St. Ives Hotels: Where to Stay in Cambridgeshire

St Ives, Cambridgeshire, has a short list of lodging we could confirm. This guide covers hotels in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, England, with two properties we checked against more than one source. We dropped three names from the old version of this page because we could not verify them. We also explain how to choose a base, how to reach the town, and what to see once you arrive. Rates change daily, so we do not quote any. Confirm every detail with the property before you book.

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Hotels in St Ives, Cambridgeshire: What We Could Confirm

Dolphin Hotel St Ives

The Dolphin Hotel stands on London Road in St Ives, postcode PE27 5EP. Two booking sites list the same address, and one gives the number as 1 London Road. We found no phone number we could trust, so check the current number on the hotel’s own listing before you call.

A booking listing counts 67 rooms. Check-in runs from 2:00 PM and check-out ends at 11:00 AM on the listing. Listed amenities include free Wi-Fi, parking, 24-hour reception, a restaurant and bar, a fitness room, and meeting and banquet space. The hotel is described as a historic coaching inn. Some rooms have views of the River Great Ouse, and a riverside terrace and garden are listed.

Pets are welcome on request, according to one listing. Wheelchair accessible facilities appear in the same listing. We could not confirm which rooms are accessible, so describe your needs when you call.

Booking sites show the hotel under the name Dolphin Hotel Cambridge in some places. The St Ives address is the same. Brand details differ across sources, so we do not name an operator. Check the name on the booking page before you pay.

Pick the Dolphin if you want the largest property we found, a restaurant on site, and a base close to the river.

The Old Ferry Boat Inn in Holywell

The Old Ferry Boat is a Greene King inn with rooms. The address is Holywell, St Ives, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE27 4TG. Call 01480 463 227. The inn sits in the village of Holywell, not in St Ives town centre. Wikipedia places Holywell about 6 miles east of Huntingdon and names St Ives as the post town. We did not find a sourced distance from the inn to the St Ives centre, so check a map before you book.

Greene King lists seven en-suite rooms, with check-in at 2:00 PM and check-out at 11:00 AM. The listing names a beer garden, a car park, disabled facilities, an outdoor play area, wedding facilities, and Wi-Fi. A second listing says Wi-Fi carries a charge, so ask when you book. Dog-friendly rooms are available.

Breakfast runs from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM on weekdays and from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM on weekends. The kitchen serves evening meals until 9:00 PM, and the inn is known for pub classics and Sunday roasts.

The building has a long story. Greene King says the inn traces its origins to 560 AD and is widely believed to be the oldest pub in England. Wikipedia says the inn claims to be among Britain’s oldest pubs. Treat the date as a local claim, not a proven fact. A legend tells of a young woman named Juliet who died around 1050, and a stone slab in the floor marks her reputed grave. Paranormal groups visit each year on March 17. The artist W. F. Garden lived at the inn from 1904 until his death in 1921.

Pick the Old Ferry Boat if you want a thatched riverside pub with a handful of rooms and you plan to drive.

Old Listings We Dropped

The previous version of this page named three more properties. We could not verify them, so we removed them.

The Golden Lion Hotel appeared in one booking-site result with a Market Hill address. We could not open a reliable page for the property, and another listing we opened showed an unrelated hotel in Cambridge. We cannot say the Golden Lion takes overnight guests today.

The Swan at St. Ives and the Oliver Cromwell Hotel returned no confirming source at all. Our research tools hit a search limit before we could dig further. Do not book either name without finding a current official page and a phone number.

If you find one of these three open and taking guests, call to confirm room availability, then tell us. We will add the property once two sources agree.

Where to Stay in St Ives for the Town Centre

Booking listings place the Dolphin beside the river. Wikipedia describes the town as sitting on the River Great Ouse between Huntingdon and Ely, so a riverside base keeps you near the water.

The Norris Museum stands on The Broadway, St Ives, PE27 5BX. The museum tells the story of Huntingdonshire from 160 million years ago to today. Entry is free. Opening hours are Monday to Saturday, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The museum lists a temporary exhibition on St Ives Bridge and Chapel through February 2027. Call 01480 497314 to confirm hours before you travel.

We did not source walking times between the hotels and the museum, so we do not state any. Use a map app on the day.

Motels and Budget Options Near St Ives

English towns rarely use the word motel. The nearest match is a roadside inn or a small hotel with parking. We found no motel in St Ives under the motel label.

Of the two properties we confirmed, the Old Ferry Boat is the smaller and simpler stay. The inn offers seven rooms, a car park, and pub meals. The Dolphin offers more rooms and more services. We do not quote rates, so compare the total with taxes and fees on two booking sites and by phone.

If you want more choice, search Huntingdon and Cambridge as well. The guided busway links St Ives with both. We did not check hotels in those towns for this guide.

Things to Do Near Your St Ives Hotel

St Ives Bridge dates from 1426, according to Wikipedia. The stone bridge carries a chapel dedicated to St Leger at its centre. The bridge was the only direct road route south until a bypass opened in 1980.

Holt Island is a nature reserve formed where the River Great Ouse splits. Wikipedia lists raised boardwalks, seating areas, and an information room. Access runs through the All Saints Church churchyard. We could not confirm opening times, so check before you go.

Markets run on Mondays and Fridays, and a farmers’ market runs on the first and third Saturdays. A carnival and music festival happens each July, and the town holds a Michaelmas Fair. Dates shift from year to year, so check the town’s listings for the current schedule.

The Norris Museum, covered above, adds a free indoor stop on a wet day.

Getting to St Ives and Moving Around

St Ives lies between Huntingdon and Ely, and Cambridge is several miles to the south. The Cambridgeshire Guided Busway runs about 16 miles between Cambridge, Huntingdon, and St Ives. St Ives is the northern end of the line.

Wikipedia reports a trip from St Ives to Cambridge Science Park took about 20 minutes in one study. Route A runs between Trumpington and St Ives with six buses per hour at peak times. Timetables change, so check the operator before you travel.

Greene King says the nearest airport to the Old Ferry Boat is London Stansted. A bestloved listing says the inn lies about 30 minutes from the historic centre of Cambridge. We did not confirm drive times from the airport, so check a route planner.

Guests at the Old Ferry Boat should plan to drive, because the inn sits in a village. Guests at the Dolphin can reach the town centre by foot or by bus, though we could not confirm a walking time.

How to Choose Where to Stay in St Ives

Groups and business travelers should look at the Dolphin first. The listing names meeting and banquet space, a restaurant, a fitness room, and 24-hour reception.

Couples who want atmosphere should look at the Old Ferry Boat. The thatched building, the river setting, and the pub dining make a distinct stay.

Dog owners can ask both properties. The Old Ferry Boat lists dog-friendly rooms. The Dolphin lists pets on request. Ask about fees and room limits.

Guests with mobility needs should call both properties. Each listing mentions accessible facilities, but we could not confirm room details.

Travelers without a car should favor the Dolphin and the busway. Travelers with a car can use either property.

Before you pay, confirm the property name, the cancellation terms, parking, breakfast hours, and late arrival rules. Ask for the total with taxes and fees.

What We Checked and What We Could Not

We checked the Old Ferry Boat against the Greene King inn page, a BestLoved listing, and Wikipedia. We checked the Dolphin against two booking-site listings. We took the museum details from the Norris Museum site and the town details from Wikipedia.

We could not confirm current rates, the Dolphin phone number, the Dolphin operator, the Golden Lion, the Swan, or the Oliver Cromwell Hotel. Several hotel sites blocked our requests, and we did not work around the blocks. Phone numbers and policies change, so confirm each detail with the property before you travel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Hotels in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, come down to two confirmed choices. The Dolphin Hotel gives you more rooms and services beside the river. The Old Ferry Boat Inn gives you a small thatched inn in Holywell. We dropped the Golden Lion, the Swan, and the Oliver Cromwell Hotel until someone confirms them. Call ahead, confirm the property name and policies, and book early.

Where else to stay in England. Every guide we have for the region.