Randolph Hotel

The hotel has 151 guest rooms split between the main Grade II-listed Victorian building and a more modern annexe. Rooms come with comfortable beds, a desk, a small table with some chairs, a flatscreen television with premium channels, a fridge, a trouser press, ironing facilities and tea and coffee making facilities plus en-suite bathrooms with either Elemis, Molton Brown or Penhaligon toiletries.

The hotel suites are much larger with separate living and sleeping areas extra luxuries such as walk-in showers that feature their own TVs.

The interior decor gives a nod to Oxford’s academic heritage with crests of Oxford’s colleges, antique-style furnishings and patterned fabrics (including some tweed). Some people may find the decor a bit stuffy and old-fashioned, but it fits perfectly with the city and the historic nature of the university.

The hotel features in the Inspector Morse television series and also in its sequel, Lewis. and several of the Inspector Morse (and Lewis) episodes were filmed in the hotel.

Public areas include the Acanthus Restaurant, the Drawing Room and Lounge, Morse Bar and the Cartoon Bar and there is also a Club Lounge accessible only to guests staying in the hotel’s best rooms.

As soon as you enter the hotel you pass the Morse Bar (named after the TV show in which it was heavily featured). This is a cosy spot for a drink that is very popular with fans of Inspector Morse.

The Acanthus Restaurant serves classic British cuisine in a traditional setting decorated with the crests of Oxford colleges and oil paintings with comfortable leather sofas. It is a lovely spot for a meal, although a tad on the pricey side.

The elegant Drawing Room and Lounge is a lovely spot for afternoon tea and the Cartoon Bar is another elegant bar that is a great spot for a pre-theatre drink.

The restaurants and bars have the ambience of a private members’ club and are a great spot to relax even if you’re not staying at the hotel.

The hotel also includes a spa, sauna and steam room; however, there is an additional charge to use these facilities.

Business facilities include several meeting rooms including a stunning Ballroom, which holds up to 400 guests.

Free Wi-Fi wireless internet access is available throughout the hotel.

On-site parking is available but it comes at an additional cost of £32 per day.

The hotel is located directly across the road from the Ashmolean Museum and most sights in central Oxford are not much more than a five to 10-minute walk away. The Gloucester Green bus and coach station is a four-minute walk from the hotel and Oxford railway station is a 12-minute walk away.