The irving house is a clean affordable place to stay, without pretention. The old house is well maintain and the staff is very helpfull. You wont be having breakfast made by the owners, its not that sort of B&B, it is probably more an Inn then a B&B.

No fancy Breakfast, but we did not felt the need to get breakfast elsewhere, we were very satisfied with the choices offered.

The location is excellent (we used the subway), the room was very comfortable, and everything there is clean.

There are four floors and there are no elevator, but that was not a problem at all. And when you reserve they make sure you are aware.

This was our first visit to Irving House and we were booked for 5 nights. We agree with many of the positive comments about this inn: location, parking though very tight, wi-fi, cleanliness, friendly staff, guest refrigerator, and breakfasts (which were o.k. but not outstanding.)

Our primary complaint was the heating. We stayed in room 403, and noticed the warmth in the room the afternoon we arrived. It was then that we realized that there was no thermostat in the room to regulate the heat. We immediately opened the one window that faced another apartment building (with windows opposite ours…privacy?) across the alley. Later during that night, the room seemed to get even hotter. There was no air circulating into our room from the alley window. We have no idea what the temp was in the room. However, we were both perspiring. I changed out of my cotton nightgown and put on one of my husband’s t-shirts. We threw off the comforter and just kept the sheet. It was still very uncomfortable in the room…even though it was in the 20’s or 30’s outside! The heat duct along the floor was too hot to even touch. I had some paper and plastic bags that I had pushed up against it and realized that they could have been a fire hazard with such heat.

We are not complainers, and that can sometimes be to our disadvantage. It was not until the 3rd night, after reading the guest book on the desk, that we realized that something could be done about the heat if we called the front desk. So…at 2:00 a.m. we did so. There may have been some improvement but not much. The next day we learned of the “zones” that are set up within the building. I was told that someone else had complained of being too cold. Don’t know if that person was in our zone or not. So, if everyone in your zone is in agreement with the temperature, everyone is happy.

Since my husband was also suffering from a cold and neither of us was getting more than 2-3 hours of sleep a night, we decided that I would move into another room…room 406. This room was still warm but less hot than 403…maybe it was in another zone. Also, since it was a corner room, it had two windows for better air circulation. Even after requesting to have the heat turned down, both rooms continued to be hot, even though it was now in the 20’s outside and we both slept with the windows wide open.

Cleanliness, quiet, and a good night’s sleep are our primary requirements for the accommodations we expect to receive when staying anywhere in the world. We would really like to say that we would return to Irving House in the future. But how will it be in the summer? I can’t imagine how unpleasant that would be!

I've stayed at Irving House many many times over the past five years. I keep coming back because it is comfortable, the staff are great warm friendly people, it's far cheaper than any other place in that area, it offers a wonderful breakfast spread, offstreet parking is included, and the location is perfect. There's a lunch shop (Darwin's) just around the corner, a market two blocks away (Broadway Market), a neighborhood pharmacy just past Darwin's, and a great Spanish restaurant (Dali) is only a 5 minute walk. Plus Harvard Yard and Harvard Square are just a 10 minute walk the other way.
This time I had surgery in the Boston area and stayed at Irving House for 3 days to recover before driving 3 hours to my home. They gave me a room with a bath (108) on the first floor and I was completely comfortable there.
Single rooms with shared baths are less expensive. Some of them are small but they are well furnished so they don't feel claustrophobic. The place is always spotless.
Additional amenities include refrigerator and freezer space for guests, laundry facilities (available only after 10AM), books in every room, and snacks available in the breakfast rooms afternoons and evenings: cookies, fruit, coffee cakes, and coffee/tea/hot chocolate. There's also a nice living room with some comfortable chairs and a computer for guests to use (free WiFi is also available).

We spent 4 great days here. The staff was super friendly and helpful, the room huge and comfortable. Breakfast amazing!!! Hot drinks and sweets all afternoon. The family room fit 2 adults and 2 teens. We will be back!