Hotel Felix

Rooms and decor

Picture a large pale-yellow Victorian villa standing in a green garden at the end of Huntingdon Road in north Cambridge — that is Hotel Felix. The original building dates to 1852, when it was the home of a well-off Victorian family, before it was reworked and extended with a contemporary new wing into a 52-room boutique hotel. The clever part is how it blends the old building's classic feel with modern decor. Rooms go for a calm, easy look — soft tones set against contemporary art on the walls — with Hypnos beds dressed in firm Egyptian cotton that several reviews say gave them an especially good night's sleep. Rooms in the new wing are larger and brighter, while some in the original villa carry a warm, characterful old-house feel. Many face the garden, so you wake and open the curtains onto greenery rather than packed city blocks — that atmosphere is the reason people choose to stay here.

Food and amenities

Beyond the rooms, the heart of the place is the well-kept landscaped garden wrapped around the building — a wide green space for a stroll or a coffee in fresh air that you simply do not get at a city-centre hotel. Downstairs is Graffiti, a 2 AA Rosette restaurant serving contemporary Mediterranean food, with the standout being seats that look out over that garden, turning a meal into downtime in itself; plenty of reviews praise both the food and the setting. Breakfast comes up often too — freshly cooked and generous, in a quiet, unhurried setting. The key extra is the free parking on the grounds, which in a university town like Cambridge, where spaces are scarce and expensive, drivers will love at once. Staff also get warm mentions for being friendly and attentive, so the whole thing feels like a house-stay where someone is looking after you.

Location and getting there

Hotel Felix sits on Whitehouse Lane, off Huntingdon Road in the northern suburbs of Cambridge. The appeal of the spot is its quiet and greenery — a calm residential area with none of the tourist din of the centre. From here it is about a 5-minute drive into the famous old city centre: the University of Cambridge colleges, the River Cam where you can go punting, and the central shopping streets. There is a city bus stop nearby for anyone who would rather not drive. Cambridge railway station, which connects to London, is on the far side of the city, about a 10-15 minute taxi ride. This kind of location works best for people who arrive by car and want a quiet base to drive in and out of town as they please.

Things to know before booking

To help you decide, here it is straight. The first thing to weigh is the out-of-centre location — even though it is only about a 5-minute drive in, it is too far to walk comfortably. If you have no car and plan to walk the colleges and old town every day, you may lean on buses or taxis enough to feel less convenient than staying in town. Second, because it is an old villa extended over several stages, room sizes and specs vary; some rooms, especially in the original building, are smaller than you would expect at this price, so ask for the new wing if you want more space. Last is value: the price runs fairly high for an out-of-town hotel, and some reviews feel parts of the building or the bathrooms look dated and could be sharper. Come for the garden and the calm first, and treat polished luxury as a bonus.

Our take

From reading through the real reviews, Hotel Felix nails the combination of quiet garden setting, free parking and a good restaurant in a characterful old villa. If your trip is about driving into Cambridge, parking easily on the grounds, staying in a quiet room that opens onto greenery, then heading down for a good dinner at Graffiti with its garden view, this is close to a perfect fit. But if the heart of your trip is walking the colleges and old town every day without relying on a car, the suburban location will cost you some travel time. Overall we give it 8.2/10 — best for couples and travelers who arrive by car and want a quiet stay with green space, away from the bustle of the centre.