Old Bank Hotel

, Oxford, United Kingdom
Explore Oxford
Nearby Airports
Review this Hotel
Popular Travel Destinations

Recently Reviewed Hotels Around Oxford

Old Bank Hotel

, Oxford
4 star

Rooms: 42

92-94 High Street - Oxford - England - OX1 4BJ - United Kingdom Hotel Website | | 44 01865799599
383 Traveller

Reviews - Old Bank Hotel

Historical Traveller Reviews of Old Bank Hotel

Gets my vote for most disappointing return trip

from milepig
This report is an update to my review from the same time last year. At that time I loved this hotel, good service, bright clean room, etc. and gave it very high marks.

I just returned from another stay, on the same weekend night as last December. This hotel has just won an award for something like the "best designer hotel 2005". Maybe it has gone to their heads. Everything about this hotel this year just seemed somewhat off. The hallway carpets were dirty and worn, our room was small and cramped, the paint was chipped in many places. My bedspread had some rather dodgy spots on it, and the blanket was also less than clean. About that blanket. A blanket? Where was the duvet I would have expected from this level hotel. Just two sheets and a blanket - not even a third sheet. Gross. The turndown service did happen, but they only left one chocolate for two guests. The internet service was 12 pounds and change for 24 hours - that's almost 25 dollars. Last year the resident's bar had free mulled wine at cocktail hour and all was very warm and jolly. This year not only was there no mulled wine, but the bar was completely closed because there was a conference. After I bounced off the door the staff just said "sorry". No offer of alternatives, no offer to send drinks to the room, just "sorry". Actually, "sorry" was a word I heard a lot. (For those who don't travel in the UK a great deal, "sorry" has become the standard throwaway line for everything and is pretty much meaningless in terms of truly being apologetic.) Last year I felt like a welcome guest, this year I felt like a customer they were taking money from while providing the least possible amount of service. All this for a $300 room. Give this hotel a pass, you can do much better elsewhere.

Average - nothing more

from A TripAdvisor Member
Stayed on a saturday night. Ok room. Cost me £205.00 for room only without breakfast. For that I supposedly got a deluxe room: still very small. Bathroom was perfectly acceptable. Bed too soft for my liking. One major problem was that the room was musty. Opened windows and air-con to try and relieve it. Then while out someone came in and sprayed with air conditioner. Disgusting. At £200.00 a room you don't expect spray freshener. Generally this is not a good value hotel (say compared with London or some other hip/modern hotels in the same price bracket). I think Oxford is generally overpriced and crying out for some clever hotelier to come in and offer what should be offered at this price level. They'd clean up.

Elegant hotel in the center of Oxford

from A TripAdvisor Member
Very good hotel in the absolute center of Oxford. Paid for a standard room which turned out to be of higher quality than most other superior rooms I have stayed in. "Pottery Barn" interiors, i.e. wooden floors, dark leather, white sheets. Excellent bathroom and beds. Service helpful and the included parking facilities absolutely necessary if travelling by car. The only downside was an outdated TV, but that is a minor point.

In all an excellent hotel in a superb location.

Charming Old Bank Hotel

from A TripAdvisor Member
The Old Bank Hotel is such a gem, from the hip restaurants, to the location to the comfortable beds, I loved everything about it. Our room looked out to the courtyard restaurant which proved to be a bit noisy in the mornings, but everything else was perfect. I highly recommend the Old Bank for a weekend getaway.

The rooms are a good size, and the bathrooms are large and comfortable.

Cannot fault The Old Bank

from yahooligan
Just back fron a 2 night stay at The Old Bank 05 while visiting our son in Oxford - fabulous hotel, superb location right on the High Street, free car parking behind, really comfortable air conditioned room, decor throughout is good and the original art is great, breakfast not to be missed if you love loads of fresh fruit followed by excellent bacon eggs sausage field mushrooms etc all cooked to perfection, and proper coffee! Quod restaurant is good for lunch and evening meals - try and get a table at the front by a window looking onto High Street - and/or drinks at the bar - a good wine list - (Quod will be perfect when they ban smoking at the bar!). Staff throughout the hotel and restaurant were all extremely friendly, and helpful. Room 12 on 1st floor at front - just a £165 a night standard room but with great view to All Souls College opposite. We had a drink at the Randolph - definately past it's sell by date! All in all well worth paying the bit extra for the Old Bank.

triumph of style over content

from A TripAdvisor Member
Pricey option trading on its location right on the High(which is excellent). Parking is free and reasonably plentiful. Good sized, nicely designed rooms - though looking a bit dog eared in places. Pleasant, helpful staff and a good bar/grill which was surprisingly reasonably priced for food and good selection of drinks/wines.

Shame that overall the experience was underwhelming, DVD player is extra for example so if you want to spend an evening chilling in your room after pounding the streets all day its a bit of a faff with an antiquated TV and rigging up the DVD yourself. Breakfast is extra. Tip : go out and get much better value in the tons of cafes nearby.

All in all would expect better for the price (nearly £200 a night once you chuck in basics). There's a new hotel opening soon to the west in a converted prison so this may help sharpen up their act. Make sure you book the Sunday night half price option which takes the sting out things.

High St heaven...

from A TripAdvisor Member
A perfect hotel from which to explore the beautiful city of Oxford. Every aspect of our stay was of high quality, from the individual welcome to the turndown service and stylish decor; this is "hip" personified. The car park was hard to find here but once we had arrived and checked in, the service and location were perfect to explore the city and colleges - the covered market is a must!

Oxford as Oxford was meant to be

from mktozd
The Old Bank Hotel is one of the few hotels truly in the middle of Oxford on the High and is a fantasic place to stay. The service is very good and the rooms are well appointed and relatively large. The hotel has a nice blend of new and classic style that make it a very plesant place to come home to. The bar restuarant and bar downstairs are very good are frequented by well to do locals and tourists alike. Highly recommend, the only way to see Oxford if you want to be in the center of everything and be able to walk everywhere.

AVERAGE and cold!

from segbird
Fab location but a little disappointing. The hotel, although chic in appearence was disappointing in the practical aspects. The room was very small and only had heating in the bedroom - no radiators in the bathroom - which made it exceedingly uncomfortable in February! Dashing to the bathroom in the cold reminded me of my camping days! The decor initally looked smart but on further inspection is already becoming a little dog-eared with some paint peeling. Minor things, such as the reading lights were operated by one switch which meant you both had light whether you wanted it or not! This hotel is about appearence and not quality.

However, the breakfast was excellent and the staff extremly helpful. It most certainly was not awful but there are better options! (the bar downstairs does some good food).

A great place to stay

from A TripAdvisor Member
As a four star, the old bank is definately punching well above its weight. Me and my boyfriend booked a superior deluxe room for 240 pounds per night for 3 nights with a special offer which gave us Sunday night for half price, and although expensive, we were definately happy. Checking in was smooth and the front desk staff couldn't do enough for us which continued for our whole stay. The room was one of the largest I have ever stayed in with a massive comfortable bed, easy chairs, coffee table and sofa with really cool art work, ice, bottled water but unfortunatly no mini bar. a really beutiful bathroom with the most romantic double sinks. We loved to be able to brush our teeth together. (how cute.) Room service, whether for an iron, wine glasses or food was alway quick. Although the Italian restaurant downstairs was hardly fine dining, we had a good couple of fillet steaks there which were very tasty. Breakfast was superb! With linen nakins, real butter (not cheap individual packs) fresh fruit, real coffee, full english cooked and the most fabulous service. Be warned though. We got down at 10am (the time breakfast is supposed to run to) and were told by the lovely waitress that the kitchen were no longer taking hot food orders. We wanted a full cooked so she directed us to a fantastic cafe instead. On the two days we had breakfast though we were really impressed, (and I work in a hotel restaurant and I'm not easily pleased). I'v read reviews for other hotels from people that said they had to wait 40 minutes for be seated and there is certainly none of that here. We did go to the Randolf for a drink however and were charged 16.90 pounds for 2 gin and tonics! We just took our drinks to a table and laughed! Overall, quite expensive for a four star but worth it and we would definately stay again. The value was probaly in the free broad band if you book a superior dulux or a suite, (something which you can easily rack up 20 pounds a day in other hotels) and the nightly turndown service, (bed turned down with chocolates, fresh water and ice, and classical music playing when you come back to the room after dinner.)

Top Local Tips for Oxford

Bicester Outlet Save up before you go - you can do some serious damage to your bank balance at the outlet

Punting / Christchurch meadow Just down the road from the Old Bank is Magdalen Bridge. There is a boat house there and you can hire a chauferred punt to punt you round the botantical gardens and drop you off to have a picnic and come and collect you later. Put 'oxford punting' into google and the boat hose site will come up. Old Bank will also make you a picnic.

Scrummiest food EVER in Jamie's Italian! You MUST eat at Jamie's Italian ... it is AMAZING! This is Jamie Oliver's restaurant and the food is divine, and so reasonably priced. I had bruschetta (£5) and truffle tagliatelle (£8) and the food was to die for. An amazing dining experience, but you will almosrt certainly need to book....Buon appetito xxx

(hotels)loading

Other names for Old Bank Hotel

  • old bank oxford
  • hotel old bank
  • Address: 92-94 High Street - Oxford - England - OX1 4BJ - United Kingdom
Travel Library Traveller Rating?
9.0/10

See All 383 reviews

Review this Hotel
Candid Traveller Photos
  •  Loading Image...
  •  Loading Image...
  •  Loading Image...
  •  Loading Image...
(hotels)loading

Hotels Near Old Bank Hotel