Set next to Harvard, this Inn is one of the more fairly-priced places to stay if you're in the area, and it has a lot more personality than a generic hotel would. We stayed only 1 night. I found the service to be friendly; they allowed us to check in just a bit early, which was appreciated, and there is dedicated parking (big bonus in Cambridge). The place is definitely not spacious-feeling - narrow halls and many rooms - but the basic vibe was nice, with dark wood trims and a definitive "New England" feel. As with anywhere in the city, rooms by the street will have a bit of traffic noise.

Beds were a bit hard for my taste, but everything was clean and the showers had good pressure; the only thing we were less than impressed with was the breakfast - they had fruits set out with and less-than-stellar coffee in a back room, but the pastries were tough and didn't taste very good. Instead of eating there we walked 1/2 block down to Darwin's and had one of the most fantastic breakfasts I've had in the area - so if you stay at the Inn, just skip the breakfast and go to Darwin's!

I had difficulty finding a room anywhere for Visitas weekend which coincided with the Boston marathon. I stumbled upon A Friendly Inn at Harvard and was thrilled. The Inn is within easy walking distance of the T station at Harvard Square, so I was able to navigate the whole weekend from the airport and back without ever needing a car. The room was comfortable
and clean. I found the staff at the desk quite friendly and accommodating. Tea and coffee were available around the clock. I will be returning next month for parent's weekend and look forward to another stay!

I'd strongly recommend against it due to the following bad experience:
- Before making a reservation, I negotiated with the hostess that I can check out by 2pm.
- I checked in and the guy who opened the door for me, immediately after I had paid the bill upfront, got mad at me, yes MAD and raised the tone of his voice when I told him what the hostess said, just to tell me that I MUST check out at 11am. I am not the kind of person who would lose his temper so easily, or raise my voice - his behaviour was just shocking.
- Later I called the service desk (which was him) to ask where I could get drinking water from. His answer - 'go drink from the bathroom faucet'. Really!!!!!
- In the morning I came back after my first meeting, and was taking a nap with 'DO NOT DISTURB' sign outside. And, the cleaner knocks on my door repeately at 10:15 because they wanted to clean the room! I said I am taking a nap - and they insisted again.
- Finally, when I was checking out, the woman (the same hostess I'd spoken to about a later checkout) angrily says, you can pay $40 if you want to stay 2 more hours. I was like - 'No thank you, I really don't think it will be necessary as I am not even sure if I came to the right place to stay the night'.
If you are not bothered with jerks like these (who just want the money but offer TERRIBLE service), this place will be just perfect for you ;-)

Just got an e-mail from my brother looking for hotel suggestions in Cambridge, which reminded me that I have this overdue review of a hidden gem in Harvard Square...

First, the good things:

--The place is very close to Harvard and Harvard Square (in particular the Science Center and Harvard Yard). In fact, it's just two blocks away. You can't beat the location.
--The room was very neat, well kept, and pretty large.
--The price was fairly reasonable for the area. I paid $180 or so, and I believe that was one of the more expensive rooms. I think the "bottom of the barrel" price in Harvard Square for a hotel room nowadays is just around $100, which probably gets you a free mugging and bed bug infestation. Kidding. Sort of.
--The owner was very friendly and was able to accommodate me within two days when my plans changed and I needed a place to stay in Cambridge.
--Free parking (though I did get the last spot in the lot) in Cambridge, which is kind of a big deal.
--Breakfast was good, and not sit-down, which I liked because I could grab and go. Bonus points for the hard boiled eggs. I've never seen that at a B&B. The cherry flavored danish was also delicious.

Next, the "constructive criticism":

--The high speed internet code was approximately 30 characters long, which was very hard to type into my tiny phone keypad, etc. I'm only kind of joking that this is a con. It really wasn't a big deal, but it was kind of annoying. I would think they could shorten it significantly without risk that people outside would hack into it.
--Another reviewer mentioned this, but there really do need to be more electrical outlets in the room. Even just a couple of extra power strips would do. I had to unplug the lamp just to charge my cell phone, and it wasn't easy to get to because it was under the bedside table.

(You'll notice that the above two things aren't even really that big of a deal. That's because this place was pretty great overall.)

Some advice if you'll be visiting A Friendly Inn:

--Try to get a room on the second or third floor if you can. I had a room on the first floor and the foot traffic by the front door was a bit loud. The A/C wall unit did help with the noise, though. This was the last room available (as I mentioned, I made the reservation two days before), so it's understandable, but I probably would not want this room again.
--Get here as early after check-in as you can if you're planning on parking. I arrived at 3:15 p.m. and got the last spot. The lot was also full the next evening when I left. Parking in Cambridge is very difficult because you need a resident sticker, unless you plan on finding a (rare) pay lot or paying at a meter.

Bottom line, if you're in Cambridge, and particularly if you're trying to stay very close to Harvard Square, this is a very good place. It is "no frills" as another reviewer mentioned, but for me, it got the job done at the last minute, at a reasonable price, in a great location. And yeah, it isn't the Charles Hotel, but what is? :)