I will be in Oxford the latter part of June. I have a reservation at the Heather House, but would like to know of favorite hotels, B & Bs where others have stayed at in Oxford. I generally am very happy with 'Rick Steves' type accommodation. I travel solo & look for clean, smaller places to stay not too far from a city center as I rarely have a car.
Posted by
Long Beach, California, USA
3398 posts
I've stayed at the Lakeside Guest House a couple of times and really like it. It's right on the main road leading into Oxford from the south. It's about a 10 minute walk to the city center and there is a bus stop right outside if you don't want to walk. Very clean, excellent breakfast, nice owner.
Posted by
Uppsala, Sweden
7055 posts
I haven't stayed at Heather House, but have considered it a few times, and have stayed at other B&Bs on Iffley road. An in general it is a nice area, a lot cheaper than the city centre and calmer. Even if there can be a bit traffic on Iffley road. It is also not far from Cowley road where you can find several restaurants.
It is walking distance from the city centre, but if you don't fancy walking or if the english weather shows is rainier side is it just a short bus trip to the centre.
Posted by
Virginia, USA
5867 posts
Last May, I stayed at the Porterhouse Grill and Rooms. It was much more expensive than the places where I usually stay, but I booked less than 6 weeks out and my choices were very limited. They include a huge breakfast and it was just about 2 blocks from the train station. I spent one day exploring Oxford, one day at Blenheim (bus from train station) and one day on a tour of the Cotswolds so the location worked well for me.
https://www.theporterhouse-oxford.com/
Posted by
20 posts
We're Oxford bound this spring. I've done lots of research. Hotels such as Heather House are outside town, and we're doing public transportation. I'm not interested in taking a taxi/walking/ or taking the bus. This is a vacation. ;)
Almost all the places I've looked at are very small. The closer you get to town, the higher the cost. Those rooms are small too. If you want something nice, look to spend $200 USD or 153 pounds or 181 euro.
A Marriott Courtyard opened in 2019. It's in town. Cost was about 180 - 200 pounds. This would be slightly over $500 USD for 2 nights.
If you have Marriott points, a room for 2 nights will set you back 27,500 points. If you know anything about the Marriott program, you'll know this is a steal. I booked my room, because Heather House and others didn't cut it. While I would prefer the charm of an English B&B, it wasn't meant to be in Oxford.
My wife and I have used the Rick Steve's books for 20 years. We love his style.
Posted by
OP
Twin Cities, Minnesota
2016 posts
dhammer, enjoy your Oxford visit and thanks for your reply. However, I don't mind small rooms and prefer walking and taking the bus. I used to stay at Marriott's when I was still working and they don't say vacation to me.