University Arms

The University Arms is quite simply one of my favourite hotels in the UK. Its location couldn't be better, right in the heart of Cambridge and within easy walking distance of everything the city has to offer. From the moment you walk through the doors, you're surrounded by beautiful interiors, stunning artwork and fascinating touches that celebrate both the hotel's heritage and Cambridge's rich history. The food at Parker's Tavern is exceptional. Whether it's breakfast, lunch, dinner or simply stopping for a coffee and cake, the quality is consistently excellent. If you're staying on a Friday, the live jazz creates a wonderful atmosphere and adds something really special to the experience. The rooms are luxurious, spacious and incredibly comfortable, with beautiful décor, wonderfully comfortable beds and large walk-in showers that make it easy to relax after a busy day exploring the city (or like me, working!) What truly sets the University Arms apart, however, is the team. Every member of staff goes above and beyond to make guests feel welcome, valued and looked after. They remember the little details and genuinely make every stay feel special. A beautiful hotel, outstanding food, fantastic service and a perfect Cambridge location. I always look forward to returning.

We came here as a family for a night away to celebrate my Grandmother's 80th birthday. I was in a standard room, which I felt was particularly spacious and well set up. I particularly loved the rose geranium DR Harris toiletries in the bathroom, as well as the comfort of the bed and duvet. Breakfast was a bit of a let-down for me, it is a hot and cold buffet, any extra dishes ordered specially were £5 plus 12.5% service charge (on top of the £25 already spent on breakfast), which put me off. The quality of the buffet itself was mixed; there was a wide range of items but the state of some of them was poor. I never have the scrambled eggs at a buffet, as they are always cooked poorly and that was the only option. The streaky bacon also looked like it had been charred to a crisp, so I also avoided it. I had some yoghurt with dried fruit, pastries and some sausages and toast. Everything was ok but there was nothing remarkable about the food. The most memorable food was the stuff that I avoided! Overall, we agreed that we would come again to the University Arms, but mainly because it seems to our surprise that no one has managed to come up with a better, non-chain offering in the centre of town.

I’m currently still at this hotel and having a terrible time. To make matters worse I have a week booked here in September too! Tonight the room is freezing at 16 degrees and the control says “centrally controlled” I have phoned reception three times and am sitting in my bed shivering as it’s centrally controlled on cold To make matters worse the view from the window is truly unbelievable of a load of air conditions units so the room is dark and miserable Again no warning about this I’m a Marriott member and booked Thai expecting at least a liveable room. I didn’t get one

Checked out after one night as it was so bad I couldn’t face staying

Huge Kudos to Alastair who helped us tonight with a very complex car service arrangement He was detail-oriented and went above and beyond. Thank you Alastair.