Porter Square Hotel

For those seeking Cambridge lodging (college hunting perhaps?), this modern, 56-room boutique hotel is a terrific recent addition to the area’s rather limited lodging options. The sleek, marble-heavy lobby gives way to rooms that are stylish, modern and light-filled thanks to the oversized windows. Porter Square is the forgotten child among Cambridge and Somerville’s more celebrated squares (Harvard, Davis), but the eclectic area boasts a full range of dining options, including some of the city’s most celebrated restaurants (Shepard and Giulia are two musts). Keep an eye out for the hotel’s soon-to-open steak restaurant, Porter Square Grill, which will honor the cattle yards that once flanked the square more than a century ago.