Irving House At Harvard

What Irving House At Harvard does

Irving House At Harvard is a family-owned independent bed and breakfast located at 24 Irving Street in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts. The 44-room inn operates across four floors (no elevator) and has been providing lodging to travelers since 1945 and to Harvard University affiliates since the 1920s; it is larger than a conventional B&B but retains a homey, personally serviced style distinct from chain hotels. Core products include standard overnight accommodations with breakfast, off-street parking, and Wi-Fi included in rates, a supplemental extended-stay option (Turner House), and a portfolio of seasonal/promotional packages (College Tripping, Veterans' Day, Birthday, Thanksgiving Pies, Winter Deal). The technology stack is non-proprietary: a modern property management/reservation system was deployed around 2024 (replacing a manual laminated chart), and a third-party EV charging station is operated via Clear Token at a supplemental lot.

The business runs a direct-to-consumer model, taking reservations exclusively through its own website booking engine, phone, and email. The company actively discourages third-party OTA platforms (Expedia, Priceline, Booking.com), promoting direct booking via the website, the quarterly Irving House Gazette newsletter (5,000+ subscribers as of 2021), and organic social channels (Facebook, Instagram). Pricing follows a pay-as-you-go nightly cadence with deposit rules (24-hour cancellation window, group deposits, three-night/ prepayment minimum during Harvard Commencement week, and a new $20/night pre-payment policy introduced in 2026). Customer segments are diversified across college/university visitors (primary), leisure tourists, military veterans (year-round 15% discount), and Harvard-affiliated extended-stay guests.

Following founder Rachael Solem's sudden passing in January 2024, ownership and management passed to her daughter Briana Pearson, who had previously managed the now-closed sister property Harding House (lost during the pandemic in 2020). The current organization is small (~10 employees) and operates without external institutional ownership, with no funding rounds, subsidiaries, or M&A activity disclosed. Strategic positioning centers on eco-friendly and fair-trade operations, community partnerships (Community Servings, Best Bees, Harvard Square Business Association), and content marketing that leverages the property's long heritage and Cambridge location as primary differentiation.

Name

Irving House At Harvard

Legal name

Irving House at Harvard

Website

https://irvinghouse.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Irving House At Harvard is a family-owned 44-room bed and breakfast in Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA serving college visitors, tourists, veterans, and Harvard affiliates via direct bookings since 1945.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bed and Breakfast Hospitality

NAICS

Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (72111), Accommodation (721)

SIC

Hotels & Motels (7011)

akta.pro primary industry

Bed & Breakfast–Style Rooms in Private Homes (THAMABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Alternative Corporate Lodging (Serviced Apartments, Extended Stay, Corporate Housing) (THACAGAL), Executive & VIP Corporate Housing (THAMAHAF)

Keywords

• Bed and breakfast lodging
• Extended stay housing
• Independent boutique inn
• Cambridge hospitality services
• Guest house accommodations

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Lodging / Room Rentals: The company earns revenue primarily through overnight room rentals. Rates include breakfast, off-street parking, and Wi-Fi. The company also offers extended-stay options through Turner House (a separate Cambridge extended-stay/short-term housing property). Special packages include College Tripping (with college tour info and a canvas bag of goodies), Veterans' Day discounts, birthday discounts, and Thanksgiving Pie packages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Irving House at Harvard operates a 44-room bed and breakfast inn in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, providing family-friendly, eco-friendly overnight accommodations with complimentary breakfast, off-street parking, and Wi-Fi included in rates. The company also offers extended-stay housing through Turner House, a supplemental Cambridge property for longer-term visits. Named promotional packages (College Tripping, Veterans' Day, Birthday, Thanksgiving Pies, and Winter Deal) are available exclusively through direct booking on the company's own website.

Product overview

Irving House at Harvard is a small independent bed and breakfast hotel with 44 rooms located in Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA. The company operates a single-property model with its core offering being bed and breakfast accommodations, supplemented by an extended-stay property called Turner House. The company offers several seasonal and promotional packages including College Tripping (for visitors touring local universities), Veterans' Day discounts, Birthday packages, and Thanksgiving Pie specials. Additional offerings include a quarterly newsletter called the Irving House Gazette. All bookings and services are offered directly through the property, with no third-party platform or module architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Irving House at Harvard Bed & Breakfast Accommodations 44-room independent inn in Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA offering family-friendly, eco-friendly overnight lodging with breakfast, off-street parking, and Wi-Fi included in rates.
• Turner House Extended Stay Supplemental Cambridge extended-stay/short-term housing property located near the main inn, offering longer-term accommodations for visiting scholars, Harvard affiliates, and other extended-stay guests.
• College Tripping Special
• Veterans' Day Special
• Birthday Package (You Say It's Your Birthday)
• Thanksgiving Pies Special

Quantifiable outcome

• Returned to 2019 occupancy levels by 2023 after pandemic
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Community ServingsminorOthersIrving House has served as a pie pickup site for Community Servings' annual 'Pie in the Sky' Thanksgiving fundraiser for many years. Community Servings sells pies to benefit critically ill neighbors and their families across Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Irving House even buys pies for guests staying during Thanksgiving as part of its Thanks Giving Pies special package.
• Best Bees CompanyminorOthersBest Bees Company maintains beehives for Irving House on the property. Zoia Krastanova (former Assistant Manager) documented the hives and the company references Best Bees in its Earth Day communications. The partnership supports Irving House's eco-friendly and green operations commitment.
• Harvard Square Business AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIrving House participates in Harvard Square events and activities promoted by the HSBA, including Chocolate Festival, Chili Cook Off, MayFair, holiday events, and the Black-Owned Business Pop-up Market. The company also supports the community pantry maintained by HSBA.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Hyatt Regency Boston/Cambridge: Major chain full-service hotel adjacent to MIT in Cambridge. Competes for the same business, university visitor, and conference demand as Irving House but with materially larger inventory and broader service portfolio.
• Boston Marriott Cambridge: Large chain hotel in Kendall Square, Cambridge. Overlaps with Irving House on business travel, university events, and group demand, though at a higher price point and with significantly broader meeting/event infrastructure.
• Le Meridien Boston Cambridge: Upper-upscale chain hotel in Cambridge targeting similar university, business, and leisure demand as Irving House. Differentiated by brand scale and amenities but overlapping significantly on core guest segments.
• The Liberty Hotel: Upscale independent hotel in Cambridge (former Charles Street Jail). Competes for premium leisure and university-event demand in the same Cambridge submarket, though positioned at a higher price tier than Irving House.
• The Charles Hotel: Larger independent-leaning full-service hotel in Harvard Square, Cambridge. Operates in the same micro-market and university visitor demand pool, but with substantially broader amenities, scale, and group/event capabilities than Irving House.

Direct peers

• Hotel Veritas: Small independent boutique hotel located near Harvard Square in Cambridge. Closest direct comparable to Irving House in terms of property size, independent ownership, Harvard-adjacent positioning, and target guest profile (university visitors, academics, and leisure travelers).
• Holiday Inn Express & Suites Boston-Cambridge: Mid-scale chain hotel in Cambridge competing for the same business, university visitor, and leisure traveler demand as Irving House. Comparable in functional room offering though differentiated by brand and service model.
• Hampton Inn by Hilton Boston Cambridge: Limited-service chain hotel operating in the Cambridge lodging market serving similar business and university-adjacent traveler demand. Direct competitor on price-sensitive segments where Irving House's B&B positioning competes.
• Best Western Plus Boston Cambridge: Mid-tier chain hotel directly competing with Irving House for price-sensitive Cambridge visitors, including university guests. Comparable in functional offering (rooms with breakfast, parking) though differentiated by chain vs. independent positioning.

Emerging players

• AC Hotel by Marriott Boston Cambridge: Newer lifestyle-oriented Marriott brand in the Cambridge market. Targets design-conscious business and university-affiliated travelers — a similar persona to Irving House's guest mix — but with modern build and brand loyalty infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/IrvingHouseatHarvard
• Instagraminstagram.com/irvinghouseatharvard
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/irving-house-at-harvard

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Irving House At Harvard