My room was very clean and confortable, but there were some basic problems with the lodging:
1) The shower wasn't hot enough and the water didn't have enough pressure for me to even consider washing my hair. I got out of the shower freezing because not only there wasn't enough hot water but also the bathroom heating was off
2) My room was very noisy, and whenever someone flushed or used the shower in the bathrooms located above and next to it I would wake up. I couldn't sleep much.
3) The wifi was off and the lady looking after the hotel, although very nice, wasn't much help either. The only information I could get from her was where to catch the bus to the city centre, there wasn't even a map available. I was very late for my first day at the conference because I had to go to the city centre and get a map.
4) The breakfast standard is low and the choice is poor, both in quality and quantity (I could have probably asked for a seconde serving, though)

I am a student on a budget with not particularly high expectations of hotels. That being said, Ashtrees Guest House suited my needs, which was a clean and safe place to crash for the night. At 55 English pounds per night, it was more expensive than I wanted to pay, but due to its somewhat close location to the train station and center of town, I was willing to pay extra. Additionally, after staying at chain hotels, I wanted to experience a bed and breakfast during my time in England. I booked my reservation on Expedia.com, using my credit card. I tried to contact the owners of this bed and breakfast through email twice before my trip (using the email address on their website), but there was no response. I believe the only way to get in touch with them is to call on the phone, which I did not try.

I arrived at Ashtrees at about 8:00pm. The owner opened the door and didn't know that anyone else was arriving to stay. She seemed pretty shocked when I handed her my Expedia printouts confirming my reservations, but *thankfully* there was a room open. It was apparent that this was luck, not that it was reserved for us. The room was alright, with two single beds pushed together, which was fine as I was staying with a friend anyway. The 'bathroom' was odd, with an open panel above the door, the sink out in the main area, and the shower having see-thru glass. I would have preferred to have a shared bathroom, because at least that would have been more private! Regardless, everything was clean and the heater provided enough warmth.

For the "full English breakfast", there were 3 options total: toast, cornflakes, or scrambled eggs. This was okay with me because I only wanted eggs anyway, but other parties in the dining area were visibly upset about the lack of options. Like other commenters have attested, it was the only the owner making breakfast, and she was visibly frazzled, even though the dining area was less than half full. I wanted juice, but I felt bad asking when it was only her. The eggs were decent - I mean it's difficult to mess up scrambled eggs! The dining area was very cute and clean, but it was hard to enjoy it when the other parties were upset and the owner gave off a very stressed-out vibe.

I would come back here, but not after double-checking that my reservations were received!! I don't think that it was worth the 55 pounds, but experiencing Cambridge made up for it.

The only reason we stayed here was because we were relocated here, after being told that our 4-poster bedroom at the Brooklands Guest House and been double-booked. Exactly the same thing happened to another couple in Ashtrees that night - what a coincidence. What was supposed to be a Valentines surprise for myself and my girlfriend was certainly that - but I'd envisaged a pleasant surprise and not a waste of time and money.

The staff didn't speak English properly, the heating was overpowering and on all day and night. It was impossible to turn off the radiator, which meant the temperature in the room was about 28 or 29 degrees. The room was poky, the double bed consisted of 2 single mattresses. The TV was broken, there was no remote. The tap on the sink (which was in the room, not the bathroom) was loose. There was not dressing table provided, the bedside tables were wobbly and made of metal, and the location was on a roundabout, well out of the centre. The "full English" breakfast was probably the best part: 2 rashers of bacon, 1 fried egg, a spoonful of baked beans, 1 tinned tomato and some toast. Oh, and some coffee and "value" orange juice. No sausage, no mushrooms, forget fried bread or anything else.

All in all, I honestly would've preferred to stay in Fawlty Towers. At least Basil would've provided some humurous entertainment. Never stay here - and if everything else in Cambridge is booked, and this is your last resort, then just come to Cambridge another weekend.

Very nice on the phone; coming late and told me they’d leave the key under the mat after 9pm. No probs getting in. (thank you other reviewers who had said this was a problem, so I knew to call as soon as I found that I was going to be late!)

Somewhat dumpy and run down (threadbare carpet that could be vacumed better; paintings screwed to the wall; bleach stain on the bedspread; scuffed floorboards and corners of walls in some places); Could have been cleaned more thoroughly- found hair pin on the tray, and some stray hair on the bed. No lightbulb in one of the room fixtures and light over the basin didn't work. Towel ring coming unscrewed from the wall in the room.

Room (#7, single) was small, but cute and perfectly sufficient for what I needed, which was a safe and comfortable, clean place to sleep. Feels like staying in your aunt’s house, but also a bit like a hostel with a tad more privacy. Good array of leaflets downstairs for tourists. Free wireless, which is a plus.

Heat not on, so it was pretty cold, but bedspreads were nice. Good thing, because there were no extras. Bed not comfortable (really old mattress). Shared bathroom means one very small stall shower and one toilet for the entire house (male and female). One hook and no surface space in the bathroom, so you can either hang your clothes or towel, the remainder goes on the floor and hope the person behind you was neat and didn’t get everything wet. The fan in the shower didn’t work. The bathroom situation is really the top reason why I will never go back here.

This house has lots of stairs and no other way up. Although I couldn't hear others once I closed my door, from the hallway I could hear people in their rooms, and room number 5 is a small door between the toilet and shower, so I felt sorry for those folks.

Breakfast was decent and in a very cute dining room which was in better shape than the rest of the house (coffee was pretty bad, though). There was one young woman fixing breakfast for everyone, and she was busy but very nice.

This is a guest house for backpackers/couchsurfers/students who don’t mind the low grade accomodations and just want a safe, cheap place to lay their head. Think low-end EconoLodge with shared facilities. It’s not as simple as it is presented to get to the place, so don’t bother with a bus, just take a cab.