Name: The Red Lion Hotel
Address: Station Road East, Whittlesford, England, United Kingdom, Whittlesford, Cambridgeshire, GB
Price range: $133–$287 per night
Rating: 6.93

What guests think

At The Red Lion Hotel, guests praise the friendly staff, convenient location near the rail link to Cambridge and Duxford, and characterful bar, while recurring downsides include inconsistent breakfast service/quality, cramped or quirky bathrooms, and occasionally confusing parking.

Cleanliness and maintenance are mixed, with reports of stained bedding, damp smells, blocked drains, and scuffed or worn surfaces alongside some clean, comfortable rooms. Dinner is often enjoyed, with hearty pub dishes and helpful accommodation of dietary needs. Best for travelers who value historic character and location over modern uniformity.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

The bar is well liked, and several mention pleasant outdoor space and dog-friendly policies. Parking can be limited or confusing, with registration steps and a few reports of fines; dining areas have occasionally closed early or been unavailable during events.

Related guest reviews

10

Paul

Oct 4, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Quite a large garden area ideal for exercising the dog comfortable rooms

2

Kim

Dec 24, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Don’t stay here. I was told to park “by the sheds” across the road as the car park (of a very small number of spaces) was full. I did so and have now received a £100 fine through the post. After contacting the pub they are not claiming any responsibility. Book somewhere else where there are more parking spaces and they are genuinely free of charge!

8

Julie

Sep 5, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

This hotel is situated opposite a train station which takes you into Cambridge in around 10 mins. It is a historic building which I loved and so you have to accept it will have a certain quirkiness to it. The staff were very friendly and welcoming. The breakfast is cooked to order so very good and we ate our evening meal in the pub which was good too. It is dog friendly (£15 per night, which to be honest is far too expensive if staying more than one night) but the general cost to stay here is reasonable. I would def recommend this as a place to stay if visiting Cambridge.

6

Paula

Oct 8, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

parking was complicated and potentially expensive. we did eventually find a free parking space but needed to register the car first on one screen, which allowed us two hours and then had to move the car and register again on another screen to park overnight. The evening meal was ok although heavy on the salt. Breakfast was disappointing with overcooked egg and undercooked mushroom. The room was clean but cramped with the tv screen jutting into the en suite doorway

4

Keith

Oct 5, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

2 girls working in bar were excellent. We found the rest of the staff were not really bothered about guests. Room wasn’t serviced too well, no tea or milk replaced. We were not able to get a meal on our second night as there was a wedding going on and when the chef was asked if we could have meals for 4 adults he refused us, if we hadn’t had a car we would not have had a meal as we had to find somewhere else. The breakfast on the first morning was really awful and not edible by any of us and the service was poor. A very disappointing stay and not really something we would repeat or recommend to others. Really spoilt a good birthday weekend. An amazing building but needs a lot of updates and staff training. We paid a good rate for our rooms and it was not good value in any way.

10

Alun

Sep 8, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

A lovely two night stay at the Red Lion. Myself and my daughter were visiting the air show at Duxford airfield. The hotel is ideally situated for that location and we walked to the airfield on Saturday morning. The staff at the hotel were friendly and welcoming. The rooms were clean and comfortable and l slept well. There is a good choice of food at the Red Lion. The portions are generous and it is well cooked and tasty, The full English breakfast was a great way to start the day, there are other options on the breakfast menu as well as cereal and toast. You also have a wide range of beers and lagers at the bar, my preference is for locally brewed ales, which i enjoyed here. Overall I had a great weekend and will certainly return and can highly recommended this hotel. Thank you.

8

Raymond

Sep 9, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Great hotel & staff. Hotel is very old but the character of the place is great. Food choice was good & service was first class.

6

David

Sep 22, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The hotel was clean and nice to stay in. But we had a booking for the Sunday night. And was not informed that the bar and Resturant closed at 18:00. Not good as we did not finish work till 18:00. So that did spoil our stay.

10

Jeffery

Apr 18, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Located in a quiet setting, with ample parking at the door, the Red Lion is a hidden gem where patrons are put first by staff. The building is over 500 years old yet retains it charm and comfort. Couldn't recommend it more.

10

Andrew

Jul 7, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

An older property nice outside space. Good food menu.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Cleanliness

Feedback is mixed: alongside some clean, comfortable rooms, multiple reviews cite stained bedding, dirty toilets, damp smells, and worn or marked surfaces. Housekeeping misses like not replenishing supplies and poor drain maintenance also appear.

Related guest reviews

6

John

Sep 9, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Unfortunately grubby with stains on the bedding and bathroom in need of a really good scrub. Staff generally friendly.

2

Victor

Jul 5, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Trash was in the can

2

Shirley

Jul 9, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

This was booked Went to room disgusting filthy toilet No curtains just a bit of material hanging off the wall asked to change room told none available so we left and went elsewhere

8

Harry

Aug 21, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff were incredibly lovely and made the trip. Room was nicely decorated however had a slight smell and a slightly damp carpet near the bathroom which we think was due to the shower not draining the water properly. Bed was comfortable and clean. Pub downstairs is great and has lots of character. Food was a bit on the pricey side for pub grub but was still tasty.

4

Carolyn

Sep 9, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

I stayed during a trip to Duxford. This was the worst place I have stayed in many years. The bathroom was in fire need of a makeover. The walls and doors in the hotel corridors we badly marked, the paint on the bedside tables were chipped and the net curtain was torn. In addition the spring on the bedroom door was so strong it was very difficult to open and since you have to keep the key turned against a spring, virtually impossible while carrying luggage. The place was quite busy so I reserved a table for dinner when I burned up at the reserved time they knew nothing about the reservation. After about five minutes they got me seated. The food was okay, I had a vegetarian curry which weirdly had had some green herb on top ( I don't know what it was) but it didn't work with the meal. It also had onion bhajis that had been cremated. The following morning I went down to breakfast and ordered the half- English vegetarian. The wait was about 15 minutes. It was supposed to have a fried egg but they served mushy scrambled eggs instead. The veggy sausages were horrible and overcooked. I left half my breakfast because it just wasn't good. I will never stay here again.

6

Nicholas

Dec 19, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff were cheerful and helpful. The toilet bowl was dirty, the shower outlet was partial block and tea table sticky. The new management don’t seem to have yet to have got on top of housekeeping yet.

2

Stephen

May 26, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Dirty rooms, blood on bedding and burn markings! rooms desperate need of updating. Food is terrible and over priced. Not enough staff and chef was outside my room swearing and shouting at the top of his voice during a discussion he was having. Not ideal when children are with us! Music on seriously loud from the kitchen until gone midnight, keeping us awake. Do not stay here if you like comfort and cleanliness. I am not a critic usually and don’t bother with reviews as it’s subjective and wouldn’t want to sway anyone away from staying at hotels, but I couldn’t not review this hotel. Please spend your money elsewhere!! Just awful!!

4

Keith

Oct 5, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

2 girls working in bar were excellent. We found the rest of the staff were not really bothered about guests. Room wasn’t serviced too well, no tea or milk replaced. We were not able to get a meal on our second night as there was a wedding going on and when the chef was asked if we could have meals for 4 adults he refused us, if we hadn’t had a car we would not have had a meal as we had to find somewhere else. The breakfast on the first morning was really awful and not edible by any of us and the service was poor. A very disappointing stay and not really something we would repeat or recommend to others. Really spoilt a good birthday weekend. An amazing building but needs a lot of updates and staff training. We paid a good rate for our rooms and it was not good value in any way.

8

Christopher

Oct 11, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Shower didn’t drain

4

Andy

Jul 25, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The toilet was dirty - the room had no air conn - the milk was sour - the breakfast was terrible - even the bread for toasting. I am

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Rooms

Rooms vary widely, with several described as small and bathrooms notably awkward—low ceilings, bath-only or handheld showers, and cramped layouts. Some guests noted noise between rooms, while others found beds comfortable and a few rooms spacious.

Related guest reviews

6

Nicola

Jun 3, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Tiny room. Poor shower. Stairs to bedroom are a bit dangerous. Scary coming down with bags.

8

Harry

Aug 21, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff were incredibly lovely and made the trip. Room was nicely decorated however had a slight smell and a slightly damp carpet near the bathroom which we think was due to the shower not draining the water properly. Bed was comfortable and clean. Pub downstairs is great and has lots of character. Food was a bit on the pricey side for pub grub but was still tasty.

6

Sonal

Jul 10, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

There was a very loud noise that kept occurring for a minute or so a few times while I was in my room. Plus I couldn't stand in the bath to have a shower as the ceiling is too low - I am short!

6

Paula

Oct 8, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

parking was complicated and potentially expensive. we did eventually find a free parking space but needed to register the car first on one screen, which allowed us two hours and then had to move the car and register again on another screen to park overnight. The evening meal was ok although heavy on the salt. Breakfast was disappointing with overcooked egg and undercooked mushroom. The room was clean but cramped with the tv screen jutting into the en suite doorway

8

L C

May 11, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

We had a lovely stay at the hotel, although it was very noisy being able to hear conversations through the walls. Breakfast was buffet style (I stuck with cereals as didn't know how long the food had been out and also looked very greasy)

10

EDWARD

May 29, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Very nice pub/hotel. Some rooms only have a both tub so you should specfy a shower unit if desired.

10

Alun

Sep 8, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

A lovely two night stay at the Red Lion. Myself and my daughter were visiting the air show at Duxford airfield. The hotel is ideally situated for that location and we walked to the airfield on Saturday morning. The staff at the hotel were friendly and welcoming. The rooms were clean and comfortable and l slept well. There is a good choice of food at the Red Lion. The portions are generous and it is well cooked and tasty, The full English breakfast was a great way to start the day, there are other options on the breakfast menu as well as cereal and toast. You also have a wide range of beers and lagers at the bar, my preference is for locally brewed ales, which i enjoyed here. Overall I had a great weekend and will certainly return and can highly recommended this hotel. Thank you.

8

Chris

Jul 17, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Room was comfortable and decent size. Bathroom was very small and not having a stand up shower was not ideal.

8

Adam

Jul 20, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The management describe it as a modern day coaching in and that is a good description. The staff were lovely, and the breakfast was first rate. If I have any gripe is about the bathroom. I hit my head on the low ceiling a couple of times and there was a bath with a hand held shower attachment but no shower curtain and the ow ceiling meant I couldn’t stand to use it.

8

Dave

Nov 18, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Happy staff room was a little small but bar area and eating was great. Breakfast was lovley.

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Service

Staff are frequently praised as friendly, welcoming, and helpful. However, there are repeated complaints about absent or overstretched staff at breakfast and late arrivals, plus occasional booking errors or meal availability issues.

Related guest reviews

10

Anthony

Jun 7, 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

Excellent food, comfy room and extremely helpful and friendly staff.

8

Nathaniel

Apr 7, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Extremely friendly and helpful staff. Gave good recommendations and were willing to try and resolve issues. Very accommodating of having a dog with us which made travelling much easier. The shower was great! Heating wasn’t adjustable in room which meant it was very hot. Food was good, although breakfast was a slightly odd mix. Overall enjoyed and would stay again.

2

Ian

Nov 23, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Meal and welcome fine first evening.Room was cold bathroom freezing heated towel rail not on but even that didn't help much. Breakfast dire. Key to cafe was lost so no access long delay. No fruit juice, toast or cereal offered- had a cup of tea. Finally key found ordered cooked breakfast after 50 minutes finally arrived!! Had to ask for another cup of tea. Young lad left in charge of cafe and hotel guests. Had to leave cafe to collect our food - bell not working so wasn't aware that chef had cooked it! Just a comedy of errors and not acceptable.

8

Bonita

Mar 20, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Great staff make a good pleasant stay.

4

Susan

Jul 13, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

This property has the good the bad and the ugly. The good - the fish and chips on the menu even though the peas were not on the late as advertised The bad - car parking was not obvious and no sign as to what and where the parking was. The ugly - no staff available at breakfast so restock items - I searched for 35 minutes to find someone to replenish hot water to make tea. No one came and the buffet that was presented was cold and very unappetizing. Walked all over the building and yelled but no reply. The worst place I have stayed in years and a health and safety nightmare. Would be happy to discuss further with the owner. Suggest you delete from your site.

4

Keith

Oct 5, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

2 girls working in bar were excellent. We found the rest of the staff were not really bothered about guests. Room wasn’t serviced too well, no tea or milk replaced. We were not able to get a meal on our second night as there was a wedding going on and when the chef was asked if we could have meals for 4 adults he refused us, if we hadn’t had a car we would not have had a meal as we had to find somewhere else. The breakfast on the first morning was really awful and not edible by any of us and the service was poor. A very disappointing stay and not really something we would repeat or recommend to others. Really spoilt a good birthday weekend. An amazing building but needs a lot of updates and staff training. We paid a good rate for our rooms and it was not good value in any way.

4

Barbie

Apr 13, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Limited menu in evening. Breakfast was a fiasco! Never saw anyone at all. Hot Buffet food left out with no eggs of any sort. No glasses for the fruit juice. No plates for the toast. Came down at 8:10am returned to room at 8:50, nobody to be seen. Not good enough. Expensive drinks too. Room was good as was the bar staff on arrival and evening.

10

James

Jun 14, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Lovely hotel near Cambridge with a railway station nearby The staff were very helpful and friendly and welcomed us on our arrival Brett and his team are all doing a great job in a friendly and professional manner The food was good with a different but adequate menu

10

Paul

Mar 28, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

2nd time stayed here. have booked again. Happy friendly and helpful staff Really good food Comfy and clean rooms

2

Gilles

Aug 12, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Nobody there... We received an email saying we should contact them if we thought coming in after 21h00. The same is said on the hotels.com app. We came in at 19h30. There was nobody to give us our room. Nobody answered the doorbell. Nobody answered the téléphone. We tried to contact someone to give us a room for 45 min, then, with no life signs from anyone, we switched hotel.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Location

Next to a rail station for quick trips into Cambridge and convenient to the motorway; also handy for Duxford Airfield. Several mention a generally quiet setting.

Related guest reviews

10

Guy

Mar 9, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Brilliant find very convenient for IWM Duxford. As a gluten intolerant pescatarian, I cannot fault the service and quality of the food. Despite there being nothing on the menu suitable for me to eat, chef made me truly delicious fishy main and gluten free dessert. Fantastic.

8

William

Jun 28, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Very good location for the train service into Cambridge. The old inn had very low doors so you had to be careful, but it made it a unique experience.

10

Jeff

May 10, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

I like that: - It’s near this neat old church, for starters. - it has a quaint old English world feel to it, something I’d hoped to experience while here in England for the 1st (& very likely, not my last) time - it has very good service from the workers. Next time, I’ll organize my tour of the university better & when I do, just guess where I’ll be staying ;)

8

Julie

Sep 5, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

This hotel is situated opposite a train station which takes you into Cambridge in around 10 mins. It is a historic building which I loved and so you have to accept it will have a certain quirkiness to it. The staff were very friendly and welcoming. The breakfast is cooked to order so very good and we ate our evening meal in the pub which was good too. It is dog friendly (£15 per night, which to be honest is far too expensive if staying more than one night) but the general cost to stay here is reasonable. I would def recommend this as a place to stay if visiting Cambridge.

10

Sean

Aug 4, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely place in really useful location near motorway and right next to a station on London-Cambridge line. Staff are great and breakfast was delicious

10

Alun

Sep 8, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

A lovely two night stay at the Red Lion. Myself and my daughter were visiting the air show at Duxford airfield. The hotel is ideally situated for that location and we walked to the airfield on Saturday morning. The staff at the hotel were friendly and welcoming. The rooms were clean and comfortable and l slept well. There is a good choice of food at the Red Lion. The portions are generous and it is well cooked and tasty, The full English breakfast was a great way to start the day, there are other options on the breakfast menu as well as cereal and toast. You also have a wide range of beers and lagers at the bar, my preference is for locally brewed ales, which i enjoyed here. Overall I had a great weekend and will certainly return and can highly recommended this hotel. Thank you.

10

James

Jun 14, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Lovely hotel near Cambridge with a railway station nearby The staff were very helpful and friendly and welcomed us on our arrival Brett and his team are all doing a great job in a friendly and professional manner The food was good with a different but adequate menu

10

Jeffery

Apr 18, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Located in a quiet setting, with ample parking at the door, the Red Lion is a hidden gem where patrons are put first by staff. The building is over 500 years old yet retains it charm and comfort. Couldn't recommend it more.

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Dining

Dinner is often tasty pub fare, and the team can accommodate dietary needs. Breakfast draws the most criticism, with repeated reports of long waits, missing items, cold or poorly cooked food, and periods with no staff present.

Related guest reviews

10

Guy

Mar 9, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Brilliant find very convenient for IWM Duxford. As a gluten intolerant pescatarian, I cannot fault the service and quality of the food. Despite there being nothing on the menu suitable for me to eat, chef made me truly delicious fishy main and gluten free dessert. Fantastic.

4

Kathryn

Jul 5, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The building itself was interesting and nice grounds. Food was awful..at least three quarter's of an hour wait for v mediocre food for pm meal. We ate out the next night Breakfast...no bacon available. Scambled egg looked shocking. The 2 staff in the bar did their best but not enough folk in kitchen or bar. Would not recommend it

2

Ian

Nov 23, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Meal and welcome fine first evening.Room was cold bathroom freezing heated towel rail not on but even that didn't help much. Breakfast dire. Key to cafe was lost so no access long delay. No fruit juice, toast or cereal offered- had a cup of tea. Finally key found ordered cooked breakfast after 50 minutes finally arrived!! Had to ask for another cup of tea. Young lad left in charge of cafe and hotel guests. Had to leave cafe to collect our food - bell not working so wasn't aware that chef had cooked it! Just a comedy of errors and not acceptable.

8

Carl

Jul 2, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Great place to stay. The food at this pub was amazing. The Paprika Chicken Souvalki was big and delicious. Breakfast was superb too. The room was spacious and has everything you need. The decor is close to needing a refresh but assume this will be done soon as the pub is under new management.

4

Susan

Jul 13, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

This property has the good the bad and the ugly. The good - the fish and chips on the menu even though the peas were not on the late as advertised The bad - car parking was not obvious and no sign as to what and where the parking was. The ugly - no staff available at breakfast so restock items - I searched for 35 minutes to find someone to replenish hot water to make tea. No one came and the buffet that was presented was cold and very unappetizing. Walked all over the building and yelled but no reply. The worst place I have stayed in years and a health and safety nightmare. Would be happy to discuss further with the owner. Suggest you delete from your site.

8

Stuart

Sep 24, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Single night stay, fantastic service, fantastic room, glfantastic food.

10

Alun

Sep 8, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

A lovely two night stay at the Red Lion. Myself and my daughter were visiting the air show at Duxford airfield. The hotel is ideally situated for that location and we walked to the airfield on Saturday morning. The staff at the hotel were friendly and welcoming. The rooms were clean and comfortable and l slept well. There is a good choice of food at the Red Lion. The portions are generous and it is well cooked and tasty, The full English breakfast was a great way to start the day, there are other options on the breakfast menu as well as cereal and toast. You also have a wide range of beers and lagers at the bar, my preference is for locally brewed ales, which i enjoyed here. Overall I had a great weekend and will certainly return and can highly recommended this hotel. Thank you.

4

Barbie

Apr 13, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Limited menu in evening. Breakfast was a fiasco! Never saw anyone at all. Hot Buffet food left out with no eggs of any sort. No glasses for the fruit juice. No plates for the toast. Came down at 8:10am returned to room at 8:50, nobody to be seen. Not good enough. Expensive drinks too. Room was good as was the bar staff on arrival and evening.

10

Robert

Jul 9, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Room was absolutely fine for one. Staff were very helpful and friendly. Fish and chips was very nice. Breakfast was great - probably too big! I’ll book again definitely.

8

Raymond

Jun 1, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely staff, very helpful, rooms as expected, small but clean and functional, carpets and shower in need of repair in room, but did not detract from stay. Restaurant excellent and food high standard. Breakfast disappointing, food cold on hot buffet, croissants hard, no service at all. But overall a good stay .

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Month	Average price
January	$106
February	$108
March	$107
April	$121
May	$125
June	$126
July	$133
August	$130
September	$110
October	$113
November	$106
December	$102

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5 $163
6 $133	7 $159	8 $146	9 $146	10 $144	11 $287	12 $287
13 $135	14 $148	15 $147	16 $146	17 $148	18 $146	19 $147
20 $138	21 $140	22 $147	23 $150	24 $147	25 $143	26 $147
27 $138	28 $159	29 $152	30 $156

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $148	2 $155	3 $159
4 $135	5 $145	6 $145	7 $148	8 $153	9 $230	10 $145
11 $136	12 $138	13 $145	14 $145	15 $145	16 $145	17 $230
18 $135	19 $145	20 $145	21 $145	22 $145	23 $148	24 $145
25 $134	26 $153	27 $148	28 $152	29 $148	30 $148	31 $155

The Red Lion Hotel

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