Eat, drink and cycle to your heart’s content at the just opened The Fellows House in Cambridge, says Deputy Digital Editor Lydia Major.
The lowdown
Located just 10 minutes outside Cambridge city centre and a stone’s throw from the sparkling River Cam, this new, apartment-style hotel is the perfect base from which to explore one of England’s most famous and picturesque locations.
The Fellows House is part of the Hilton’s swanky Curio Collection, where each hotel has a distinctive character.
It blends the best of the modern and traditional, with fantastic amenities, such as a new spa, rooms with kitchens, and on-site coffee and wine bar The Sage of Cambridge.
Decor is rich and sumptuous – think large leather sofas to sink into – and there are nods to the alumni of nearby University of Cambridge, such as the Hawking Suite private dining room.
Double rooms cost from £116 per night B&B (Thefellowshouse.com).
What we loved
Spend the day strolling through cobbled lanes and along The Backs, a pretty area where several of the university’s colleges back on to the river.
You can even peep into some of the stunning private gardens.
Back at the hotel, recharge in the pool, sauna and steam room, before pre-dinner drinks.
The Folio bar, with a pool table and carefully curated decor, makes you feel like you’ve stepped into an elite private members’ club or a posh library.
Books from former Cambridge fellows fill the walls – I got sucked into reading snippets of Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History Of Time (I know!) while sipping on a champagne cocktail named after the book, £12.
If immersing yourself in a city’s history is your travel go-to, take a meander through the hotel corridors.
Unique pieces of artwork, all designed locally, are there to catch your eye.
The influence of the city’s famous fellows continues in the rooms, which are named after the likes of Kipling, Newton and Attenborough.
Look out for the DNA double helix wall, too – a nod to Cambridge scientists Francis Crick and James Watson, who deciphered the structure of genetic code before announcing their discovery at old-school pub The Eagle, which is also worth a visit.
What we didn’t love
The menu at the hotel’s Folio Kitchen is excellent – I had a perfect steak, with truffle mash and roasted parsnips, £29.50 – but the restaurant lacked atmosphere in the evening, feeling a bit hushed.
The buffet breakfast had loads on offer, but the hot options weren’t that hot, which was disappointing.
BTW
In Cambridge, cycling isn’t just for Lycra-clad middle-aged men.
There are probably more people on bikes than on foot, and it’s a fun way to get around and see the beautiful architecture.
The Fellows House has bikes on hand for guests to use for the day free of charge – just be sure to book ahead.
And thankfully, the city is very flat.
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