The courtyard of the Kimpton Marlowe in Cambridge is a courtyard not to be reckoned with. Outside is the chaos of the city while inside is a peaceful courtyard with a beautiful restaurant. It surrounds the architectural piece Celeste, a steampunk sculpture constantly spinning.
The restaurant Bambara is off to the side, while the courtyard is surrounded by some of the nicest cars I’ve seen in quite some time. Outside is the busy road, and inside is the courtyard, and it feels like an oasis. We enjoyed sitting outside on their comfy furniture and drinking the complimentary wine served to guests nightly.
Maybe, with this intro, you’ll see the theme of the weekend. This location is a hidden jewel within the chaos of the city. If your goal is to see the city and sneak away and relax, this location is the perfect getaway. In real estate, the most important thing is the location, and you could see the impact here.
Bambara
I’ll start with the restaurant Bambara, which is actually a standalone place to eat. Sometimes I feel like hotel restaurants in the USA can do the job and cover the basics of a meal, but between the live entertainment and the food quality, I would go out of my way to eat here. The lobster roll was insane, and the french fries were unlike anything I’ve ever had. OK, they were not your traditional french fries, more like well-seasoned steak fries. They certainly held up on their own in their particular unique way. The burgers were made with dry-aged beef perfectly cooked, and how I like them—really juicy!
Kimpton Marlowe
The hotel itself has all of these amenities that make a world of difference because they are delivered in a top-shelf way. The complimentary wine from 5 to 6 got me in a good mood and didn’t taste like free wine. The hotel rooms don’t have coffee makers, and there is complimentary coffee in the morning. Complimentary coffee is a bit of an understatement because, on this beautifully set table, coffee, iced coffee, and water for a variety of high-end teas were accompanied by syrups and various sweeteners. After the coffee, flavored iced water is on display for the taking, and if you don’t like flavored water, you can ask at the front desk for a complimentary water bottle.
The Kimpton Marlowe offers a wide variety of amenities to be active and healthy. Considering its location on the Charles River, you can partake in a rowing workout with the Hydrow, a Peloton level rowing machine with virtual displays. I took the beginner rowing class, and I’m hooked on rowing! After using it a few times, I thought about ordering one for home. With its hefty price tag, I think I’m better off visiting the Kimpton Marlowe!
The hotel has a fitness center, which is quite decently sized with very modern equipment, but I want to focus on what makes this hotel unique. Right outside going along with this fitness theme are these fantastic bike trails and, of course, the Charles River. The hotel offers free bike rentals as well as free paddleboards and kayaks. These amenities probably made the weekend. Just being able to walk up and grab a bike or kayak or paddleboard was a nice trick to burn off a couple of calories.
Park
Adjacent to the hotel in the other direction was the most beautiful park where I could just enjoy sitting and reading a book for hours. Pictures don’t do it justice, and I found it to be the most relaxing time just sitting here with my Kindle.
Shopping
We already mentioned the superb location, and adjacent to the hotel in another direction is Cambridgeside, the local mall with essentially all the shopping and amenities one wants. Oh, when I needed to buy bike shorts, the resource was right there.
Museum of Science
I saved one of the best directions for last. Across the street, you have the exceptionally massive Museum of Science. I find that generally speaking, most science museums are basically one to two-hour experiences. This museum can easily be an all-day affair or visit. It has a 4D movie, a planetarium, and multiple floors of experience. We found it ridiculously easy to stay for two hours, then go out for lunch and then come back again. Its proximity to the hotel makes it really a perfect extension of the hotel experience.
Staff
Lastly, it’s the staff and people who care here. I have traveled to numerous resorts, and I must say that this is probably as attentive a staff as I’ve seen. One highlight to me was the gentleman in the courtyard who prepped a bicycle for me. He did not know me from Adam, and he was very focused on making sure the seat was adjusted correctly and that the bike was in perfect working order. He made me feel like a VIP.
One-Stop Resort
The entirety of the place operated with this one-stop shopping resort feel. At first, I thought of it as just a hotel but realized that we didn’t even need to leave the place if we didn’t want to.
Coincidentally, I found myself making certain decisions to avoid the hecticness of the city because anything I wanted or needed was right here in the hotel. Museum or go downtown? Breakfast in the hotel, which is pretty darn good, or a walk outside? Shopping downtown or shopping in the mall right next door? Maybe I want to do a fancy tour of downtown. Or I could just borrow the free bike and enjoy my day in Cambridge. Have I mentioned that Cambridge is seriously underrated?
There are places I go to and definitely want to return to, and this is one of them. Next time I might just come with other families and friends and have a resort-like stay right in the heart of Cambridge. If I moved a college kid into Boston, I might just stay a few extra days here to relax.
