Originally Posted by
BW0807
In all honesty given it is a quick vacation trip I have time to move around, but would prefer to be in the thick of it.
I will however be intending to visit MIT, Harvard, Northwestern and Booth on my trip to get a feeling for them (potential MBA choices next year), but that doesn't mean I'm restricted to Cambridge for example.
Being based in Boston, for easiest access to MIT and Harvard from the Boston side of the city (no experience with Cambridge hotels), I'd look at the MO and the Lenox as being the most convenient. MO will likely be over the price range. The Lenox, while not true 5-star, is a solid choice in a great location. Easy to cross the Mass. Ave bridge to get to Sloan very quickly.
In Chicago, I personally love the WA Chicago, but I know that isn't a very popular choice here. I was unimpressed by the PH, but at $300 / night could be easily swayed.
Best of luck with apps - getting ready to submit R1 applications to all four of those schools myself.