Hotels and places in Oxford please

Bob1000

Hello fellow MSE'ers

Me and my dear wife would like to go to Oxford for a couple of days on our anniversary. We are hoping to book in somewhere for 21 & 22 Oct or 22 & 23 Oct. We prefer a hotel, but you folks may know better.

Can anyone reccomend any places to stay in walking distance of the city. We will also need car parking.

Would also like tovisit Blenheim palace and Bicester if we get a chance.

Thank you

appleblossom

Hi Bob, there are a couple of hotels that I can name, one is the Eastgate Hotel :http://www.hotelsrus.co.uk/search.php?ref=AFK74&fn=hotelinfo&HotelCode=EAS&OVRAW=eastgate%20hotel%20oxford&OVKEY=eastgate%20hotel%20oxford&OVMTC=standard and the other is the Randolph: http://www.randolph-hotel.com/index.asp Both are in the City Centre itself, 2-3 minute walk from either and you are at Carfax (the centre of Oxford City Centre). Both have parking, and you are on the right road to either Woodstock or Bicester if you get the chance. They are really the main hotels, you have the Four Pillars up the Abingdon Road, but tbh, if you are looking for something special I would go with either of the above (4 pillars is a bit like a 'better standard' travel lodge. Most of the rest of Oxford is B&B and further out of the city. Blenheim is only a short drive - about 20 mins from either, and Bicester is about half hour-40mins. Hope you have a lovely time in my hometown!.

Bob1000

Thank you Julie

I was hoping someone local would respond and I do appreciate that. I have seen the Randolph come up a few times on various websites, so I will see if I can get either of those two. It also explains why I could not find any of the big chain hotels there!

P.S. I know the wife will love to do some shopping (any chance she gets). Is there any particular place you would recommend where there are many various shops? Also do you know the general closing times on Fri Sat and Sun?

Thank you once again

Nikki

We back onto Iffley Village which has a couple of Hotels. The Tree Hotel and Hawkwell House Hotel. It's a really nice village, a 5min bus ride from town or a 20 min walk if the weather's nice. I find Oxford pretty rubbish for shopping, but you don't live here so you may like it, it's more a tourist/student geared city so lots of historic buildings to see. If you're going to Bicester, go to Bicester village(designer outlet place)not been there though. Not sure of general closing times on fri & sat as I never go into Oxford at the weekend, but I think sun is 11-5.

appleblossom

Np Bob. I'm not sure what your visit to Bicester was for but Bicester Village Shopping Centre is there: http://www.bicester-village.co.uk/bicester/home.asp It's an outlet village but has become very popular. To be honest, I tend to travel to Reading to go shopping as I think it has a better variety of shops - you can drive and it takes about half an hour, or you could get the train. Oxford isn't that great, theres a Debenhams and Marks and Spencers, but Alldays closed down and is still sitting empty. You don't have many individual stores - they are mainly high street stores and mobile phone shops (and lots of cafes etc) - there are some boutiques down the High Street - it depends on what sort of shops your wife likes. As they are mainly high street stores, the opening hours would be probably the same from where you come from - M&S used to close at 8.00pm on a friday but I'm not too sure if it still does, and Sunday is normal sunday hours 11-4pm. Feel free to ask anything else. Heres a couple of links on the shopping in Oxford: http://www.clarendoncentre.co.uk/index.html [url] http://www.oxford.world-guides.com/oxford_shopping.html[/url]. Hope I have been some help to you.

Iona_Penny

If you want to spend less money than the Eastgate or The Randolph then what about the Holiday Inn at Peartree roundabout? No it's not within walking diatance of the centre but right next to the Park and Ride which takes you into the city, and 5 mins by car from Woodstock and Blenheim.

Try the open top bus which is always good in any city, and try walking through Christchurch Meadows from St Aldates, along 'Dead mans walk' and out into Rose Lane and onto Magdlen Bridge.

Felix

Try the http://www.oldparsonage-hotel.co.uk/ it is 10 times better than the over hyped Randolph.

rrwfotr

Hi good website for anything oxford is : http://www.dailyinfo.co.uk hope this helps!!!

karena

The 4 Pillars, Abingdon Road is good but don;t eat there, very expensive, on the bus route but a 10 minute walk into town. Plenty of parking at hotel.

Bob1000

Thank you all for your replies, much appreciated.

I did try all the hotels mentioend, but they were nearly all fully booked or only had the exp rooms left. So I went for "the oxford hotel" paramount on Godstow road, hope that is a good one.

got that thru late rooms for £74 quid, everywhere else was quoting me £100+ for the same place.

I will now wade through the other links in the above

I am planning to spend Fri in oxford, sat in blenheim and oxford and sun at bicester. I think. If anyone thinks I should try something diff order, please say!

thank you

P.S. if any of you are ever around where i live (near heathrow airport) let me know and I will point out the er sights and sounds. Not much hear apart from planes and noise though so I would not recommend it unless you are a plane spotter.

rede

May I suggest staying in woodstock, great b&b's, guesthouses pubs restaurants, A lovely morning walk in Blenheim after breakfast, take the bus into oxford & spend a relaxed evening in Woodstock, Easy to drive to Bicester (for the shopping I presume).

May be a bit biased, but I do live there

http://www.wakeuptowoodstock.co.uk