This hotel is a perfectly fine hotel as long as you compare it to a similar one. It reminded me of a hotel you would find while travelling cross-country on an interstate. If you are expecting the Lennox or Back Bay Hilton, you will be disappointed, however you won't have the $300+ per night bill that you would at one of those places.

The rooms and public areas were clean. The staff was pleasant and helpful. The continental breakfast was good. The Alewife T Station is .3 mile away, and access from I-95 is easy.

The Cambridge Gateway Inn is a good place to stay. I will not hesitate to stay there again.

Again, this hotel is not trying to compete with the expensive luxery hotels in-town, so don't compare it to them.

Out of my whole life of traveling, I have never seen a place as bad as this. Upon arrival, my idea of the place was at a low. Walking through the front door around 10-ish, we were confronted with an empty reception desk and a guy leaning against the counter. The receptionist came back, looking over to the man, and asked him if a group of five people on his security camera were with him. The man answered yes, and the receptionist stated he could not have 5 other guests when he only paid for two. When we were given our keys to our room, we had to lug our baggage up a flight of stairs, since there was no elevator. Puke sat in the corner at the top of the stairs, and in the hallway was the guy's five friends. It was obvious that all but one other guy was drunk, one of them sitting on the floor of the hall, puking as we passed. The rooms did not provide any more feeling of happiness. While it is enough to live by, it was absolutely disappointing. It smelled disgusting, and the bathroom had no shampoo, and the floor was wet beside the toilet. Water cups were already opened from the wrapper as well. It was obvious there had been no effort to truly clean up the place before a new guest. One should at least expect a clean room upon arrival. I was thoroughly displeased at this. It was about four more hours before the hotel was quiet. You could hear next door, and even down the hall, the walls clearly doing nothing to keep sound out. AC was terrible, turning on and off, very loudly, all night. The TV offered basic channels, but poor reception, so bad you cannot even read the scores on the sports channel. Opening the curtains revealed a view of cars below, and then after that, a boarded-up building. Disgusting. The only upside was the price. However, even at such a low price range, I suggest that everyone should not waste their time there. You will get no sleep, no service, and no satisfaction. There are times when a hotel CAN get this low. DO NOT go here. I know I will never suggest it to anyone else. Don't be drawn in by the cheap price. It's not worth it.

This is the second time I've stayed at the Cambridge Gateway Inn -- the first being in August 2006.

On both occasions, the staff were always warm and friendly, often going out of their way to assist you. The rooms, while a little older, are nicely appointed (see photos), without being extravagant. The continental breakfast available in the morning are also a bonus of staying here. It's only a short walk from here to the Alewife T-stop on the Red Line, where Harvard, MIT and Downtown Boston are easily accessible. And, if you don't like the walk, a courtesy bus is there ready to take you leaving every half hour or so -- just ask at reception.

There are a few reasons why this is "above average" rather than "excellent". Sometimes in the corridors do smell of cigarette smoke, which can be a bit off-putting. Also, there are few restaurants nearby (you need to go into Davis Square or Arlington for these) and the shopping centre is a 25 minute walk away.

Overall, though, these are fairly minor considerations. If you want to stay around Boston in a friendly and warm place that doesn't cost "an arm and a leg", I thoroughly recommend this establishment to you.

The Cambridge Gateway Hotel needs some renovations. The building was quite old and neglected, and the room was pretty dirty. It was also difficult to find off the turnpike, but it is a 10 minute walk from Alewife Station, which was convenient. The front desk staff was helpful because we didn't know the area very well, but the service wasn't very good--one day they forgot to bring us our towels. Also, the cable was finicky and the channels didn't come in well. One of the previous reviewers said that you get a free fridge and microwave in the room, but the fridge was so noisy we had to unplug it during the night. But I guess you get what you pay for!