The Hotel Felix is a lovely, Victorian House with a sympathetic, modern extension. It’s very easy to find, being located directly off Huntingdon Road, on the outskirts of the City centre of one of the UK’s, if not the world’s most iconic places. to visit. London is an hour away and the transport links make it an easy place to get to, for a weekend break.
The four-star hotel was originally built in 1852 for an Addenbrook’s surgeon, the hotel boasts traditional Victorian architecture with a twist of contemporary design. It’s also dog-friendly and caters for a host of events including weddings and business meetings.
We knew that Cambridge is more geared up for bikes, rather than cars and therefore we recommend parking at the hotel (plenty of spaces provided) and getting a taxi into town to explore, or for those wanting some exercise the centre is a 30 minute walk from the hotel.
The hotel has a warm, welcoming atmosphere, with friendly and efficient staff. The room was exactly as shown on their website, it was spacious, with a large bed and all facilities as expected of a 4* hotel, including underfloor heating in the bathroom. There was a very good display of modern art throughout the public areas, I especially liked the glass poppies alongside the main staircase.
The Dining room and bar area, known as the Graffiti restaurant, were in the old part of the house, where you can admire the lovely, elaborate plasterwork ceilings. The large, arched windows over-looking the garden made the dining room light and airy. The modern conservatory with verandah also overlooked the gardens, a great place to relax and enjoy evening drinks.
The food was well cooked with a good menu choice, my one complaint was the John Dory dish was overpowered by the shrimps. However the Almond Tart was melt-in-the-mouth good. The waiting staff were very knowledgeable about the food and the city itself and told us some great places to visit, which was very helpful. A local insight into a place is always better than the guidebooks.
After an enjoyable, filling breakfast with an excellent selection of fruit, pastries and if desired a cooked breakfast we set off to explore Cambridge.
This being our first visit to Cambridge we were blown away by the stunning architecture and history. The centre is all walkable and we were happy ambling the small cobbled streets. Taking a punt on the river Cam is an absolute must, if you share a punt it works out quite reasonable. I would recommend having a guide who does the punting, not only to stop yourself falling in but also to have a wealth of information, including funny student antics.
Overall, we had a very pleasant stay and would recommend it as a base to explore the delights that Cambridge has to offer.
One night’s stay at Hotel Felix starts from £190 (B&B basis with free parking and Wi-Fi). For more information or seasonal discounts / packages please visit the website www.hotelfelix.co.uk / 01223 277 977.