Cambridge is a city of austere and imposing architecture and although the Georgian(?) exterior of this hotel is a flat, grey and not the prettiest around (last time I looked a couple of the letters were missing from the name too) the interior is luxurious and well designed.
I stayed here for one night in the Queen's Room, a tastefully decorated (If you like the Victorian look) medium sized room on the ground floor. According to my boyfriend who booked it, it was a "special" room so I expect the others were perhaps not as large, although there is a King's Room next door. The bed was comfy, and all the usual facilities were present: TV, hairdryer, Tea and Coffee although there was no minibar. Room service meals are reasonably priced and there are pay per view films on the TV. I am frequently disappoionted by hotel bathrooms but ours was really spacious, had a bath as well as shower and was lovely and light; the sun streamed in even through the blinds.
However, although the room itself was great, it was stiflingly hot at night and being on the ground floor on Trumpington Street side, I didn't like to leave the sash windows open as there were only railings separating us from the pavement. Although unlikely, I felt uncomfortable sleeping with it open in case someone tried to get in. Had we stayed another night I'm sure the staff who were polite and helpful would have turned the heating down. The traffic kept me awake though and people walking past (quite often drunk) were easily heard.
As we stayed for Valentine's night we didn't eat at the hotel in the evening (we had something booked elsewhere) but breakfast the following day was included. Help-yourself yoghurt, fruit, cereal and bread was available along with juice but coffee and toast had to be ordered with the waitress. There was quite an extensive cooked menu from which you could pick and choose or order the set breakfasts. It was nicely cooked and tasty but a little lacking in volume I thought. I would have ordered more as I was still hungry afterwards but it also took quite a long time to arrive leaving us little time to get our things together ready to leave.
Overall I thought the hotel was lovely and much 'posher' than I'd been used to. The room really was very nice and I'd have been happy staying for longer so long as the heating was turned down. It's in a great position for access to the historic centre, Lion Yard shopping centre and university departments although Trumpington Street can be noisy. I'd recommend this hotel to anyone staying in Cambridge for a couple of nights but it is quite expensive at £155 for a double room (2 people sharing) per night (taken from the Forestdale hotel site 2005 rates).
N.B. The website mentioned nothing about family rooms but twin rooms and suites are available so I have rated it as average as I don't really know whether this would be suitable or not. At those prices though I'd have thought not.
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