Plain walls and curtains; window too high to see out; no artworks; tiny, functional, shower-only bathroom. I could have been in a superior Premier Inn. “Period features and playful touches with a nod to the past offer a sense of provenance and place” says the blurb. Not in my room.
The restaurant is called Treadwells, recalling a notorious 19th-century passage that once stood in its place. Treadwell Passage was full of hawkers, scavengers and intrigue, but the hotel’s attempt to recall its characters by “referencing them in playful ways throughout the menu” seems misplaced and confusing to me.
Want a full English for breakfast? Its “playful” replacement is a peculiar muffin smothered with roasted bacon, scrambled egg, spring onion, coriander and chilli with a smashed sausage patty, apparently playfully replacing a standard sausage, on the side.
Please, don’t give me soundbites. Give me nice surprises – a wow factor here and there – and give me warmth, character, heart and soul. As a matter of fact, I found both at the Store, though not on the ground floor and not in the bedrooms.
Down in the basement is a gorgeous little spa with scented thermal suite, walnut-panelled relaxation area and a couple of treatment rooms.
Source link : https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/england/oxfordshire/oxford/the-store-boswells-oxford-hotel-review/
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Publish date : 2024-06-03 12:00:00
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