Hotel Marlowe
(25 Edwin H. Land Boulevard; 617-868-8000; www.hotelmarloweboston.com) just over the Charles River in Cambridge. Across the street from the wonderful science museum and duck tours, it is conveniently attached to a terrific mall. But in the hotel, you can feel a world away with a comfy communal living room where coffee and tea are served in the morning and wine is shared before dinner. The staff remembers your preferences and requests and seems perpetually cheerful.