It is a wonderful, cozy hotel with an excellent location — just a short walk from the railway station, which is especially convenient when traveling with luggage or children.
If you are staying with kids, I highly recommend booking a room with a third bed. It is genuinely comfortable and well thought out, not just a nominal extra bed as is often the case in hotels.
The staff are polite, attentive, and always willing to help, which creates a truly welcoming atmosphere.
The only area that could use improvement is breakfast. It feels rather basic for a hotel of this standard, and more variety and better quality would be appreciated.
Overall, this is a great place to stay in Cambridge, especially for family trips.
The hotel is a bit old, the main room is a bit small, and I specifically booked a bigger one, but when I got there it showed that there were no rooms.
Later I went to my friend's hotel Delta, which is not far away and the lobby looks good. The price is about the same, and it should be better.
The Hotel was clean and helpful - although many staff seemed a little less that informed - the rooms were clean but cold at night turning the heating up didn’t help - the amenities over Christmas and new year were not as advertised- and the restaurant closed over this period so bar meals on laps were the best they could offer except breakfast which was good. Food other than breakfast was a poor selection little to offer for children or someone with diabetes so we had to eat out a lot despite being pre charged for meals.
The swimming was good but times advertised were not adhered to and no one knew times - and the rules very varied.
Once in the pool it was clean and warm.
Overall on our 2nd visit - first was better I think perhaps Christmas period is not a family period in which to spend time here.
The hotel is a bit far from the main Cambridge University area, requiring a bus ride, but it's still very convenient as most Cambridge attractions don't have parking, so taking the bus is the usual way to get around. The front desk staff were also very friendly and patient in answering questions. While early check-in wasn't possible, they did offer luggage storage. My only minor complaint is that there was no phone signal in the hotel, so I relied entirely on Wi-Fi – though mobile network coverage across the UK isn't great in general.
Hotel near Cambridge City Center,Cambridge100% of visitors choose this area
GGuest User2026.02.24
The room was very spacious, perfect for families. There's a mall and a commercial street right behind it, and it's super close to King's College. It was really convenient to return to the hotel after a tiring day of sightseeing. Plus, the breakfast was good!
My stay at this hotel was very disappointing. The air conditioning was not working, the paint in the room was peeling, and there was visible rust on the door hinges, which made the space feel poorly maintained.
The most frustrating issue was the smoke detector going off with false alarms several times, including in the early morning. When I tried calling the front desk for assistance, no one answered, which added to the inconvenience.
Overall, this experience did not meet the standard I expect from Holiday Inn. I hope the management takes steps to address these maintenance and service issues for future guests.
I chose this hotel specifically because it had a washing machine and a kitchen, as I was dropping my child off at school and needed to help them set up their dorm room for a few days. It was a great choice! The location is convenient, right next to a Sainsbury's supermarket. There's a coffee shop nearby for breakfast, and the pizza from the adjacent pizza place is delicious. The bus stop is only about 100 meters away, with connections to the train station and the city center. Just be aware that the buses aren't very frequent, so it's a good idea to check the schedule beforehand. The hotel facilities are very new, and the room was spacious. The kitchen appliances were also fully equipped. Overall, it was a good stay.
Hotel near Cambridge City Center,Cambridge100% of visitors choose this area
GGuest User2025.12.18
I had such a wonderful stay at this hotel! The staff were super friendly and helpful from the moment I checked in until I left. The room was clean, cozy and exactly what I needed for my trip. The location was also perfect—it was close to all the places I wanted to visit. I would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a great place to stay, and I’ll definitely come back next time!
My stay at Novotel Cambridge was extremely disappointing due to serious cleanliness issues.
Upon checking into Room 205, I discovered visible blood stains on the duvet. This is not a minor oversight — it is a basic hygiene failure. Clean bedding is the absolute minimum standard any guest should expect. Finding blood stains immediately raised concerns about the room being properly cleaned and inspected.
I reported the issue and was informed that the bedding had been cleaned again. However, when I returned to check, the stains were still there. This was both frustrating and alarming, as it suggested a lack of proper quality control within housekeeping.
Only after escalating the matter was it properly addressed. Charlotte, the manager, eventually upgraded us to an executive room and provided complimentary breakfast, which I appreciate. However, this does not change the fact that the initial room condition was unacceptable and should never have happened in the first place.
An upgrade is a service recovery gesture — it does not erase the hygiene concern or the distress caused at the start of our stay.
I hope the hotel seriously reviews its cleaning procedures and room inspection standards to prevent future guests from experiencing the same issue.
Unfortunately, based on cleanliness alone, I would not rate this stay highly.
LLaomaidangI've stayed at this Hilton in Cambridge twice now, and both times it felt so welcoming. I booked the same river view room, and it was still just as comfortable and cozy. The front desk and restaurant were all the same, nothing changed. What did change was that this time I drove myself, and the parking was £26 a night – quite expensive! We walked to several Cambridge colleges and the shopping street, all within about ten to fifteen minutes. Cambridge feels much safer than London; you don't have to constantly guard your pockets or clutch your phone here. The breakfast was superb.
GGuest UserThis was the largest room I stayed in during my UK trip. It's about a 15-20 minute walk to Trinity College and King's College in Cambridge city center. The area around is very quiet, and there's a supermarket about 100 meters away, so you can buy groceries and cook your own meals. There are also fast-food burger places nearby. Transportation is very convenient; you can take bus route 1 from Cambridge train station and it drops you right at the hotel entrance. When I first checked in, I found the cleanliness a bit lacking, especially the long sofa. However, after exploring the Cambridge University area, I realized that the entire Cambridge seems to have this damp, slightly old-fashioned feel. The shower was very comfortable, and the bathroom was also super spacious.
GGuest UserMy stay at Novotel Cambridge was extremely disappointing due to serious cleanliness issues.
Upon checking into Room 205, I discovered visible blood stains on the duvet. This is not a minor oversight — it is a basic hygiene failure. Clean bedding is the absolute minimum standard any guest should expect. Finding blood stains immediately raised concerns about the room being properly cleaned and inspected.
I reported the issue and was informed that the bedding had been cleaned again. However, when I returned to check, the stains were still there. This was both frustrating and alarming, as it suggested a lack of proper quality control within housekeeping.
Only after escalating the matter was it properly addressed. Charlotte, the manager, eventually upgraded us to an executive room and provided complimentary breakfast, which I appreciate. However, this does not change the fact that the initial room condition was unacceptable and should never have happened in the first place.
An upgrade is a service recovery gesture — it does not erase the hygiene concern or the distress caused at the start of our stay.
I hope the hotel seriously reviews its cleaning procedures and room inspection standards to prevent future guests from experiencing the same issue.
Unfortunately, based on cleanliness alone, I would not rate this stay highly.
GGuest UserThe hotel is a bit far from the main Cambridge University area, requiring a bus ride, but it's still very convenient as most Cambridge attractions don't have parking, so taking the bus is the usual way to get around. The front desk staff were also very friendly and patient in answering questions. While early check-in wasn't possible, they did offer luggage storage. My only minor complaint is that there was no phone signal in the hotel, so I relied entirely on Wi-Fi – though mobile network coverage across the UK isn't great in general.
GGuest UserThe room was very spacious, perfect for families. There's a mall and a commercial street right behind it, and it's super close to King's College. It was really convenient to return to the hotel after a tiring day of sightseeing. Plus, the breakfast was good!
GGuest UserWhile the hotel itself and rooms are fine. You have to pay extra for parking which is clearly just for capitalist gains as it’s on property.
They advertise a pool (one of the main reasons we picked the hotel), which we were told on arrival has been closed for years, yet no thought to advertise this online was thought of? No instead they keep a picture of said swimming pool online when it would be a simple manner of taking one picture down to stop disappointment. They keep it up to attract visitors unfortunately.
The water in the room for shower and bath simply did not go hot, but rather a low lukewarm. Breakfast also cost £15 which we opted not to do due to competition prices being so much lower for the same thing.
Ultimately, it was a disappointing stay mainly due to their misinformation than the room itself.
GGuest UserThe Hotel was clean and helpful - although many staff seemed a little less that informed - the rooms were clean but cold at night turning the heating up didn’t help - the amenities over Christmas and new year were not as advertised- and the restaurant closed over this period so bar meals on laps were the best they could offer except breakfast which was good. Food other than breakfast was a poor selection little to offer for children or someone with diabetes so we had to eat out a lot despite being pre charged for meals.
The swimming was good but times advertised were not adhered to and no one knew times - and the rules very varied.
Once in the pool it was clean and warm.
Overall on our 2nd visit - first was better I think perhaps Christmas period is not a family period in which to spend time here.
GGuest UserI had such a wonderful stay at this hotel! The staff were super friendly and helpful from the moment I checked in until I left. The room was clean, cozy and exactly what I needed for my trip. The location was also perfect—it was close to all the places I wanted to visit. I would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a great place to stay, and I’ll definitely come back next time!
To book a hotel on Trip.com, simply enter your destination, travel dates, and the number of guests on the page. Then, browse through the available hotels and select the one you want to book. Follow the prompts to enter your payment information and complete the booking.
How do I get hotel deals on Trip.com?
There are several ways to find affordable hotels on Trip.com. You can narrow down your search results by filtering hotels according to your preferred price range, or you can sort the results by price to view the cheapest options first.
Where can I find hotel deals on Trip.com?
Trip.com offers a wide variety of hotel deals and promotions that are available throughout the year. You can easily find these special offers on our deals page. What's more, if you are a member of our loyalty program, you can sign in to your account and discover exclusive discounted rates at hotel list pages.
How can I get lower prices for hotels?
Sometimes booking hotels midweek is cheaper, but it also depends on the season.
How many hotels are listed on Trip.com?
You’ll find over 1,500,000 hotels in 230+ countries and regions on Trip.com. Can’t decide which hotel to book? Browse the site for inspiration!
Can I cancel or change my hotel bookings on Trip.com?
It depends on the hotel policy and date of cancellation. Please check the policy section of the related hotel pages. To cancel or change your bookings, sign in to your Trip.com account, go to "My Bookings", and follow the instructions.
How do I contact Trip.com customer support?
You can contact Trip.com's 24/7 customer support by visiting the Help Center on Trip.com and submitting a request. You can also contact us by phone or service chat, depending on your location.