The University Arms has been on my bucket list ever since it reopened in 2018. This hotel sits in the heart of Cambridge and first opened its doors way back in 1834. It closed in 2014 as it underwent an £80 million refurbishment and the new hotel is glorious.
Disclosure: I was invited to stay at The University Arms for the purposes of this review. All opinions, as always, are 100% my own.
It piqued my interest because the hotel has numerous literary influences, including bespoke bookshelves in every suite, a library and literary cocktails. A book lover’s dream! Cambridge itself is a very literary city as numerous notable authors have studied at the famous university here so it’s the perfect location for such a hotel.
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From the moment the University Arms‘ tall, heavy doors are opened for you, it’s clear that this place is special. As you walk into the reception area and hallway, you’ll be amazed by how grand and opulent the hotel is. Huge chandeliers, velvet seats and more.
No detail is spared at this luxurious hotel and it’s even got its own scent! The entire hotel is spritzed with a scent from Dr Harris & Co Ltd. in London, which is the same brand of toiletries that is offered to guests in the bathrooms.
Literary Influences
The University Arms is the perfect hotel for bookworms. You need only wander into the loos to find out why. Your trip to the loo is accompanied by the sweet dulcet tones of Alan Benett narrating the Wind in the Willows. Yes, they really play audiobooks in the loos!
The hotel also has it’s very own, and very large, library. The walls are lined with bookshelves and there’s an enormous fireplace that I would love curl up in front of in the colder months. There are long sofas, armchairs, window booths, tables. The library is perfect for an afternoon rest and is also where afternoon tea is served! More on that later.
The University Arms is second to none when it comes to attention to detail and that is evident after spending just a few minutes here. It’s a hotel full of books but don’t go thinking that they’re just thrown about willy-nilly – they’ve all been put on their respective shelves for a reason.
The books at the University Arms have all been specially chosen for the hotel and its rooms by Heywood Hill in London. If you open one up, you’ll see that the University Arms has made their mark in each one, noting which room the book is from, so don’t be tempted to take one!
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Stay at The University Arms
There are 192 rooms at the University Ams but the suites are the beautifully themed rooms that make this hotel truly special.
I was speechless when I first entered my room at the University Arms. We’d been given the Darwin Suite, a gorgeous double bedroom with views over Parker’s Piece. There were two floor to ceiling windows, one of which was endowed with the Cambridge University crest, and the room was lovely and light.
Of course, being a very literary hotel, there are books on the bookshelves, bedside tables and alcohol trolley – they really are everywhere.
In the centre of the room is a large bookshelf, sporting televisions facing both ways. Yes, there are two! Whether you want to watch from the lounge area or the bedroom, the University Arms has got your back. This hotel’s hospitality is unparalleled and there was even a welcome message on the TV. Yep, the TVs are personalised and have the guest’s name on them – the future is now!
Since the room was inspired by Darwin, many of the books related to Darwin, nature and the theory of evolution. I was also pleasantly pleased to find numerous classics and even new titles on the shelves. There was everything from Jane Austen and Charles Dickens to Madeleine Miller and Stuart Turton. I so wish I could have these shelves at home!
The bicycle bookends were a nice touch too as the most popular way to get around Cambridge for students and locals alike is bikes.
The room also has its own lounge area with a long, green velvet sofa. You can sit here, put your feet up and get stuck into one of the many books on offer or browse the TV for something good. With an amazing bedroom and lounge, this hotel really makes it very hard for you to want to leave your room!
The bathroom is the very definition of bathroom goals with a large, white rolltop bath, a waterfall shower, double sinks – the dream! The combination of white, gold and marble surfaces is just exquisite. The bathroom is stocked with toiletries from Dr Harris & Co Ltd., which smell amazing, and are part of a bespoke collection made for the University Arms.
Of course, there’s also a large, soft bathrobe and fresh slippers for each guest. With such a gorgeous rolltop bath, I had a nice long, soak with my latest read.
I was reading The Versions of Us, a book which is set in Cambridge and mentions The University Arms numerous times! The hotel is mentioned every time the characters go out to celebrate for drinks or a meal, which seems very appropriate. It’s a heartwarming and bittersweet book that I’d highly recommend.
Buy The Versions of Us here: Amazon
In the room, you’ll also find an espresso machine and the cutest set of University Arms branded teacups. Perfect for a lazy morning spent under the sheets with your head atop these big, plump pillows.
There’s a 24-hour gym for guests to use, which is quite large and very well equipped. There are numerous cardio machines, a weight rack, mats and mirrors lining the walls. There are plenty of plastic cups for water and small towels too.
I first took a peek on a Saturday night and it was completely empty. When I went at 8:30am on Sunday morning, it was empty too. A well-stocked, empty gym is bliss!
Booking.comFood at The University Arms
The University Arms has its very own restaurant called Parker’s Tavern, which is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and afternoon tea.
In keeping with the Cambridge theme, the restaurant has been designed to look like the dining room at a Cambridge college with long tables, colleges crests on the windows, old fashioned lighting.
Breakfast is served as an unlimited buffet with all that you’d expect: sausages, eggs, mushrooms, beans, toast etc. There’s also fresh fruit, granola, cereal, smoked salmon, ham and cheese plates, a variety of freshly squeezed juices and more.
They’ve got just about every breakfast option available here so guests are simply spoilt for choice.
I positively gorged myself at breakfast, which was the perfect start to a day of long walks and exploring. It’s served from 6:30am to 11am, perfect for those early risers and those wanting a lie in.
Breakfast can also be taken in bed or in the library – something I’m definitely going to bear in mind if I’m ever back here (and I hope I am!).
Afternoon Tea at The University Arms
Afternoon tea is always good fun. But a literary afternoon tea where each item on the menu has been carefully created in keeping with a Cambridge theme is quite something else. Even the plates are specially designed to include a number of major Cambridge motifs.
The tea involves three layers of food: sandwiches, scones and sweet treats. You also have a selection of teas to choose from. So how do these fit into the Cambridge theme?
The crayfish pastry boats were inspired by the Oxford/Cambridge boat race. When you lose control of an oar this is referred to as catching a “crab” so this is a very apt combination.
Sandwiches were invented by the fourth Earl of Sandwich, who was once a student at Trinity College Cambridge. There are three different types to nibble on but the coronation chicken sandwich is inspired by the original Coronation Feast on Parker’s Piece. This was to celebrate the coronation of Queen Victoria.
The plum scones are inspired by the same festivities, where 15,00 people were served a plum pudding. That was nearly half a tonne of plum pudding! These plum pudding scones are exquisite and come with a choice of caramelised apple butter, raspberry jam and clotted cream. In my opinion, it’s got to be cream before jam!
The sweet treats included a rice pudding macaron, Parker’s football chocolate truffle, Sir Isaac Newton’s apple and more.
Did you know that the first game of football was played in Cambridge? Or that Newton was in the gardens of Trinity College Cambridge when the apple supposedly fell on his head?
What’s more, it’s all unlimited so you can reorder your favourites. I opted for an extra quarter of coronation chicken and smoked salmon, which I later came to regret as I couldn’t make it through all the dainty delicacies at the top! These pieces look small but they’re soo filling, so remember to pace yourself.
I decided to add an extra something special to my afternoon tea with a literary cocktail. I’m a huge fan of book and library bars and got incredibly excited when I saw “The Bloomsbury Bloomer” and “The Blushing Byron”. The menu explains how each item is connected to Cambridge and there are lots of random tidbits of information that I loved reading about.
The Bloomsbury Bloomer notes that the Bloomsbury Set was a formidable group of writers, academics and intellectuals who met at Cambridge during their boozy student days.
Meanwhile, The Blushing Byron tells us while he was an undergraduate, Lord Byron was known to have taken late-night baths in the Trinity College Fountain!
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If you’re planning a trip to Cambridge and fancy making your trip extra special, book yourself into afternoon tea, or even an overnight stay, at the University Arms.
Cambridge is a small city and you can walk from one end to the other in around 20 minutes. The University Arms is perfectly located for wandering this city as everything is within walking distance.
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All the main attractions, including King’s College, the Bridge of Sighs, the backs and more are located under 15 minutes walk away. Cambridge is also a city that is notorious for the hoards of bikes on the streets and The University Arms has its very own traditional bikes that guests can borrow.
Have I tempted you?
Booking.comUseful Information
Prices start at:
£188 / night
Suites at:
£425 / night
Address
University Arms
Regent Street
Cambridge, CB2 1AD
Website
universityarms.com
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Want more literary hotel inspiration? Check out these:
Hazlitt’s Hotel, London
Hotel Monte Cristo, Paris
Gar Anat, Granada
The Literary Man Hotel, Obidos
Ambassade Hotel, Amsterdam
Laura
Editor of What’s Hot?