DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Boston - Cambridge

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hiawonka

1/5Tripadvisor· 3 weeks ago

I’ve stayed at many DoubleTree properties over the years, but unfortunately, my experience at the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Boston in Cambridge was a major disappointment. The property is beautiful, the location is excellent, and the surrounding Boston and Harvard areas are fantastic. Sadly, the customer service and management left a great deal to be desired, especially for a hotel charging $400–$500 per night. I arrived slightly early from my flight and attempted to check in around 1:30–2:00 p.m. I was told my room was ready, but I would need to pay an additional $50 to check in before 3:00 p.m. As a Hilton Honors Silver member with additional benefits through my American Express card, I found this unnecessarily rigid. Apparently, an available room is available in theory, but not necessarily in practice. I tried using the Hilton app and digital key to speed things up, but it remained pending for approximately three and a half hours. I finally gained access to my room around 5:30 p.m., after spending much of the afternoon waiting alongside at least a dozen other guests with luggage in the lounge. I was told I could wait in the bar area, only to haul my bags upstairs and discover the bar was closed. A simple heads-up would have saved me the exercise. Then came the concierge. Hoping for assistance, I was offered 500 bonus points for the hotel’s anniversary in exchange for my Hilton Honors number. Sounds great, right? Except the conversation quickly turned into a 20-minute Hilton Grand Vacations timeshare sales pitch. I approached the desk looking for help with my room and somehow ended up attending a seminar I never signed up for. By then, I had family plans for dinner and a show, so I left the property. My digital key was still pending hours later, and I was eventually told through the app that I needed to return to the hotel to complete check-in and provide a card for incidentals. Something that could easily have been handled when I was standing there earlier now required another trip back. I finally got settled around 6:00 p.m., leaving virtually no time to enjoy the room before heading out again. At this point, checking into the hotel had become the main event of my Boston itinerary. The room itself was decent, but the shower alternated between volcanic and glacial, and there was no extra bottled water for morning coffee. I declined the $6 coffee downstairs, which hardly seemed worth the price. At these room rates, a decent cup of coffee and a little bottled water shouldn’t feel like luxury upgrades. To be fair, Boston and Cambridge were wonderful. I enjoyed the local restaurants, including Sweet Cheeks for pulled-chicken barbecue and mac and cheese, and caught a show at Brighton Music Hall. My complaints are entirely with the hotel, not the destination. What bothered me most was how disconnected the staff seemed from the frustration unfolding around them. There were guests waiting, luggage everywhere, and little apparent urgency to resolve anything. I barely recall seeing a smile until checkout, when I asked where I could sit and rest before heading to Logan Airport. I don’t expect perfection or special treatment because of my Hilton Honors status. I do expect reasonable communication, efficient check-in, and staff who genuinely care about the guest experience. This property has a beautiful setting and plenty of potential, but the service fell well short of the standards I’ve come to associate with DoubleTree. I sincerely hope management takes this feedback seriously. I have friends planning to stay here soon, and I would hesitate to recommend the property based on this visit. Boston delivered great food, excellent entertainment, and a memorable trip. The hotel delivered a waiting-room marathon, an unsolicited timeshare pitch, unpredictable plumbing, and a morning coffee disappointment. And then, on my way to Logan Airport for my flight home, I realized the final piece of the puzzle: I had never been offered the traditional warm DoubleTree chocolate chip cookies—not at arrival, not at checkout. After all that, I couldn’t even get a cookie to soften the blow. What a fitting end to an otherwise wonderful Boston trip. At $400–$500 a night, I expected a hotel stay. Instead, I got an extended travel adventure with several unnecessary plot twists. Hopefully, management can get this operation back on track before the next guest needs a travel itinerary just to reach their own room—and maybe keep a few cookies handy while they’re at it.

MJ

Mark Johnson

3/5Google· a month ago

Rooms are clean and spacious. The AC in the room was very loud. The location of the hotel is not close to the subway but there is a bus stop right outside the hotel that takes you to the Harvard subway stop. Parking was something like $50 a day. There is a free shuttle to various spots that runs on a oddly timed schedule with long 2-3 hour gaps between pickups. The weekend schedule is limited. With all of those facts stacked on top of one another, stay here at your own risk if you don't have a car. Didn't dine at any of the restaurants as it was expensive. Breakfast buffet was $33 a person. Staff was nice and helpful. Bed was comfortable.

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10/10Priceline· 2 months ago

It is clean and spacious. Cookies were lovely. Friendly staff except for one woman with RBF. I will not be naming names because I do not want to jeopardize anyone’s housing status in this economy but I’m sure you can guess who it is.

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Michael

5/10Priceline· 10 months ago

Clean room, nice gym.

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Tony

5/5Google· 3 months ago

Stayed for a night and loved the location.The staff were so friendly and helpful with all questions and few requests we had. The little shop next to desk had great sandwiches and food anytime of the day/night. We had a suite and Loved the separate living room and bedroom. Bed was so comfortable. Loved the view of the Charles river. Was able to cross the street and walk along the river. 10 minutes from TD garden and a quick walk across the bridge to Cambridge. Perfect location if you want to explore the area without being right in the middle of all that traffic 🤣 We look forward to our next visit.

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Kristi Schmidt

2/5Google· a month ago

I am heartbroken to write this review. Out of all the places I’ve traveled, this hotel has been my favorite for years. Even though a doubletree, I have absolutely loved this one for years. The river view rooms are amazing. Watching the sunrise and the rowers on the river is one of my most favorite things in life. Although the hotel isn’t in the city, it’s a quick drive to get you right there. This time, for the first time, I was able to bring my husband. I was so excited to show him my favorite view and the hotel I always talk about. Maybe I set myself up for failure. But, this was a terrible experience. I had to sit on it for a minute after getting back home to see if I was being dramatic, but Im certain now I really am not. The front staff is cold and unwelcoming. The rooms although really clean are falling apart. At least the one we were in. Stained carpet and furniture was disgusting. Even the walls and lamps were beat up. Not maintained at all. The very worst part, the dead rodents around the building. And not all dead. Rats and mice. We saw 7 deceased and a few alive. When I told the front desk she just said “oh” and that was it. I understand that some of that you can’t help, but that was way too many for that. I’ve lived in cities my whole life and have never seen anything like that. I’m just so disappointed. Boston is my favorite city in the world and this hotel was always my sweet spot and I just don’t think I can recommend it anymore. The one plus was the cleaning staff in the 11th floor. Sunshine and happiness. They were kind and full of joy. The front desk employees should take training from them.

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Tripking07

5/5Tripadvisor· a month ago

The hotel was overall pretty impressive. Super easy to find, excellent parking, front staff were incredibly friendly and helpful, the room and especially the bed was comfortable. Only issue was the tub draining slowly, sort if a pet peeve of mine. Elevators were fast as they come. We didn't eat here so I cannot offer my opinion there. I would stay here again and highly recommend.

SC

Shannon Carden

5/5Google· 4 months ago

Overall, we had a comfortable one night stay here. Our family of 4 stayed in a king suite on the 9th floor. It wasn’t quite enough room for 1 adult and 3 teens, as the Murphy bed is a very small double bed, and the sofa is not a sleeper. The noise from the atrium was audible in our room and the walls were surprisingly thin. We could easily hear our neighbors and people in the hall. There are sidewalks around the hotel but it isn’t close to the train.