Rectory Farm

Rectory Farm made a handy base for day trips around the area north of London, on the west edge of Cambridge and close to Newton's birthplace and several other local sights. We liked our room and the nice table for setting up a laptop, but weren’t keen on the breakfast options. Despite the name, it wasn’t a farm stay. It was more like a rather fancy motel behind an automatic gate. Breakfast cost an extra 16 pounds, and parking in their own lot was listed at 5 pounds per night. We’d been staying in self-catering places before this, so we had milk in a cooler, plus cereal, fruit, bread and other food, and ate in our room. The hotel put a 50 pound hold on my credit card in case we left a mess, so we took care to keep the room clean while eating. Getting the car to the room could’ve been easier if there’d been a wider gap between the cut-off barrels. I was told to move one to get the car through. The next day they stacked the half barrel full of bricks, making it much harder to move when I needed to load our luggage before leaving.

Bed bugs! I’d stayed here for work a couple of times before. The cleanliness never impressed me, and the beds were very uncomfortable, but the place was convenient. On my latest visit, I woke up horrified to find bed bugs under my pillow and around the room. I took photos. Instead of apologising or offering a refund, the property suggested I’d made it up. There was blood all over the sheets from being bitten. Book at your own peril!

The hotel is convenient for walking to the bus station into town, and it looks pretty. That’s about all it has going for it. The rooms are tiny, and the beds are small too. We stayed for two days, and our room wasn’t cleaned once between arrival and departure. Staff service was minimal, with a real can’t-be-bothered attitude. The rules about making a mess or leaving marks are really threatening. They even mention accidents in the bed, which would be alarming for someone with a medical condition. It costs £5 to park at a hotel you’re already paying to stay in. What a scam, and it says a lot about the people running this “hotel”. If you’re looking for the room keys, they’re in an envelope outside the barn.

That swing is lovely, it looks like it belongs in a movie! Some reviews seem a bit harsh. The place felt quite modern and clean, and the service was nice and relaxed. I think we stayed in the Lodge, which may be the more modern part.