The Fellows House is a unique apartment-style hotel, where the contemporary blends with the academic history of Cambridge University and its notable Fellows alike. Immersing yourself in the vibrant city’s history during your stay will be easy, as you will find tributes to the remarkable academics and their works everywhere you go in the hotel and its premises.
Such homages are expressed through meaningful art, which includes etched copper pieces, expressionist portraits, and embellished texts together with carefully curated accessories, none of which are quite what they appear to be at first.
We are sure that the time you spend at The Fellows House will be distinctive and memorable as you get to explore the history and lives of Cambridge and its famous Fellows without even having to leave the hotel.
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Cambridge University Fellows, also known as Cambridge Fellows, are academics and researchers who hold prestigious fellowships at the University of Cambridge. These fellowships are awarded to scholars who have demonstrated exceptional expertise and potential in their fields of study. Cambridge University has 31 colleges, and each college has its own fellowship programs and selection criteria.
Fellows at Cambridge University are typically appointed to a specific college, where they engage in research, teaching, and mentoring activities. They contribute to the intellectual and academic life of the university and often play a crucial role in shaping the research agenda and educational programs within their disciplines.
Cambridge Fellows come from diverse academic backgrounds, covering a wide range of disciplines such as science, humanities, social sciences, engineering, and more. They are responsible for conducting cutting-edge research, publishing scholarly works, and supervising students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
They play excellence and advancing knowledge, fostering academic excellence, and shaping the intellectual landscape of one of the world’s most renowned academic institutions.
It is worth mentioning that Cambridge University has a rich history of influential fellows who have made significant contributions to their respective fields. Some notable Cambridge Fellows include luminaries like Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Alan Turing, John Hicks, Rosalind Franklin, and many others who have made ground-breaking discoveries and advancements in their areas of expertise.
Here at The Fellows House, we are deeply inspired by the historic city and its famous Cambridge Fellows. In honour of those prominent Fellows, we have named our 13 room types after those famous academics and researchers. With such rooms The Newton Superior Studio, inspired by the famous physicist Isaac Newton or The Darwin King Studio, which holds many references to the noted naturalist Charles Darwin, as well as The Attenborough Apartment, which is named in reference to one of the most prominent Cambridge Fellows – David Attenborough. Many more rooms with deep academic heritage are available at The Fellows House, with each one of them displaying a unique quote from various Fellows of the University, thus offering guests a way to gain valuable insight into the vibrant lives of the academics.
Each bedroom has unique artwork. Most bedrooms will show a vintage map recoloured with the addition of hand-created patterns, featuring handwritten lines of text from four notable alumni: Siegfried Sassoon (Fellow of Clare College) Henry Cavendish (Fellow of Peterhouse) John Flamsteed (Alumni of Jesus College) and Charles Darwin (Alumni of Christs College).
Also, if you are looking for an intimate events space, look no further! Dedicated to one of Cambridge University’s most iconic Fellows – Stephen Hawking, our meeting space provides an inspiring atmosphere for any business meetings, private events, and dinners. When you step into the luxurious suite, you will be surrounded by stunning artworks showcasing the physicist’s most famous theories. Featuring images of the young Stephen Hawking alongside his ground-breaking discoveries, these unique pieces offer a glimpse into the mind of a true genius. The inspiring ambience of this unique meeting room is perfect for discussing work alongside the legacy of one of the greatest minds of our time.
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Walk through the unique spaces of the hotel with us!
On arrival to The Fellows House, you will see two columns clad in patinated copper stand in Alan Turing’s legacy. The surface of those columns is etched with lines of text in the familiar format of the Enigma secret code. The font is etched in a 1940s typewriter style.
From the hotel lobby lounge, you can enter The Sage of Cambridge. All artwork in The Sage of Cambridge is curated to relate back to study and discovery, whilst representing various Fellows of Cambridge University. The art pieces displayed have been designed to be thought provoking to engage guests, whilst also appealing to a younger audience in a child-friendly manner through the use of playful and colourful elements.
Right after stepping foot into The Fellows House hotel lobby, our guests get to feel the essence of the city. The reception area is adorned with artwork representing cycling, which is the most popular form of transport in the city, with one in three residents cycling to work. This particular art piece shows a new shape masterfully crafted out of classic bicycle frames, thus creating the impression of movement. To celebrate this form of transportation, which has almost become an undeniable feature connected to Cambridge, we offer our guests in-house bicycle hire, which provides an easy way to explore the city like a true local.
In the lobby, you can also see a faux aged wall, made with an authentic lime mortar to create a distressed look, as a celebration of the Cambridge colleges. The notion is that the plaster has fallen away to reveal an ancient wall displaying the college crests. The University of Cambridge is composed of 31 colleges, some of those crests are highlighted on this wall.
Walking to The Folio Bar & Kitchen, you will see a ‘DNA panel’ wall. This art piece was created to celebrate the discovery of DNA by Rosalind Franklin and its unique structure as modeled by Jim Watson and Francis Crick. The discovery in 1953 of the double helix marked a milestone in the history of science and gave rise to modern molecular biology, which is largely concerned with understanding how genes control the chemical processes within cells.
Fun fact: This ‘DNA Panel’ is also embedded with The Fellows House owner’s own DNA profile.
In the hotel corridors you will be able to find uniquely hand-drawn, minimalist, yet meaningful art representing Fellows from various Cambridge University colleges. Similar homage is paid to the university buildings as well, which have been deconstructed into simple silhouettes, creating a surreal perspective on the iconic architecture. The Fellows House displays a perfect blend of history and modernity, allowing guests to capture a unique view of the city.
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Cambridge has a rich cultural and architectural heritage and a thriving art scene, that reflects its rich intellectual environment. There are more than thirty museums and art galleries that showcase a diverse range of art in Cambridgeshire. If you would like to find out about the Museums and Art Galleries of Cambridge, read our previous blogpost here.