University Arms

If one hotel in Cambridge truly epitomises the city, it’s the University Arms; the gracious Edwardian building has been welcoming guests since 1834, and that history has been firmly kept in the mix when the building was restored and reopened for business in 2018.

Rooms ooze classic British style without a hint of chintz; chandeliers and velvet ottomans in muted hues, with cool dove-blue decor. The restaurant, Parker’s Tavern, is one of the city’s best eateries, serving up thoughtfully-reinvented classic dishes, from watercress soup and sole with brown butter, to coronation chicken salad and roast rib of beef, cooked over coals.

As welcoming to families as groups of friends and couple of all ages, this is a vibrant, slickly-run, dream of a place to stay.