Bedford Lodge Hotel and Spa Newmarket near Cambridge: Review

Located in the Suffolk town of Newmarket, you’ll find the Bedford Lodge Hotel and Spa, a modern 4-star hotel and spa with a 2AA Rosette restaurant as well as a bar.

The hotel overlooks the Newmarket racetrack and serves as a popular destination for race spectators, and the hotel really plays on their equestrian links with a menu of racing-themed cocktails.

Bedford Lodge offers on on-site pool and leisure facilities and also features a spa with five different water experiences, a sauna, steam room, experience shower and a rooftop hot tub.

Bedford Lodge offers on on-site pool and leisure facilities and also features a spa with five different water experiences. (Image: Emily Davison)

They have a range of packages to choose from where you can get things like treatments, dinner and lunch as well as their current two-day package with entry to the Cambridge University Botanic Garden.

After a 90-minute drive from south east London we arrived at Bedford Lodge, which has plenty of on-site parking space and is located within Newmarket which has train links from Cambridge.

After checking in and placing our lunch order at the spa, we began with a relaxing treatment, as the spa offers an array of aesthetics and wellbeing treatments with one of their specialities being massages.

The spa offers an array of aesthetics and wellbeing treatments. (Image: Emily Davison)

I went with a 90-minute Hot Stone Balinese Massage, which focuses on areas of the body with a moderate pressure and aromatherapy oils that you pick based on your mood.

The massage was among one of the best I’ve had and would be well suited for anyone who can’t tolerate huge amounts of pressure like a deep tissue massage.

The spa also has a small private garden where lunch can be taken. (Image: Emily Davison)

The spa also has a lounge area and small private garden where lunch can be taken, the menu has a range of options from wraps to sharing platters, poke bowls and an afternoon tea, as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

I chose the afternoon tea, which arrived with two warm, freshly baked scones, a selection of finger sandwiches and a slice of cake – all of which tasted very good.

The afternoon tea had two warm, freshly baked scones, a selection of finger sandwiches and a slice of cake (Image: Emily Davison)

After several hours spent using the spa facilities, which included a thermal pool with a number of different water experiences to try out, we headed over to the hotel itself.

The hotel features a gym and a larger swimming pool with a jacuzzi, along with a bar and restaurant.

The rooms were spacious and modern, including a TV with access to Sky Films, mod cons like an iron, a coffee maker and a hairdryer, and comfortable chairs with views overlooking the racetrack.

The spa facilities include a thermal pool with a number of different water experiences to try out, (Image: Emily Davison)

Dinner at the hotel's Squirrels Restaurant is a must-do while you are there, along with a menu featuring seasonal specials using UK sourced produce they also offer a menu of classic and house special cocktails, with some of the best I’ve tried outside of London.

The menu consists of dishes like seared scallops with chorizo, fillet steak and hand cut chips, along with delicious desserts like honey cake served with berry compote.

The food is definitely worth the price with good portions and delicious flavours.

At the hotel's Squirrels Restaurant, the menu features seasonal specials using UK sourced produce. (Image: Emily Davison)

We also tried some of the cocktails including their Old Fashioned and the July Cup, which was one of their specials made with fresh apple and gin, and it was the perfect summer cocktail.

The hotel is situated within a 30-minute drive of the busy city of Cambridge, known for its opulent university campus buildings, riverside punts and links with some of the UK’s most famous intellects and creatives.

We visited the Cambridge University Botanic Garden, which dates back to 1762 and features 8,000 species of plants, ranging from hot houses filled with cactus plants and Himalayan rock gardens, to classic English country roses and wildflower meadows.

The Cambridge University Botanic Garden dates back to 1762 and features 8,000 species of plants. (Image: Emily Davison)

The garden stretches over 40 acres and you could easily spend a few hours here wandering around and exploring the different greenhouses and gardens on offer.

You could easily spend a few hours exploring the different greenhouses and gardens on offer. (Image: Emily Davison)

My personal highlight was the lake covered with water lilies, which was a hotspot for wildlife and definitely a great spot if you fancy taking a picnic.

The lake covered with water lilies is a hotspot for wildlife and a great spot if you fancy taking a picnic. (Image: Emily Davison)

There’s also an on-site café and shop if you fancy grabbing a drink after your visit around the gardens.

Cambridge also has plenty of other activities on offer, from punting on the river Cam to walking around its many picturesque streets and parks on a summer's day.

The weekend felt like a complete reset and if you are looking for your next relaxing staycation this place is well worth a visit.

The weekend felt like a complete reset. (Image: Emily Davison)

The two-night Summer Staycation experience at Bedford Lodge Hotel and Spa is currently running up until August 31, which includes a two night stay, breakfast, spa access and tickets to the Cambridge University Botanic Garden.

The experience is priced at £480 for single rooms or £560 for a couple sharing.