15/09/2023
Best UK staycations: the Bazaar guide
Where to go for a decadent break this summer
While far-flung holidays will always hold their appeal, there is something truly pleasing about getting in your car or jumping on a train on a Friday after work for a weekend break somewhere in the UK.
From stately Cotswold stays to penthouses in Cornwall, we round up the best British breaks.
24. University Arms, Cambridge
Considered the oldest hotel in Cambridge, previously frequented by the Rolling Stones and the Onassis family, The University Arms was renovated and reopened in 2018 having undergone an elegant makeover. Its bright, stylish rooms, beautiful, high-ceilinged lobby and must-visit restaurant, Parker's Tavern are designed by The Ivy's Martin Brudnizki to reflect the spirit of the university - think Cambridge blue, books aplenty, bespoke wallpaper inspired by book sleeves, original stainglass windows and eclectic posters and prints. Its bedrooms are each unique and its 12 suites, which look out onto Parker's Piece, feature libraries based on the Cambridge character that they're named after, from Stephen Hawking to Virginia Woolf. The while-tiled bathrooms are also well worth mentioning - big in size with elegant roll tubs and the fluffiest of robes. There is a bygone, genteel appeal to this hotel, where even the public lavatories are soundtracked by Alan Bennett's reading of Wind In The Willows. Only a 10-minute walk from the city centre, University Arms has a refined, yet welcoming charm where every last detail is considered.
prices start at £119 per night.