The Kendall Hotel at the Engine 7 Firehouse

The first time I stayed at the Kendall (a month ago) I couldn't wait to return. What a difference a month makes. The room was over $500 a night and honestly a bit shabby. But the kicker was the elevator was broken. I'm in semi-decent shape, but five flights of stairs - actually six because I paid for parking in the garage - for the entire weekend was beyond the pale. Really!?! When all was said and done, I had a bill for $1300. No apology, no compensation, no incentive to return. Oh well... I'm back and forth to Cambridge quite a bit. Knock this hotel off the list.

The hotel is adorable and very comfortable. It's in an awesome spot just down from the red line T stop by MIT. It was within walking distance of a lot of places, and the area feels very safe. Unfortunately, the elevator was not working while we were there, so that was a bit of a trek up the stairs, but I am sure that is a temporary issue.

They say in the description that they have gym but is not true. They have an agreement with two gyms in the zone that are close Sat/Sun after 4pm and open at 8am. No way!

The front desk staff in the morning were surly and unfriendly. The elevator was out of service the entire time and had been out of service prior to our arrival, but the hotel did not send out a notification. Not great when you have luggage and are on the fourth floor. On the plus side, the beds are very comfortable and the breakfast is excellent.

No onsite bar/ restaurant

Property was beautiful. Decor throughout was beautifully done to keep that old firehouse station feeling. Rooms were clean. Parking was conveniently located beneath the firehouse at an extra daily charge which was reasonable. Breakfast had a nice variety of things to eat. Our only complaint was that the elevator was out of service for our entire stay. Going up 5 flights of stairs with children and luggage was a major annoyance. If we forgot something in the car it wanted something from vending machines, back down and back up again. I would definitely stay here again but would request a lower floor if the elevator was out of service again.

The Firehouse was very neat! I loved all the little details! Staff were very kind and helpful. Breakfast was good! Parking was very tight, and the air did not get cool enough the final night. Overall, would absolutely recommend for a unique stay in a great location!

Stayed here many times, love this place, well appointed clean rooms, great staff. However travelled with disabled partner and elevator kept breaking down. This really curtailed our options sadly. If you are fit and OK with stairs its a great place to stay. Also in terms of accesibility we did have an accesible room but it still has a tub not a walk in shower. OK for us (tub is low US style one and there is a seat) but worth bearing in mind if you have reduced mobility

The elevator is very slow; if you need it, you're going to spend a lot of time waiting. Other than that, I can't say enough nice things about this hotel. The location is amazing. Within a few minutes walk, you can find the T station, dozens of restaurants, and a walking path along the Charles. The breakfast buffet is kept stocked and has better food than a typical continental breakfast. The room is about average size, with comfortable beds and attractive decor. The whole hotel has a nice (not overdone) patriotic theme with some cool firefighter memorabilia. We will definitely try to stay here again whenever we come back to Cambridge.

Super cute hotel. Very comfortable beds, located in a very good location next to MIT. Area feels safe. Only bad was the parking garage, super small and they charge $45 for valet but no valet present but they still charge.

Clean property with helpful staff.

Wonderful gem of a hotel! Excellent service, comfortable rooms and beds, perfect location close to the T. Above all the CLEANEST rooms we’ve ever seen (and we are careful and meticulous in our inspections due to allergies). Overall lovely, highly recommend!

Great hotel/property. My room is a little musty. Maybe it’s time to dry clean the drapes?

In general the stay was Excellent!! One day of the stay they did not make the room. When you arrive from a long day, you want to arrive and see that everything is refresh and it wasn't like that. I communicate and what they did was take one of the garbage bags and left a basket with a dirty towel on top of the washbasin, that wasn't even from our room. That was disappointing.

The only knock we have on the hotel was the shower and toilet were very weak. We ended up using more water than we should have for lesser effect.

All of the staff were very helpful during our stay. You can tell the hotel is cared for and cleaned continuously

One of the best hotels we have stayed in. Very clean and aesthetically appealing.

Excellent accommodations! Staff is very friendly & accomodating. Room was immaculate. Breakfast was hot, well-stocked, etc. The only “complaint” & it is a minor one, is the water pressure in the shower was poor. I will definitely stay at the Kendall again!

The hotel was great overall, it was very clean and the rooms and lobby were decorated so nicely - loved all the fire house themed touches. We just had an issue with some flies in our room :( (4 giants ones that made us a little crazy) and the hotel parking was very tough - if you cannot park in tight spaces then prepare to park someone else.

Boutique hotel, great interior, very clean

The only reason I would not give a 5 star is tye obsolete air conditioning in the room. Definitely need an update on that.

Hotel is beautiful, well preserved in the old firehouse and it’s very nicely decorated however they have a huge temp problem. We actually had to sleep with the door wedged open. The room was a furnace through the night. We went down to reception in the middle room of the night after a few hours of uncomfortable sleeping hoping that it would eventually cool down however it only got worse. We first try to call reception however the phones do not work. We tried all numbers on the index but phone just failed out. We went down to reception and explained that the building runs off a heat system which cannot be controlled room by room. Obviously staying in an old building it has its quirks but wow this really wasn’t great. They offered a fan to go along side the roof fan we already had on. We said we would love one and they were going to send maintenance up. This was about 4am we went downstairs however maintenance never needed up coming and no fan was brought up. This led us to leaving the door wedged open. On the same note you would think just add the a/c in however you cannot do that as you can only operate heat or cold air. The building was set to warm air so by turning on the ac it would only blow out hot air. Overall we loved the the look of the place however the experience and stay was very disappointing and when help was asked we did not receive great service. If you struggle with warmth when sleeping I wouldn’t recommend sleeping here. Big problems with broken heaters.

We loved it here. Super convenient location within 1 min walk to the Kendall/MIT station. The only complaint is that the morning of check-out it was SO hot/humid in the room, it was uncomfortable. We had the AC going as low temp as it would allow and it didnt help.

Bed was massive! Good location with good bar and dining options away from the crazy of Downtown Boston

Great location for our visits to Boston and Cambridge sites. Helpful staff. My only negative comment is that the wifi connection in our room was intermittent, and weak when it did appear.

Charming historic hotel with cool historical relics in some of the rooms or firehouse theme. Bedding was cozy and comfy. The older front part of the hotel is above the T tracks so you can hear the faint sound of the trains underneath. If you are a light sleeper, you will want earplugs.

Very clean and cute, beds extremely comfortable, and bedrooms very quiet (and we had a room on the street). Would def return! Great value for money.

Nice hotel with the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in. All very clean and free breakfast was very good.

Room was so hot we were unable to sleep no a/c no heat control. January stay

This is such a quaint and homely little gem. They provide you with whatever you need and then some. Great breakfast too! Rooms aren't fancy but are very cozy. All the employees were very friendly and accommodating. My only complaint would be that you can hear the noise from the hallways pretty easily. Will definitely stay again!

I commute to Cambridge each week and so have stayed at various hotels in the area. The location of the Kendall Hotel is ideal for getting to the Eastern part of the MIT campus. Very welcoming front desk staff and the housekeeping staff do a good job each day. It’s an old building that has been thoughtfully renovated. A very nice and filling breakfast buffet each morning. Great snacks in the room. My only suggested improvement is a better quality of toiletries.

Enjoyed our stay, very friendly staff

First class. Staff was outstanding and informative of places to visit, eat or an afternoon beverage. 🙏👏

What a great hotel and experience. Friendly and very helpful staff and what an amazing historic building with so much personality.

Every person we interacted with during our 2 night stay was very congenial and eager to be helpful and accommodate. Room was large, very nice. Breakfast was A , and the front desk very nicely allowed us to check in early, and out later. This was very helpful since we did not have our own transportation, and had flown in (and then out) of Boston, and had to go by the schedule of our flights. Would absolutely stay here again.

The Kendall hotel is a gem to find over by MIT. Our room was very clean and nicely decorated. The lobby was charming and beautifully styled, with a quaint vibe that really highlighted the hotel’s unique setting in an old firehouse. The overall atmosphere was warm and welcoming. The staff were excellent—friendly and very helpful. Parking was convenient, with a small garage just around the corner. Even though we arrived late to breakfast, there was still plenty available, and it was delicious with lots of options. Across the street is the T station, so you can get anywhere around the city. We would definitely come back here again and I would absolutely recommend this hotel to anyone

Front desk was absolutely terrific and helpful, even though the hotel was full and very busy.

We enjoyed our stay, the beds were soooo comfortable! The breakfast was delicious and the staff was very kind. The place was clean and all staff were helpful with directions. We would definitely stay there again

Fantastic service!

Great staff and breakfast. Terrific location too.

Very unique historical hotel with fire station roots and decor. Next to a T stop and MIT and just across the river from downtown. Nice rooms and a good breakfast.

Excellent location if you are visiting MIT

Excellent hotel with great walkability.

Really nice boutique hotel with great location in Kendall Sq. Next to Kendall/MIT T station. Walk to Charles River, MIT and lots of restaurants/cafes and attractions.

Most convenient and walkable!

Beautiful hotel, from decor to comfortable and ample rooms. You can walk everywhere but if that is not your thing. The subway station is just a few meters down the street.

Nice hotel converted from a firehouse, next to MIT campus, walking distance to the river and not far from Boston commons

Great neighborhood and within minutes you're on the T.

Great find! The atmosphere was perfect and the hotel was walking distance to the train and access into Boston.

Great location on the red line. Very safe. Nice and quiet. Breakfast is great. Convenient for Uber pick up and drop off. Have stayed twice. Great both times!

Conveniently located to Kendall Square and very comfortable with a nice breakfast.

Food was good and within my criteria for healthy. It was disappointing that the start time for breakfast is now an hour later (7 vs 6 last year) which is inconvenient.

Staff were amazing, property was unique it could use some updates. Breakfast was just average and needed more options and different ones. We stayed for three night and the same every morning.

No onsite bar/ restaurant

We loved the boutique feel and quality amenities. Staff is super friendly and provides excellent service. It felt cozy. The full breakfast is quite good. The drinks and pizza in the onsite restaurant are limited but there are plenty of restaurants within a few minutes walk from the hotel. The staff was happy to provide recommendations. We will definitely be back.

Nice hotel converted from a firehouse, next to MIT campus, walking distance to the river and not far from Boston commons

Fantastic charming and cosy hotel with a great location and outstanding services from the staff. Breakfast is great with many options and is absolutely worth to include.

Unique ambience and wonderful service. The breakfast was amazing and staff went above and beyond.

Clean, quiet, nice room. Historic building kept in excellent condition, Appreciated that the heating-cooling system is quiet. Parking is convenient but does require skill to maneuver in a tight space. The included breakfast buffet needed more healthy choices (e.g. bran cereal, oatmeal, better variety of fruit.) But overall, still very nice.

The place was very cool! Unique being an old firehouse! Great amenities like free coffee, bottled water and cookies in your room. Breakfast was best I have had at a bite that was also free! Real eggs and bacon!