hang a drape) - which is dangerous if children decide to hang from it. I saw one corner was bent a little. The corner room overlooked the parking lot and church that was converted to an apartment. Overall, we had an excellent stay and would highly recommend if you want a peaceful hotel but don't mind a walk to Harvard Square.

Nice renovated old hotel Stayed here for a few days on a business trip nearby. This is an old hotel that has been renovated. Everything is done well with the rooms having USB ports and plenty of electrical outlets in convenient locations. Bed is a bit softer than I prefer but is probably where most people like their beds (I prefer really firm beds). The concierge lounge is stocked well for appetizers in evening and morning breakfast is very good with continental to hot choices. The lounge itself is very cozy and quiet. For those that care, the entrance has a handicap ramp which is a good thing even if you're just rolling your rollerboard luggage instead of lugging it down some concrete stairs. Only negative is the bathroom is incredibly small. Enough room to fit one person, literally that small...