The Fellows House Cambridge - Review

Location: Cambridge
Price: ££
Value for Money: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
Perfect for: Close to City Centre, Long Stays, Apartment Style Living

To make the most of this glorious British Summer I headed on a staycation to the beautiful City of Cambridge.

Not only is Cambridge known for its historic colleges and sites, but it's also home to fantastic hotels to stay in, one of which is The Fellows House.

The Fellows House opened its doors in July 2021 and is the only globally branded property in Cambridge to offer discounted prices based on length of stay - catering well for longer stays.

The Fellows House Cambridge

Located walking distance from Cambridge City Centre, this hotel immediately caught my attention as it looked nothing like a standard hotel.

The hotel features stunning contemporary design throughout, including in the lounge spaces, restaurant and rooms.

When we arrived we drove down to the large parking space in the basement for guests, and there was plenty of space for us. A hotel with an abundance of parking in Cambridge - this was previously unheard of in the City!

There is a lift that takes guests straight up to reception, where we checked in with the friendly staff and headed up to the room.

The hotel is deceptively small from the outside, and once on the inside it really opens up to a sprawling and welcoming space.

Accommodation & Apartment Style Living

The Fellows House is the only luxury lifestyle aparthotel in Cambridge which is popular for extended stay and relocation to the city.

With minimum stays of just one night and tired pricing options, there is collection of 131 self-contained apartments.

Inspired by fellows, the property’s room types are all named after people associated with the city and notable Cambridge fellows and include luxury studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, as well as the Fellows Duplex apartments split across two levels.

All apartments include a fully equipped kitchen which provide all utensils required to cook breakfast through to dinner.

I loved that our room had a separate kitchen and lounge space, with a door leading to the bedroom and bathroom, allowing us to create a sense of space and separation within the room.

Our fully-equipped kitchen included a two-ring induction hob, microwave, and dishwasher. There’s also a coffee machine and free still/sparkling water too.

All rooms are also equipped with modern in-room technology which all helps to make the stay even more comfortable.

In fact as the rooms are specifically designed for guests staying 7 nights or more, the property is ideal for those looking to reside somewhere where they can feel at home.

Extended Stay Discounts & Offers

The Fellows House Cambridge offers significant discounts based on guests’ lengths of stay. With 1 night as the minimum visitor requirement, long staying guests can make the most of tiered price discounts from 14 to 30 nights as well as 30 to 90+ nights.

At the same time, long-staying visitors avoid tenancy agreements and contracts, utility bills and pre-arrival deposits – as well as access all the apartment-style hotel’s amenities.

The property also features inbuilt technology and connectivity that is aligned to offer business travellers a stress-free experience, such as contactless check in and high-speed Wi-Fi.

There’s also a dedicated events programme for all guests, allowing those staying to mingle and create a sense of community.

Dining

The Folio Kitchen

The in-house restaurant, The Folio Kitchen, serves home-cooked British classics which cater for vegans and healthy eaters too. The ingredients are chosen to champion local producers whilst providing guilt-free pleasures where possible.

The Chef’s specials change regularly which is ideal if you are dining here a few times during your stay.

I enjoyed a delicious burrata salad to start followed by roasted duck breast with beetroot, baby potatoes and green beans. Our dessert was a strawberry and rhubarb crumble which was the ideal way to end the meal.

The restaurant also has a collection of signature cocktails, all of which have been inspired by fellows. They include Paradise Lost inspired by John Milton, The Principia inspired by Isaac Newton, and I tried Life of Earth, inspired by David Attenborough.

The Folio Kitchen also offers in room dining for those looking for a quiet night in during the busy working week and they even offer complimentary welcome hampers filled with culinary delights for those staying 7 nights or more.

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The Folio Bar

As well as the restaurant, there is also an onsite bar staffed by expert mixologists.

They take inspiration from the scientific pioneers and the past and present Fellows of The University of Cambridge, and play with the laws of chemistry and physics to craft ingenious gin creations and cocktails.

This is a well crafted space with lots of areas to lounge in, as well a pool table and other board games.

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The Sage of Cambridge

The Sage of Cambridge plays the role of a local coffee shop for long-staying guests by day, offering health-conscious options and freshly baked pastries transforming into a vibrant wine and aperitifs bar after 5pm.

The Sage of Cambridge also hosts a regular ‘house party’ social evenings with residents engagement activities for guests every Wednesday evening. These are designed to enable a space for long-staying visitors to meet one another and share their experiences over a selection of themed complimentary drinks and nibbles.

I attended one of these and it was great to see the staff making an effort for their guests by providing such a fantastic opportunity for them to meet.

Breakfast

Breakfast is served at the Folio Kitchen and is buffet style. There’s a choice of hot and cold options including a full English breakfast. There’s also healthier options including porridge, smoothies and fruit salads.

Facilities

I was particularly impressed with the on-site facilities at The Fellows House.

The indoor pool, sauna and steam room are a great perk for guests, well as a fully equipped gym.

Guests can also rent a bicycle to easily explore the nearby sites without resorting to a car.

There’s also an onsite laundry room, locker and storage room, we well as regular housekeeping, contactless check in, digital key access via smartphones and 24-hour onsite security and management.

Things to do in the area:

Cambridge is one of my favourite cities in the UK and staying at The Fellows House, so close to the city centre, gave me the opportunity to explore.

Punting on the River Cam

No visit to Cambridge is complete without punting along the River Cam.

We booked a private tour with Cambridge River Tours for 6pm in the evening as we wanted it to be cooler and less busy on the river.

Our gracious chauffeur arrived on time and made sure we were comfortable before gliding us through the Cambridge Backs. This is the stretch of the River Cam which includes some of the most famous sights in the City. We had the chance to see a number of Cambridge University college from a different perspective, including King’s College and Trinity College - all of which were stunning.

I loved the chance to admire hundreds of years of history and architectural splendour, all whilst sitting back and relaxing in the punt.

I’d highly recommend the experience on the traditional wooden punts with spectacular views.

Fitzwilliam Museum

Located close to The Fellows House, the Fitzwilliam Museum is free to enter and houses world-class collections of art and antiquities spanning centuries and civilisations.

It also includes Kettle’s Yard, one of the country’s finest galleries and a major centre for 20th century and contemporary art.

King’s College Chapel Choir Service

King’s College Chapel is famous for its choral services, especially A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, which is broadcast live by the BBC Christmas Eve.

The Choral Evensong is sung here most days during term time and hearing this enchanting choir is a special experience. What’s more, it is free and open to everyone.

Stop by The Eagle Pub

The Eagle is a historic pub best-known for being frequented by Francis Crick, a fellow of Cambridge University who is also commemorated at Fellows House.

This pub is also famous for being the place Crick discovered DNAs double-helix structure alongside James Watson.

Overall

I really enjoyed my stay at The Fellows House and everything from the service, the accommodation and the food was impressive.

I loved staying at a hotel that wasn’t generic in its decor, but instead paid homage to it’s surroundings. There are many theme pieces of art dotted around the hotel which all relate to fellows, and they pull off this theme without being tacky.

The apart-hotel style accommodation is well-thought through and the hotel has an ethos to encourage long-staying guests to live like a local, which is great!

The Fellows House is certainly one of my favourite hotels in Cambridge and I can’t wait to return.