The archetypal Oxford hotel of unbridled luxury

Advantages: Beautiful ambiance, sybaritic surroundings, unrivalled dining experience (especially Afternoon Tea), polite and helpful staff
Disadvantages: Expensive!

...Oxford, a seasoned city of culture and erudite beauty, is peppered with dreaming spires and archaic edifices. In keeping with the city's understated beauty and elegance is The Macdonald Randolph Hotel, or more simply, The Randolph. Built in 1864 by the architect William Wilkinson, the Victorian Gothic hotel stands dignified on a street of Georgian facade, opposite the world famous Ashmolean Museum. A skip and a jolly hop (or 200m if you're stoically set on metric) from city centre, it is one of the most central hotels. It is this distinctive architectural history and location that marks The Randolph as the ideal bedrock for exploring Oxford. Having attended university at Oxford, there was never quite a good enough reason to obliterate my bank account (and the possibility of any future loan-related banter with the HSBC) on a night...

bellahuang86 18.10.2007 (24.10.2007) · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Macdonald Randolph Hotel, Oxford

Old Macdonald had a 5-star Hotel - eee ai eee ai oh

Advantages: It's spectacular and surprisingly quiet and the best location in the city
Disadvantages: Parking, high prices.

...As a student at Oxford University in the late 1980s, the Randolph seemed like the physical embodiment of the class divide that afflicted poor kids like me who came from state schools from the much wealthier students who took the affluence and grandeur of the city's finest hotel entirely in their stride. I'd never been in such a grand hotel and the closest thing to a grand building in my home city was the local branch of Lloyds Bank. My flat mates' parents would arrive each term and take us out to the Randolph for rather staid Sunday lunches in the spectacular high ceilinged dining room where we'd sit and watch the world cycle by through the tall windows. By contrast my parents would visit bringing a bag full of fish and chips or a Chinese take-away. I can't really say that we enjoyed the Randolph that much more than a take...

koshkha 11.10.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Review of Macdonald Randolph Hotel, Oxford

Hotel perfect for exploring oxford

Advantages: Lovely hotel full of character
Disadvantages: Slightly loud extractor fan in the bathroom!

...I stayed in this B&B (Its called a hotel, but i would class it more as a B&B) for 1 night whilst on a business trip, and was not disappointed. I was feeling rather energetic at the end of my first day, and as the sun was still shining I decided to get out my map and walk back to the hotel. It is number 100, Banbury road, and it took me around 20 minutes to walk from the main part of the town, and I foudn it very easily, it was literally just a straight road. They have plenty of free carparking if you drive there. I rung the bell on the reception desk and a very friendly lady took my details and walked me up to my room, which was lovely. It wasn't massively huge, but big enough for me, and they had very kindly upgraded me from a single to a double room for no extra cost because they were quiet on that night, how nice of them...

LittleHB 04.04.2007 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Parklands Hotel, Oxford

Randolph Hotel - Expensive Luxury

Advantages: Friendly staff, lovely rooms, good service
Disadvantages: Quite expensive and dining isn't the best

.... Whilst the room was very nicely decorated, with a huge bed and sofa, we were disappointed by the large damp stain by one of the walls. Also the undersheet on our bed was torn, but when we notified house keeping they changed the sheets straightaway and left us a little box of chocolates and a hand written apology which was a lovely touch. We didn't bother complaining about the stain. The concierge service is also very good and the hotel can provide an array of items that you may have forgotten. They happily provided me with a few extra items i had neglected to bring. This is undoubtedly an expensive hotel and all the trimmings will cost you, however for a romantic getaway it was lovely and Oxford is a beautiful city. The staff were friendly and helpful and i would love to go back one day - maybe when i've saved up a bit first! I...

leafy81 08.11.2007 (22.11.2007) · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Macdonald Randolph Hotel, Oxford

Travel Lodge, Pear Tree, Oxford

Advantages: budget price, but clean accomodation and helpful staff
Disadvantages: not enough parking spaces for busy times

...Have stayed here a few times when visiting my sister in Oxford. Always booked online which is really easy to do, and if you book early enough which I try to I have been lucky enough to book at the supersaver rate of £10 (this has now gone up to £15) but still really really good value. Its usually around £45-£50 if you book at the last minute. The hotel is clean and the reception neat and inviting. The staff are welcoming and helpful and in the reception are 3 vending machines one with essential items like toothbrushes, shampoo, razors etc, (just in case like my husband you forget to pack a toothbrush!!) a drinks machine, and a snack one as well. The first time I stayed I took my daugher with me and arrived quite late at night and asked for a travel cot. No problem, one was quickly placed in my room. The rooms are clean and tidy...

sarahj0801 18.02.2007 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Travelodge Hotel, Oxford

Holiday Inn, Oxford (Peartree Roundabout)

Advantages: Modern, great location, excellent facilities
Disadvantages: Can be expensive if not booked through a deal

...I have stayed at this hotel numerous times over the past few years, most recently for a long weekend in October 2009. The Hotel The hotel is just off the A34 approximately 15 minutes outside the City Centre of Oxford, and is easily accessible whether you are approaching from the north or the south. The hotel is large and modern. There is a large reception area as you enter the hotel. To the right of the reception is a sizeble bar area, and the restaurant sits just off the bar in a separate room. The staff are always extremely friendly and welcoming and work to ensure that you are checked in efficiently. Each time you pass reception they make a point of greeting you. There is a pool which is available to residents free of charge. Standard Rooms The rooms are a good size and are always clean. Each room includes an open...

anslomic 07.12.2008 (24.10.2009) · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Holiday Inn, Oxford

The Barcelo quite a nice hotelo :)

Advantages: Friendly staff, near bus stop, excellent food, comfy beds
Disadvantages: Long walk to some rooms, price of food if no included

...I would recommend this place to friends and family and anyone who's reading this review...its also a lot lot cheaper than a lot of the hotels in the town centre oh and one more thing, they have a huge car park which is free to keep you car in, many of the other hotels in oxford dont have this facility and all they can do is give you a 10% discount for the pay car parks which would end up costing a fortune. Anywho if your planning on a wee visit to Oxford have a great time and I hope you enjoyed my review :)...

purplifried 21.04.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Barceló Oxford Hotel, Oxford

3 Star hotel? Are you kidding me?

Advantages: Close to city centre, cheap compared with other hotels
Disadvantages: Thin walls, poor/no service, no cleaning, cold shower, paltry breakfast

...I am a student at Oxford University, and I recently booked a weekend break for my parents in Oxford in Victoria House Hotel, seeing that it promised satin and silk and all sorts of luxuries in their website and leaflets, and it was very close to city centre. My parents were VERY unhappy with it and I feel it's important to reflect their views. - Booking the hotel was pretty troublesome. My dad rang twice and I rang twice and finally I got through to the receptionist. His English wasn't very good so it was difficult to get him to understand what I was looking for, and answer my questions. I eventually managed to book a room but had to give him my credit card details. - The website promised £69 a night for a double room (2 guests) but when my parents arrived, the surly receptionist pointed to a board on the wall that said £80 a night...

bellahuang86 18.03.2007 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Victoria House Hotel, Oxford

No mum it's not a petrol station, it's the Holiday Inn Oxford.

Advantages: Great Price. Good location for roads. Next to park and ride, cheaper than paying for parking!
Disadvantages: Another Holiday Inn, nothing that unique about it. Surly reception staff.

...August sees the birthday of my mother, an annual event that our family comes together to celebrate in one way or another. We have had a rather turbulent year so my brother and I felt it was necessary to take my mother and father away for a birthday celebration as a family. After a good trawl of the internet we decided to visit Oxford. As my brother has two young children it was necessary to consider a family room, ideally with some facilities to keep the children entertained, so we found ourselves at Holiday Inn Oxford. Booking I booked the hotel at www.holidayinn.co.uk as part of their summer promotion. The rate was half price at £49 a night including breakfast which for Oxford in the heart of summer was cheap. The credit crunch certainly has provided us with LOTS of bargains! Once booked I received an e-mail confirmation...

atlantis140 30.10.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Review of Holiday Inn, Oxford

  Vintage Australia

Advantages: Attractive countryside, attractive wines
Disadvantages: Creeping urbanisation, and industrial-scale production

...Adelaide, capital of South Australia, is a pleasant place, but, as so often with cities, some of the best places to visit locally are found outside the city itself. To the east, Mount Lofty and the Cleland Wildlife Park offer good walking and spectacular views across Adelaide to the ocean beyond. To the south, long and almost deserted beaches stretch past the mouth of the Murray River towards Kangaroo Island. And to the north-east lies Australia's most important wine-growing area, centred on the Barossa Valley. Under the guidance of our Australian friends, my wife and I saw - and enjoyed - all three during our short stay in Adelaide. Among them, though, I would without hesitation recommend the Barossa Valley as providing the best combination of cultural and scenic interest, as well as the tastiest refreshment along the way...

torr 06.07.2005 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Review of Barossa Valley (Australia)