Cambridge: Crown Plaza (4 Star Hotel)

Address: Downing st. , Cambridge CB2 3DT, United kingdom
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Lonely Planet review

Behind a pompous 1990s neoclassical facade that apes the lofty columns and entablature of the Fitzwilliam Museum, this slick but insipid business hotel has all the dubious charm of a shopping mall. However, it sits so close to the colleges you can almost hear the brain-cells seethe.

The interior is unusually shaped into a figure eight, and entered via long escalators into an airy but oddly soulless atrium, with obsessively polished floors and trimmings of greenery. There are no big surprises in the 198 comfortable but forgettable bedrooms; all are kitted out in inoffensive but bland fashion and have all the expected extras, right down to complimentary newspaper and fluffy bathrobes. Request an outward-facing room for natural light, as many rooms overlook the atrium reception and noisy bar. Another reason to bring the ear plugs is the sizeable construction site next door, which will be rattling the foundations on weekdays through much of 2007. You can rule out river views or manicured lawns whichever way you face, but Crown Plaza's unrivalled central position nonetheless does much to make up for its other sins.