Reality check

THE LOCATION In the ultra sustainable Eddington district of Cambridge, an easy 10-minute bike ride from the city centre, the Hyatt is next door to Turing Locke serviced apartments. Both are owned by Edyn and opened in summer 2021. Sharing a large, leafy courtyard and all communal areas, their roofs are 80% solar panels, with leftover energy fed back to the grid. Other eco initiatives include LED lighting, 200 bike parking spaces, 20 EV charging spots, and the UK's first stormwater recycling scheme.

THE CHECK-IN The Hyatt lobby was buzzing with people when we arrived. The receptionist explained that the restaurant was in the process of changing hands, but pointed us to the the lobby café, Brew, which serves expertly-crafted coffee and artisan pastries, and the adjacent Douce, a hair salon which doubles as a café and funky bar with craft beers. We were also told about various activities, including DJ yoga on the rooftop and free bike hire.

HOTEL: HYATT CENTRIC CAMBRIDGE

A new restaurant operator is expected to take over the restaurant soon.

THE ROOM There are 150 rooms. Our deluxe kingsize was on the first floor and, like most rooms, had views over the courtyard. The bathroom had a large walk-in rain shower with BeeKind toiletries. There was a 43” Smart TV, super thick bath robes, iron and ironing board, a safe, kettle and a decent-sized fridge. The style was modern with velvets furnishings, rich walnut and art deco touches. Accessible rooms are available on request.

THE FACILITIES As well as the other eating options, the complex has a popular bar, Dutch, with a daily Happy Hour and with Mexican-inspired bar snacks and charcuterie. Hyatt guests can use a small but well-equipped 24-hour gym at Turing Locke, where bikes can also be hired on a first-comefirst-serve basis. They're free but a £100 security deposit is required. There are no bike helmets. Pets are welcome and there's even a weekly dog yoga class.

PETS ARE WELCOME AND THERE'S EVEN A WEEKLY DOG YOGA CLASS

HOTEL: THE RELAIS HENLEY

FOR BUSINESS Our bedroom lacked a desk but Turing Locke has a great co-working space in its lobby, with floor to ceiling windows, and private meeting rooms for hire.

THE VERDICT With its sustainability credentials and a funky vibe, this hotel is ideal for younger business travellers.

THE DETAILS Rooms available from £99, hyatt.com

Bev Fearis

THE HOTEL This former 16th-century coaching inn on the riverside in the market town of Henley has been tastefully renovated into a luxury boutique hotel. It has 40 uniquely designed rooms inspired by Henley’s rowing tradition, the River Thames and the natural beauty of the Chiltern Valley. It is the first property to open under Relais Retreats, a collection of English waterside escapes founded in 2021.

THE CHECK-IN We arrived to a warm and friendly welcome in the charming and intimate lobby, with a distinctive Red Lion above the door in a nod to the hotel's former life as an inn. The check-in included a helpful overview of the hotel’s facilities before we were quickly heading to our room, on the first floor.

THE ROOM Our room was bright, spacious, elegantly decorated, with a carpet in rowing regatta stripes and a striking botanical-inspired wardrobe. It had all the amenities you need for a comfortable stay, including a flat screen TV and a comfortable armchair.

Although we were on the river and road side of the hotel, there was little noise. The ensuite bathroom was white marble tiled with under floor heating, a large roll-top bath and shower. Toiletries were Algotherm, vegan and cruelty-free.

THE BUSINESS The Palm Court and the Petit Palm are perfect for meetings or private dinners and have a members club feel to their design and layout. The Relais group also runs a private club, The Salon, giving members access to an elegant ‘alternative office’ environment and to networking through hosted events.

THE FACILITIES The hotel has two bars: The Quarterdeck Bar, in the oldest part of the hotel, and the cosy Clip Bar where you can sit around the log fire and enjoy river views. The Clipper restaurant is an elegant dining room with a wooden rowing boat hanging from the high ceiling. The restaurant is open all day for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, with quality, locally-sourced ingredients. I enjoyed a tasty surf and turf, with a generous portion of lobster

YOU'LL FEEL RELAXED AND AT HOME FROM THE MOMENT YOU ARRIVE meat. The service was excellent, despite the small number of waiting staff.

THE VERDICT You’ll feel relaxed and at home from the moment you arrive. There’s no better location in Henley and the excellent service from the friendly staff will leave you wanting to return.

THE DETAILS Riverside Reset delegate day rates from £55, 24-hour rate starts from £265, therelaisretreats.com Matt Bonner

THE HOTEL A two-minute walk from London Victoria train station, which links by train to Gatwick Airport (30 minutes), this 299-room hotel is ideally located for central London business trips, meetings and conferences.

FOR MEETINGS Dedicated and selfcontained conference facilities include 17 customisable meeting rooms. The largest, the Victoria Suite, can accommodate up to 500 guests theatre style. When combined with the Beatrice Suite and Victoria Lobby, it can accommodate up to 32 exhibition stands, making it a popular choice for conferences and exhibitions. For smaller meetings, the Executive Boardroom seats up to 15. The hotel holds the Meetings Industry Association's AIM Gold accreditation and is a Green Healthcare accredited venue.

THE ROOM We arrived an hour before our meeting and were escorted to our room, which turned out to be two adjoining rooms – the Executive Lounge and the Elizabeth Suite, on the first floor. We had initially planned our meeting in

MEETING: PARK PLAZA VICTORIA LONDON

the boardroom-style Elizabeth Suite but when we saw the more relaxed lay-out of the lounge area, with windows down one side giving lovely natural light, we decided to rearrange the furniture (a mixture of low-slung arm chairs, bucket chairs, leather footstools, high-backed chairs and coffee tables) and hold our meeting there. The boardroom, which also had natural light from a window, came in handy later when we had a break-out session. It came with bottles of water, paper and pens.

THE SERVICE While we prepared the room by setting up our presentation (a simple plug and play), hotel staff came in several times to check everything was okay, while others brought in the refreshments – croissants and pain au chocolat – for our 11am start. When the rest of the team arrived, everything was already in place on the long bar area –pastries, teas, coffees, sparkling and still water – and all the attentive staff quietly slipped away. Their job was done and they left us in privacy.

ROOMS WERE BRIGHT, CHEERY, COMFORTABLE AND CONDUCIVE FOR CREATIVITY

HOTEL: HOLIDAY INN WHITECHAPEL

THE VERDICT We felt in good, capable hands from start to finish, which is crucial when planning a meeting or conference. The rooms were bright, cheery, comfortable and conducive for creativity and team-bulding.

THE DETAILS Average rate for the Elizabeth Suite is £700, including use of the Executive Lounge for breaks. radissonhotels.com

Bev Fearis

THE HOTEL In the heart of East London and a five-minute walk from both Shadwell DLR and Whitechapel underground station, London’s financial districts can be reached within 10 minutes using the Hammersmith and City or DLR. London City Airport is just 15 mins by DLR from Shadwell. The hotel is well-served by public transport but as a lone, female traveller it was not the most pleasant walk to and from either local station, so taxis are advised for late night arrivals or departures.

THE CHECK-IN I was warmly welcomed and quickly whizzed through check-in with facilities highlighted and breakfast timings and location pointed out. I was handed two room keys, which I needed to swipe to activate the lifts or access the stairs, adding a nice level of security for a single traveller.

THE ROOM My standard twin room (105) was located close to the lifts and was spacious at 15 square metres. The room was well-designed with floor to ceiling windows for great light, good hanging space, two 39’’ wide beds, desk, plenty of plug points, a large LG flat screen TV and complimentary tea and coffee. The bathroom featured a large rainforest style shower, high-quality products in pump dispensers, which felt more sustainable than plastic miniatures.

THE FACILITIES The hotel has 24-hour check-in, a restaurant with an all-day menu, a well-stocked bar in a lounge area, plus a fitness centre and meetings facilities. Full English Breakfast Buffet was included with the room rate (it's £15.95 otherwise) and there were also some nice Vegan and Vegetarian specials, which can be cooked to order.

FOR BUSINESS A newly-refurbished co-working space had the latest technology available, lots of natural light and the flexibility to be made into smaller spaces or larger spaces (maximum 60 for theatre style). While the immediate area lacked choice for dining out in the evening, the lively St Katherine’s Dock was a short cab ride away with plenty of taxis passing by the hotel.

THE VERDICT A super-friendly service throughout this Holiday Inn, the staff could not have done more to make me feel special and welcome. It’s a good choice for businesses in the area looking for some off-site co-working and meetings spaces and good quality accommodation for their employees.

THE DETAILS Standard twins start at £135, ihg.com/holidayinn Kirsty

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