Harvard Square’s Sheraton Commander Hotel was received high marks from guests recently. (Photo: Eszter Hargittai)

The Sheraton Commander was voted the top hotel in the 200-plus site chain in December, said Jennifer Auyer, director of sales and marketing for the hotel.

“While this is the first time at No. 1 for the Sheraton Commander, the hotel is consistently highly ranked among all Sheraton Hotels in the United States and Canada,” Auyer said today.

The surveys are distributed at random and sent to past guests. Among the categories weighing the heaviest are physical condition of the hotel, service during guests’ stay and experience in the hotel restaurant, she said.

Most reviews on tourism Web sites such as tripadvisor.com mark the hotel as “very good” but not “excellent” and speak of its location and “old Cambridge charm.” Those that didn’t like it warned of double-charged items on their bill and complained of indifferent service and aging rooms, including low water-pressure and an occasional musty smell. Tripadvisor.com itself gave it an 86 percent rating based on guest reviews and ranked it 10 among 17 city hotels. (The Hotel Marlowe was ranked best.)

The hotel was built in 1927 and named after George Washington, who is said to have first inspected his troops within site of the hotel on Cambridge Common. The hotel recently underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation of the guest rooms, meeting rooms, lobby and façade, Auyer said.