Hilton Cambridge City Centre

Dogfriendly Magazine Review

Read our comprehensive review of this listing printed in our bi-monthly magazine.

Hilton Hotel – Cambridge City Centre
Review by: - Ella Lloyd

Although our usual go-to trip has typically been a beach holiday with the dog, a city break was a refreshing change for our little trio, plus I think Gus was relieved that for once we weren’t trying to get him to go in the sea! The picturesque city is filled with historical buildings, shops, and an abundance of dog friendly parks. The majority of the city centre attractions are also within walking distance from each other which is a huge plus as not only does it make for an opportunity for your pooch to stretch their legs more, it also allows you to avoid the typical city traffic in between sites.

The location of our accommodation, the Hilton Cambridge City Centre Hotel, was perfect; there was no shortage of restaurants or cafes nearby and we felt like we got the full Cambridge experience being right in the centre. Pulling up to the front of the hotel, we would never have guessed that this hotel was dog friendly – it looked so posh! The layout of the reception is incredible as the building opens up into an inside courtyard with lights hanging from a skylight above.

Gus is an anxious dog, which often adds another layer of stress to travelling for us, so we felt a wave of relief after being checked in by the reception staff as we knew we were in good hands. The concierge was so friendly – he even offered to give us a list of some dog friendly pubs when he saw we had Gus with us. He also took our bags to our room for us, so we didn’t have to worry about dragging Gus’s things around the hotel!

Being located in the city centre, the hotel is understandably limited on garden spaces (i.e. doggy toilets), however Christ’s Pieces Park is a five-minute walk away and there was a very small green area opposite the entrance that we used. Our dog friendly room was well decorated, spacious, and even came with a mattress-style dog bed and water bowl. On the side table was the most adorable doggie hamper filled with dog treats and toys, and even a sign that said ‘Welcome Gus!’ on it! It was such a nice touch.

The bed was incredibly comfortable, and we had a great night’s sleep; for such a central location I was pleasantly surprised at how little traffic noise we could hear from our room.

When we awoke the following morning, we made our way downstairs to check out some of the communal areas and to fill up on food. The quality of the breakfast buffet was outstanding! I have dietary requirements so usually just accept that it’s likely I won’t be able to have anything from the breakfast menu when it comes to eating at a hotel, but I was thrilled with the variety of food on offer. They possibly had every type of breakfast food you can think of: cereal, croissants, cooked full English, cold cuts, cheese, yoghurt, porridge, skimmed milk, hot milk, oat milk… they even had a waffle maker!

Although dogs are welcome in the bar, the dining area does not allow pets so if you had wanted to dine with your dog nearby room service is also available for a small fee. A trip to Cambridge is nothing without seeing the college campuses, however some of the university greens are understandably off limits to dogs. This wasn’t a huge deal for us as in my opinion the best way to see them is by boat anyway! When I found out that some of Cambridge’s punting companies are dog friendly, I was delighted that we would be able to bring Gus with us to enjoy one of the city’s most popular activities. After failing to get Gus to paddle board with me earlier this year, I was concerned that he would be reluctant to get in the boat, however, he was so much calmer than we expected! We used a company called the ‘Traditional Punting Company’ who offer both private and group punting tours as well as picnic punting. When I contacted them to quiz them on some things about taking the dog on our tour, I found their customer service to be excellent and they answered all of my queries so quickly. The departure location, which is positioned on the edge of Jesus Green, is only a 15-minute walk from the Hilton but for us it took triple that as I wanted to stop at every shop on the way down (including John Lewis, which welcomes dogs inside!)

The boat was comfortable and surprisingly spacious, and the views from the river are like none other. The gardens and buildings were beautiful; punting gave us such a unique perspective of Cambridge! The tour lasted about 50 minutes long and our tour guide was so friendly and incredibly knowledgeable – I honestly have no clue how they remember all of the information! We loved hearing about Cambridge’s history and Gus loved his time duck spotting along the river.

For lunch, we headed to The Locker Café; a homey coffee shop a short walk from Cambridge’s high street. Although this café was dog friendly inside, we decided to make the most of the beautiful weather and sat in their outside area, which is on the other side of the road. I didn’t expect the place to be so popular – the queue to order was coming out of the door! The café is open seven days a week and also sells handmade crockery if you fancy taking a souvenir home with you.

Another dog friendly restaurant we ended up eating at was Brew Dog. When we arrived in the evening it was loud and busy, and although some may not favour this kind of atmosphere, we find that Gus is easier to manage in places that are overstimulating as he gets desensitised so much quicker – he even fell asleep under the table!

Although we enjoyed making the most of streetwalking with Gus during our stay in Cambridge as it gave us plenty of training opportunities, on the Sunday we sought somewhere for him to get on the extendable lead and stretch his legs a bit more. Just outside of Cambridge is Milton Country Park, a 95-acre stretch of woodlands. Although the park itself never closes, the car park is open from 8am, and the closing times are seasonal.  At the park, dogs are allowed off-lead anywhere north of the public drain; a map is available on their website.

Unfortunately for us, it absolutely chucked it down with rain when we arrived but there was shelter! The Grounds Café, located in the south of Milton Park, is also dog friendly and serves coffee with dairy free milk options – a win-win for me! I had the vegan sausage roll, which was amazing, and Connor had the dark chocolate brownie. Although it was the wrong time of year for us to try one, their ice cream options looked amazing, so if we’re ever back in Cambridge in the summer we will certainly be back to try some. My favourite thing about Milton Park was the dog wash station by the car park – so handy for muddy dog walks!

We would most definitely recommend Cambridge for a weekend getaway with your furry friend, particularly for history and culture lovers like us, and the Hilton is a dog friendly trip that doesn’t compromise on comfort or class!

DOG FRIENDLY LOUNGE BAR

Hilton Cambridge City Centre also has a dog friendly lounge bar where you can relax with food and drinks with your dog. You can also choose a doggy dinner from the Bone Appetit menu, including Beef Doguinon or Mutt Roast served with a pet drink on the side.

Hilton Hotel, Cambridge City Centre, review by Ella Lloyd and appears in DogFriendly magazine issue 74.  For more information on the DogFriendly magazine visit  https://www.dogfriendly.co.uk/magazine