The tasteful Charles Hotel has an intellectual vibe befitting a hotel just steps from Harvard — but it's best for travelers who want to spend most of their time in Cambridge, not Boston proper

If you want to soak in the Ivy League spirit of Harvard Square, The Charles will put you in the intellectual epicenter.

The Charles epitomizes New England modesty with understated rooms where little luxuries are discreetly tucked away. The staff is genuinely friendly, which may help to explain the number of repeat visitors who seem like long lost pals of hotel employees.

While the hotel farther away from central Boston, it's similarly priced as any other high-end hotel in Boston or Cambridge and provides a compelling alternate base to downtown. For those who want to explore Cambridge's attractions with only an occasional foray into the city, you'd be hard-pressed to find better accommodations.

Who stays here: Elite academics, assorted illustrious scholars, Harvard and M.I.T. parents, and visitors who want to explore Cambridge's college-town atmosphere yet be close to Boston.

We like: The complimentary New York Times delivered to my room was an early morning treat.

We love (don't miss this feature!): The cozy lobby library's collection of books offers some great reads as well as a convivial space to chat with other hotel guests.

We think you should know: I was bummed there was no in-room coffee, though Henrietta's Table offers guests a free cup.

We'd do this differently next time: I'd bring my bathing suit and swim a few laps at the health club's heated indoor pool.

Trip Advisor gives The Charles a 4.5 out of 5-star rating, while Booking.com gives it an 8.9 out of 10 as well as 9.5 out of 10 for its location. Hotels.com gives it a 9.2 out of 10.

Guests applaud the warm staff, the sleek bathroom television embedded in the mirror, and the hotel's location in the heart of Cambridge.

Most complaints stem from the lobby noise and dust during renovation work for some of the public spaces. The renovation is expected to be complete in 2020. Guests also complained about the lack of inexpensive on-site dining options.

Harvard Square is a one-minute walk from the hotel. I enjoyed the roving street musicians and eclectic shops catering to this captive student youth market.

Harvard University has a world-class collection of museums. The Harvard Art Museums are actually three museums (the Fogg, Busch-Reisinger and Arthur M. Sackler) housed in a Renzo Piano-designed building. Impressionist and Post-impressionist paintings by big names like Renoir and Manet should grab everyone's attention. Art devoted to Asian and Islamic cultures shine.

Harvard's Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology's exhibits demonstrate the distinct differences between North America's myriad of indigenous people, rather than grouping them as one. Masterfully carved totem poles shouldn't be missed.

The Harvard Museum of Natural History's mineralogical galleries are famed for their brilliant minerals, big rocks and sparkling gemstones from every corner of New England and much of the world.

For an inexpensive bite, the interior of Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage looks lifted from a college dorm room. For decades, students have been chowing down on hearty burgers with whimsical, politically relevant names like Brexit and Trump Tower.

Downtown Boston is easily reachable from Cambridge via the MBTA subway system's Red Line at Harvard Square, or by taxi, though notorious traffic can make the journey less than pleasant. Walk across one of the scenic bridges instead.

Benedetto, open for dinner only, is a more upscale option. The chef specializes in the cuisine of Umbria, Italy's landlocked region, serving a comprehensive list of Italian wines and delectable pasta dishes ranging from rustic to refined.

For those who appreciate live jazz, Regattabar Jazz Club is one of the top jazz clubs in New England.

There is also Noir, a cocktail lounge with a retro feel. My Dark and Stormy with extra fresh lime made for an excellent nightcap.

Additionally, hotel guests are invited to use the facilities at the adjacent Wellbridge Athletic Club, accessible without going outdoors. It is well-equipped with a heated indoor lap pool, whirlpool, steam room, gym equipment, and a full range of group fitness classes. I enjoyed a mixed-level yoga class before I checked out.

Located in the hotel's complex is the Corbu Spa & Salon. There are seven treatment rooms with a standard menu of massages and facials.

There are two restaurants and two bars on-site at The Charles Hotel.

Henrietta's Table looks like a Vermont farmhouse and serves a matching New England farm-to-table menu. This is where guests may receive their complimentary morning coffee and purchase snacks and light meals. I found it impossible to resist a raisin scone to accompany my beverage. Children should enjoy snuggling the mascot stuffed pink pig, a sure sign that families are welcome.

One major thing missing from the room was a coffee maker. An excellent cup of complimentary coffee is available each morning at the hotel's casual restaurant, Henrietta's Table, though I found the thought of having to get dressed before my first cup of the day disconcerting. I could have ordered room service but decided to skip the added expense.

My room was quiet. Though I like fresh air when I sleep, I shut the window at night, worried the courtyard might be noisy in the morning. When I awoke and opened the window, it was still peaceful at 7:30 a.m. There's a farmers' market in the courtyard on Friday afternoons and Sunday mornings starting at a civilized 10 a.m.

I paid $299 for my room. While not a bargain, the price is in line with other fine four-star and up hotels in central Boston and Cambridge. However, like other hotels as well, rates are higher in high season and during graduation, starting at $409 per night. Given how expensive hotels in Boston and Cambridge are during the busy season, my room would have still been fairly priced even at the higher rate, and I would return for the spacious, comfortable room and charming Cambridge base.

My room was a standard Deluxe King, which, along with the two-bedded Deluxe Double, are the entry-level rooms at The Charles with 273 square feet of space.

All guest rooms were recently renovated, which was apparent from the moment I entered my pristine seventh-floor room. My room faced the courtyard and was up high enough for the Charles River and the Harvard crew team to be visible through floor-to-ceiling windows. It was still fairly warm outside and I appreciated that I could actually open the windows to let a breeze in, something that's often impossible to do in hotel rooms.

My room had a tidy feel from a blue and cream color scheme and the clean lines of the Shaker-style furnishings. A spacious two-poster bed dominated the space, outfitted in crisp white linens that were perfectly pressed. The firm mattress offered just the right amount of back support for this middle-age guest.

Other functional elements included a traditional wood desk with a charging station, an oversized leather wingback armchair with a footrest, plaid carpeting, a Bose Wave radio, and an LCD flat-screen TV. The mini-bar was stocked with standard drinks and snacks as well as more unusual treats like honey made from the hotel's own bees.

I thought the bathroom was particularly luxurious, with Carrara marble accents, an illuminated magnifying mirror, and a television discretely embedded in the vanity mirror. The combination shower/tub was practical and the C.O. Bigelow products added to my bath experience. I welcomed the waffle bathrobe and slippers.

For an even more indulgent stay, suites start at a spacious 448 square feet with upgrades such as kitchenettes, soaking tubs, and a separate seating area. The stately Presidential Suite has a four-poster maple bed, an office with a custom-made desk, and five flat-screen TVs.

I also took a moment to soak in the large central staircase, understated in its elegance, flanked by folksy quilts decorating the walls. As I stopped to imagine how nice the one with a star motif would look on my own bed, a hotel employee told me that in addition to a respected collection of American quilts, the hotel had an on-call quilt consultant.

On my way to the elevator, I noticed that the hotel's intellectual buzz was immediately apparent. I was quickly distracted by the lobby's lending library filled with scores of titles, a mix of classics, bestsellers, and coffee table books.

As a former early childhood educator, I was pleasantly surprised to see a robust selection of children's literature and sat on one of the comfy dark leather couches and thumbed through a few. I noted that several were autographed with dedications thanking the staff for a pleasant stay and deduced these authors had been hotel guests who left a copy of their books as a token of appreciation.

Communal seating encouraged guests to hang out and read, though it's also perfectly acceptable to borrow a book and enjoy it in your room.

As my taxi pulled into the driveway, the doorman ushered me out of the cab and offered a hand with my luggage. I only had a carry-on, so I headed into the lobby unassisted.

The 10-story red-brick building looked ordinary from the outside but inside, the environment felt refined. A collection of New England landscapes served as decor and added subtle color, while a display of old-fashioned quilts provided a homespun aesthetic. Furnishings felt simple and restrained with tasteful American Arts and Crafts style pieces.

It was mid-afternoon, with no one in line at check-in. Two employees were working at the front desk, both of whom seemed eager to help. Check-in was courteous and efficient; I was given a description of the on-site dining options. I asked about the gym facilities and was told that the hotel was adjacent to a private fitness facility, which I would be able to access for free.

No one asked if I needed the bellman, though that may have been because I had so little luggage.