Gonville Hotel

This is a great location for a special boutique Cambridge stay, on the edge of the open parkland that is Parker's Piece and just a short walk from the city centre. The stylish Victorian building has undergone a refined renovation, with the new Feature bedrooms a particular delight – gorgeous floral and botanical detail in the decor, original features, rolltop baths, and either views or direct access into the private rear garden. All other rooms are a decent size and similarly high-end (though some of the smaller Classic rooms just have wet-room style showers), while standard provisions are pretty swish throughout – organic toiletries, pillow menu, virtual-concierge iPad, and the like. The hotel is properly dog-friendly, and there are accessible rooms on the ground floor too.

You've also got to love the freely available bicycles, so that you can tour Cambridge like a local (or book the hotel Bentley if you really want to impress a date). A tranquil in-house Wellness Centre offers a range of treatments, while dining in the restaurant switches from what they call 'upscale casual' during the week to fine dining at the weekend – it's a pretty special spot, with accomplished cooking, with a terrace spreading out from the glass extension overlooking Parker's Piece. To round things off, there's jazz in the fancy Atrium bar most weekends. For a celebration, special occasion, or just a lavish weekend away, this is a hard hotel to beat.