Heartfelt thanks to Phil who answered all of my questions promptly, thoroughly, and enthusiastically at the outset; and to Joyce who made my four-night stay beyond comfortable and enjoyable!
The location of the place (a stone’s throw away from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and three-minute walk from Harvard Yard) is truly golden! Unlike friends who stayed at hotels in and around Cambridge/Boston during Commencement and reunion weekend that was packed with events and activities, I had practically zero commuting time. The time saved enable me to attend more events (and to take quick power naps, change outfits, etc most efficiently).
The apartment (located on the second floor of a beautiful house) is maintained meticulously by Joyce. The furnishings in the Harvard room where I stayed were well-appointed and the queen-sized bed very comfortable. Bottles of water were always available in my room. There are two baths one of which was assigned for my private use throughout my stay. The well-stocked kitchen and cozy dining area made the place feel very homey.
When I arrived on the first night, Joyce the gracious hostess had just come back from grocery shopping and offered to carry my luggage up the flight of stairs. She stocked the fridge with an assortment of fresh fruits, whole-grain breads, eggs, soy milk, yogurts, and even organic milk. She pointed to two bowls of sliced cantaloupe and said: "I sliced these earlier today for you, please help yourself. Please help yourself to anything in the kitchen during your stay!" Joyce always made sure that there were bottles of water on the kitchen counter along with breakfast cereals, bananas, eggs, coffee and tea (and gourmet chocolate chip cookies during the last couple of days).
I also very much appreciated the accommodation for a late check-out.
All in all, I cannot recommend the Phil’s Harvard room highly enough and would return in a heartbeat!