Browns

There’s no reception. We picked up our keys from a key safe and left them on the desk when we checked out, which made the hotel feel like it ran on a lot of trust. Our en-suite room had a vanity desk and large mirror, a kettle, TV, complimentary WiFi, and hand and body wash from a local business. Housekeeping had left a lovely breakfast tray with teas, milk, sugar, a teapot, and mugs. On the 2nd floor there was a dresser with extra sugar and mugs, plus a fridge with complimentary cold water and milk. Breakfast isn’t included in the room price, but Silvie downstairs serves excellent food made with locally sourced ingredients. It was a lovely addition to our stay. We really enjoyed our time here and would definitely recommend it to anyone staying in Oxford. It’s just outside the city centre, a 30 minute walk or 10 minute bus ride, with a bus stop literally outside the front door and a Co-op down the road. We’ll stay again if we’re in the area.

I loved the refillable water bottles and glasses in the room, and the lovely smelling bathroom soaps. It’s great to reduce packaging and skip those terrible plastic bottles. The bed was gigantic and very comfortable, the room was a great temperature, and the staff were friendly and efficient. We stayed at Browns for my birthday, and I just wanted to say thanks for a lovely stay. It’s close to great restaurants, pubs, bars and gastropubs in East Oxford, including Magdalen Arms, which I highly recommend. The centre is a short bus, taxi, or cycle ride away, and not too long a walk if it’s not snowing. It was a treat to wake up knowing there’d be the option of a top notch breakfast and coffee without leaving the house. I hope I find an excuse to stay again soon.

The location is nice, but the overall experience was jarring. The father and daughter who run the place were very rude and uncouth, which I didn’t expect. They come across as refined at first and can impress you initially, but after a couple of days around them and the place, I felt I could see through the charade they play together. In my experience, they’re shady people who seem to lack all forms of humanity once you get to know them, and are extremely crude. I don’t recommend them based on my experience. Stay here at your own risk, and never pay them any advance if you’re from outside the UK/Oxford. They’ll disappear with the money without a trace of remorse.

Probably the worst place I’ve stayed in the Oxford/London area. The beds smell, the bathrooms are very small, and the hosts come across as the rudest people in the whole of the UK. They charge a bomb for substandard service. Don’t be fooled by the photos.