Vanbrugh House Hotel

We chose this hotel for our wedding celebration, and the room made the day even more special. It had a beautiful bathroom and a private garden, with so much care put into the details. I’m very grateful to manager Fernando and the team. We couldn’t have been happier with everything.

The location is very central, but I wouldn’t stay here again when we visit Oxford in the coming years. For what I paid, I expected much better. Noise came in from outside and from around the hotel late at night and early in the morning, so the windows need improvement. The bed was very hard, the shower drained poorly, and the staff seemed neither particularly friendly nor interested in how my stay was going.

The bed was comfortable, the bathroom clean, and hot water came through straight away. Staff were friendly, and the construction next door didn’t bother us during our stay. We didn’t try breakfast, so can’t comment on it. Vanbrugh House Hotel is in a fantastic spot, right in the middle of everything and on a quiet street less than a 15-minute walk from the train station. It’s an old building, so the layout is a bit maze-like and soundproofing isn’t always great. Rooms may be small. Ours looked onto the inner courtyard and was otherwise quiet, but bottle clatter from cleaning at a nearby restaurant was extremely loud and woke us at night. There’s no air conditioning.

The Vicarage Suite was a large, lovely-looking room and clean enough, but we both slept badly because the mattress was really hard. The hotel was noisy too. I woke several times to what I assume were staff or other guests coming and going. There was a bad drain-like smell, so we had to keep the window open to air the room. The coffee machine was pointless because the cups wouldn’t fit under it. Housekeeping refilled the tea and coffee while we were out but didn’t make the bed or tidy the bathroom. Reception staff were neutral, not rude but not especially welcoming. We were told breakfast wasn’t included, even though our booking said it was. We chose to pay another £20 each for one morning rather than argue, and it felt like a rip-off. We wouldn’t have minded a continental breakfast, but the selection was very poor: a loaf of bread, a few cold pastries, and one kind of cheese and meat. They also gave us a list of what it didn’t include, such as hot food. I’d go elsewhere for breakfast. The location is brilliant, about a 10-minute walk from the station and a few minutes from The Covered Market and central spots. Still, it was incredibly expensive for what we got. I wouldn’t return, and we left feeling disappointed and like we’d been had.