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The Varsity Hotel & Spa

4.0 star property
4-star luxury hotel near University of Cambridge

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Photo gallery for The Varsity Hotel & Spa

Indoor spa tub
Senior Room, 1 Queen Bed (Fellows) | Premium bedding, in-room safe, individually decorated
Front of property
Senior Suite (Fellows) | Premium bedding, in-room safe, individually decorated
2 restaurants, breakfast served

Reviews

8.8 out of 10
Excellent

Popular amenities

  • Gym
  • Bar
  • Room service

Explore the area

Map
24 Thompsons Lane, Cambridge, England, CB5 8AQ
  • University of Cambridge
    ‪1 min walk‬
  • The River Cam
    ‪1 min walk‬
  • Cambridge Corn Exchange
    ‪9 min walk‬
  • London (STN-Stansted)
    ‪38 min drive‬

Room options

View all photos for Senior Suite (Fellows)

Senior Suite (Fellows) | Premium bedding, in-room safe, individually decorated

Senior Suite (Fellows)

  • 377 sq ft
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Queen Bed

View all photos for Senior Room, 1 Queen Bed (Fellows)

Senior Room, 1 Queen Bed (Fellows) | Premium bedding, in-room safe, individually decorated

Senior Room, 1 Queen Bed (Fellows)

9.2 out of 10
Wonderful
(5 reviews)
  • 237 sq ft
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Queen Bed

View all photos for Senior Twin Room, 2 Twin Beds (Fellows)

Senior Twin Room, 2 Twin Beds (Fellows) | Premium bedding, in-room safe, individually decorated

Senior Twin Room, 2 Twin Beds (Fellows)

8.0 out of 10
Very good
(1 review)
  • 237 sq ft
  • Sleeps 3
  • 2 Twin Beds

View all photos for Double Room (Graduates)

Double Room (Graduates) | Premium bedding, in-room safe, individually decorated

Double Room (Graduates)

9.4 out of 10
Exceptional
(15 reviews)
  • 167 sq ft
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Room, 1 King Bed (Fellows)

Room, 1 King Bed (Fellows) | Premium bedding, in-room safe, individually decorated

Room, 1 King Bed (Fellows)

7.4 out of 10
Good
(3 reviews)
  • 199 sq ft
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

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About the neighborhood

Cambridge

City center retreat .At this Cambridge City Centre hotel, you'll be within a 5-minute walk of University of Cambridge and The Backs. Jesus Green and Jesus College are also within half a mile (1 km).

What's nearby

  • University of Cambridge - 1 min walk - 0.0 miles
  • The River Cam - 1 min walk - 0.1 miles
  • Jesus College - 3 min walk - 0.2 miles
  • Cambridge Corn Exchange - 9 min walk - 0.5 miles
  • King's College - 10 min walk - 0.6 miles

Getting around

  • Cambridge Station - 12 min drive
  • Stansted Airport (STN) - 41 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪The Ivy Cambridge Brasserie - ‬5 min walk
  • ‪The Maypole - ‬2 min walk
  • ‪Prezzo - ‬2 min walk
  • ‪Cafe Foy - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪The Mitre - ‬2 min walk

About this property

The Varsity Hotel & Spa

4-star luxury hotel near University of Cambridge
The Varsity Hotel & Spa offers its guests a full-service spa, a health club, and a hot tub. There are 2 restaurants on site. You can enjoy a drink at the bar/lounge. WiFi is free in public spaces.

Event space at this hotel measures 614 square feet (57 square meters) and includes conference space. A sauna, a rooftop terrace, and spa services are also featured at the luxury The Varsity Hotel & Spa. Parking is available for a fee.

This 4-star Cambridge hotel is smoke free.

  • 44 guestrooms or units
  • 6 levels
  • 2 buildings
  • 2 dining venues
  • 614 sq ft of conference space
  • 57 sq m of conference space
  • Built in 2010
  • Terrace on the roof
  • Conference space
  • Breakfast available (surcharge)
  • Coffee in lobby
  • Dry cleaning
  • Self-service laundry
  • Front desk (24 hours)
  • Staff is multilingual
  • Storage area for luggage
  • Front-desk safe
  • Tour and ticket information
  • Concierge
  • Beauty salon
  • Bellhop
  • Elevator
  • No smoking on site
  • Bar or lounge
The Varsity Hotel & Spa offers 44 accommodations with tablet computers and DVD players. Each accommodation is individually furnished and decorated. Beds feature premium bedding. 32-inch Smart televisions come with digital channels. Bathrooms include bathtubs or showers, bathrobes, slippers, and designer toiletries.

This Cambridge hotel provides complimentary wireless Internet access. Business-friendly amenities include desks, safes, and phones. Additionally, rooms include complimentary bottled water and coffee/tea makers. Housekeeping is offered daily and hypo-allergenic bedding can be requested.

Glassworks & Elemis Spa has 6 treatment rooms. Services include deep-tissue massages, sports massages, Swedish massages, and facials. A variety of treatment therapies are provided, including aromatherapy, Ayurvedic, and reflexology. The spa is equipped with a sauna, a hot tub, and a steam room.

The spa is open daily. Children under 10 years old are not allowed in the spa without adult supervision.

Languages

English, French, Hungarian, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish

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Property amenities

Family friendly

  • DVD player
  • In-room crib
  • Laundry facilities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Valet parking on site (GBP 33 per night)

Food and drink

  • Buffet breakfast available for a fee 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM on weekdays and 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM on weekends; GBP 19.50 for adults and GBP 19.50 for children
  • 2 restaurants
  • A bar/lounge
  • Coffee and tea in common areas

Things to do

  • Free bicycle rentals
  • Full-service spa
  • Health club
  • Hot tub
  • Sauna
  • Steam room

Accessibility

  • Elevator

Room amenities

Entertainment

  • 32-inch smart TV with digital channels
  • DVD player
  • Streaming services
  • Tablet computer

Bedroom

  • Free crib
  • Hypo-allergenic bedding
  • Premium bedding

Bathroom

  • Bathrobes
  • Bathtub or shower
  • Designer toiletries
  • Hair dryer
  • Private bathroom
  • Shampoo
  • Slippers
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Food and drink

  • 24-hour room service
  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Free bottled water
  • Restaurant dining guides

More

  • Air conditioning (climate-controlled)
  • Desk
  • Heating (climate-controlled)
  • Individual decor
  • Individual furnishings
  • Iron/ironing board
  • Phone
  • Safe

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 3:30 PM; Check-in end time: anytime
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 11 AM
Contactless check-out available

Special check-in instructions

Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property
For any questions, please contact the property using the information on the booking confirmation

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

  • No pets allowed, but service animals are welcome

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.
  • Rollaway/extra beds are available for GBP 50.0 per night.
  • Free cribs (infant beds)!

Property payment types

Important information

Optional extras

The fees and deposits listed below will be charged at the time of service, check-in, or check-out.

  • Fee for buffet breakfast: approximately GBP 19.50 for adults and GBP 19.50 for children
  • Valet parking fee: GBP 33.00 per night
  • Rollaway bed fee: GBP 50.0 per night

This may not be a comprehensive list. Fees and deposits are subject to change and might not include tax.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts major credit cards, debit cards, and cash
Safety features at this property include a carbon monoxide detector, a smoke detector, and window guards
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios, terraces which may not be suitable for children; if you have concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm they can accommodate you in a suitable room
Please note that cultural norms and guest policies may differ by country and by property; the policies listed are provided by the property
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A cash deposit, credit card, or debit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
    This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business, or profession. This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios, terraces which may not be suitable for children. If you have concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm they can accommodate you in a suitable room. This property accepts major credit cards, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB International, Union Pay, Eurocard, Barclaycard, debit cards, and cash. For guests' safety, the property includes a carbon monoxide detector, a smoke detector, and window guards in each accommodation.

Guests who may encounter issues with stairs should contact this property in advance. Elevators are not available.

We should mention

  • Reservations are needed for massage services and spa treatments. For reservations, contact the hotel before arrival using the contact information on the booking confirmation.

Property is also known as

Hotel Varsity
Varsity Cambridge
Varsity Hotel
Varsity Hotel Cambridge
The Varsity Hotel Cambridge
The Varsity Hotel And Spa
The Varsity Hotel & Spa Hotel
The Varsity Hotel & Spa Cambridge
The Varsity Hotel & Spa Hotel Cambridge

Frequently asked questions

How close is The Varsity Hotel & Spa to the airport?

The Varsity Hotel & Spa is 3.7 mi (15-min drive) away from the Cambridge (CBG) airport, the closest popular airport to the property.

How much does it cost to stay at The Varsity Hotel & Spa?

As of Jun 22, 2025, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at The Varsity Hotel & Spa on Jun 29, 2025 start from $220.72, excluding taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.

Does The Varsity Hotel & Spa have an airport shuttle?

Airport shuttle services are not available at The Varsity Hotel & Spa.

Does The Varsity Hotel & Spa offer free breakfast?

Free breakfast isn’t provided at The Varsity Hotel & Spa, but buffet breakfast is offered for a fee of GBP 19.50 for adults and GBP 19.50 for children. It's available on weekdays from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM and weekends from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM.

Is there a casino at The Varsity Hotel & Spa?

No, there is no casino at this hotel.

What time is check-in at The Varsity Hotel & Spa?

Check-in start time: 3:30 PM; Check-in end time: anytime.

Is there free parking at The Varsity Hotel & Spa?

Free parking is not available at this hotel. Valet parking is available for GBP 33.00 per night.

Does The Varsity Hotel & Spa have a pool?

The Varsity Hotel & Spa does not have a pool.

Does The Varsity Hotel & Spa have a restaurant?

Yes, there are 2 restaurants on site.

Does The Varsity Hotel & Spa have a spa?

Pamper yourself with a day at Glassworks & Elemis Spa, where you can enjoy body wraps, reflexology, and Swedish massages.

How close is The Varsity Hotel & Spa to downtown Cambridge?

The Varsity Hotel & Spa is 0.4 mi away from Cambridge.

The Varsity Hotel & Spa Reviews

Reviews

8.8

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 472 out of 846 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 235 out of 846 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 90 out of 846 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 38 out of 846 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 11 out of 846 reviews

9.2/10

Cleanliness

9.0/10

Staff & service

8.6/10

Amenities

8.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.2/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

4/10 Poor

Nicola

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service, room comfort

Wouldn’t bother

Travelled for a friends birthday. We paid over £260 for our room for the night, this did not include breakfast. The room was ok nothing great, the bed was so hard we slept terribly, the air con didn’t work, we opened the window and on the Sunday at 7am the rubbish collectors spent over 10 minutes collecting bottles and rubbish right below our window. We booked a pod on the roof for dinner at 8 and couldn’t get our table until 8.40 as the previous customers were still there. We didn’t get our mains until nearly 10.30 way to late for us to eat we were past being hungry at that point and we all barely ate. Such a shame. Breakfast service was just as bad, waited nearly 45 minutes for our breakfast, had to go up and ask to order coffees and teas. Wouldn’t be returning.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Sanchay

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Perfect place to stay in Cambridge city.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Anish

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Good clean hotel. No issues.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Liam

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We stayed for the Half Marathon was super close and the start, great location and the staff were brilliant, especially Dave who was super helpful with the amount of luggage we had!
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

DAVE

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

marcy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Susie

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great couple of nights in a perfect location to explore Cambridge. Staff excellent and nothing was too much trouble. Very quaint and charismatic hotel with good facilities. Spotlessly clean, couldn’t fault it
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2025

6/10 Okay

Ian

Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
First time staying at The Varsity and overarching feeling was, I wish I'd come 20 years ago or whenever the main refit was done. Everything now looks tired and cleanliness needs improving. Cost of stay reflected this to a certain extent. Breakfast decent.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Ollie

Business traveler

Will Stay again

Amazing hotel, great spot for exploring Cambridge on foot. Lovely facilities, Spa and Restaurant
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Laura

Stayed 1 night in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Freya

Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2024

2/10 Terrible

Mitchell, BURY ST EDMUNDS

Traveled with partner
Disliked: Amenities
THE HOTEL FOOD WAS DISGUSTINGLY AWFUL,THE TV IN THE ROOM DIDNT WORK AT ALL & THE BED SHEETS SMELT AWFULLY MUSTY & VERY VERY UNFRESH. DREADFUL AWFUL STAY DO NOT STAY AT THIS VILE HOTEL...
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2024

8/10 Good

Mary

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
A lovely convenient place to stay, but be prepared to open doors yourself while managing luggage. Great restaurants, but wait staff need a bit more training. (Knowledge of menu etc., and time management. Still my top choice of hotels for proximity and cleanliness!
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2024

8/10 Good

Maurice

Traveled with family
Liked: Staff & service, amenities
Hard to explain but definitely not as good as it looks in pictures. It’s kind of like it’s been repurposed at a hotel but in a cheap way. Fixtures and fittings are cheap kind of way and it’s poorly finished. Poor lighting etc. no coffee machine in room. Good to have the gym next door and great dining options. Very friendly staff at reception.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

Anish

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

Eleni

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
We liked the ease of the valet parking. The lovely staff were very helpful.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

Anish

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2024

6/10 Okay

Kristy

Traveled with partner
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
On arrival there was nowhere to leave the car to unload bags, the hotel is surrounded by resident parking and double yellow lines, even when paying for valet parking you have to risk leaving it on double yellows to hand over to the staff. The staff on reception on arrival were also very unfriendly, barely made an effort to say hello. We booked this hotel over other choices for the option of the spa, the spa was hugely disappointing. No private cubicles in the changing areas and the spa smelt musty and damp throughout, especially the jacuzzi, . It was not somewhere you want to sit and relax inhaling unpleasant odours and sitting in stale water. Finally we were given a room with a balcony, on first impressions a nice upgrade from the standard room we had booked. However soon became a negative once unpacked that we found the external door to the shared balcony area did not lock, leaving us feeling vulnerable that 2 other rooms could access ours. And on top of this the shared balcony brought with it noise from other guests talking outside until 1am. The bed is positioned next to the patio doors to the shared balcony, so their conversation was practically happening at my bedside. After calling and emailing reception no one made any effort to ask the other room to respect the time of the day and keep the noise down or move the conversation inside. This made our plans of a relaxing night away far from enjoyable. We will not be returning.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2024

4/10 Poor

Deborah

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Lacking in all areas

Firstly, hotels.com needs to update its description because the ONLY reason I chose this hotel was because of the roof terrace, and when we arrived we found out it was closed. Then the room. What a letdown. It’s over £200 a night (breakfast not included) and is small, filled with tired, cheap furniture, the plumbing gurgles all night, then at dawn you get woken early because the curtain is too small to cover the window. Really takes you back to student accommodation. It’s like a £40 travelodge. And I’m not saying the room had been neglected for months, but if you do avail yourself of the free water bottles (tepid, because of course there’s no fridge), you’ll find the caps are still detached. So at least 4 months old. The hotel claims each room has a tablet so you can read the papers and order room service, etc. Our room didn’t have one. But the Wi-Fi didn’t work either, so maybe that was intentional. Also no phone signal, so if you’re looking for a digital detox, this is the room for you. I also asked for bikes - free bike hire is on the amenity list - but the bikes don’t have lights on them, and when you can only check in at 3.30pm there’s not a lot of daylight left in November. I was told by a staff member that I could ‘risk it’ and ride around without lights, but no thanks hun. That would be illegal and I would definitely get into an accident. The spa is nice, but it’s super small and busy with more than 6 people there so we had to get out of the jacuzzi sharpish.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

Christina

Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2024

6/10 Okay

Alison

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

Matthew

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

Terry

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Fantastic - The Varsity is an experience, not merely a place. Apart from all the comforts of a 5 star hotel, the atmosphere - generated by the artwork and well-crafted design themes of Cambridge academia and Grand Britannia - gives the visitor a sparkle to their stay. Traveling from my foreign field, I will return to this corner that is forever England.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2024