... As my brother has two young children it was necessary to consider a family room, ideally with some facilities to keep the children entertained, so we found ourselves at Holiday Inn Oxford.
Booking
I booked the hotel at www.holidayinn.co.uk as part of their summer promotion. The rate was half ... Read review
Holiday Inn Oxford, Oxford
This Oxford hotel is a purpose-built, air conditioned Holiday Inn, situated on the north ... more
side of the historic university city.The hotel is ideally located next to the A34 trunk road, with easy access to the M40, Silverstone and M4 motorway. The hotel o...
Holiday Inn Oxford, Oxford
This Oxford hotel is a purpose built Holiday Inn 154 bedroomed hotel WIFI and broadband ... more
situated on the north side of this historic University City The Hotel is ideally located next to the A34 trunk road with easy access to the M40 Silverstone and...
Express is 10 minutes by car from Oxford city centre.The bus stop for the city centre (buses 1 and 5) is 5 minutes' walk from the hotel. There is free car parking at Express By Holiday Inn Oxford Kassam Stadium.A 5-minute walk from the hotel will take you to Ozone Leisure Centre which has a cinema, bowling, bingo, restaurants, a children's activity centre and a leisure club with pool, large gym, steam room, sauna and spa pool. There is a special offer for hotel guests.The hotel's bar/lounge area shows Sky Sports on a big screen. Food can be ordered from local takeaways and eaten there.
Marylebone, the hotel offers comfortable air-conditioned rooms at great-value rates.The Holiday Inn Oxford Circus has an excellent location, quiet and peaceful, but within easy reach of London's many famous and historic attractions.The theatres and shops of the West End, including Debenhams, Selfridges, Harrods and Bond Street, are just a few minutes walk away. Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus are within easy reach.The nearest underground station is Bond Street, which is just 2 minutes walk from the hotel. Oxford Circus London Underground Station is less than 10 minutes walk away.Olivers Restaurant offers traditional English cuisine, alongside international favourites. The Londoner Bar is in the lobby and offers snacks and drinks.All of the en suite rooms have satellite TV, double-glazed windows and tea/coffee.
No mum it's not a petrol station, it's the Holiday Inn Oxford.
A review by atlantis140 on Holiday Inn, Oxford October 30th, 2009
Author's product rating:
Advantages:
Great Price . Good location for roads . Next to park and ride, cheaper than paying for parking !
Disadvantages:
Another Holiday Inn, nothing that unique about it . Surly reception staff .
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
August sees the birthday of my mother, an annual event that our family comes together to celebrate in one way or another.
We have had a rather turbulent year so my brother and I felt it was necessary to take my mother and father away for a birthday celebration as a family. After a good trawl of the internet we decided to visit Oxford. As my brother has two young children it was necessary to consider a family room, ideally with some facilities to keep the children entertained, so we found ourselves at Holiday Inn Oxford.
Booking
I booked the hotel at www.holidayinn.co.uk as part of their summer promotion. The rate was half price at £49 a night including breakfast which for Oxford in the heart of summer was cheap. The credit crunch certainly has provided us with LOTS of bargains!
Once booked I received an e-mail confirmation and all was completed.
Arrival
The hotel is based outside oxford just off the A34. It is at the Peartree interchange, which is adjacent to one of the city’s main park and rides, providing easy access to the city. Oxford is notorious difficult to park in so the park and ride is actually a blessing considering the hotel provides free parking.I will admit, first impressions are not great. My mother thought we were taking her to the motorway services for a weekend as the hotel is located just off the dual carriageway accompanied by a petrol station and a burger king. Not a glamorous location by any means, but certainly convenient.
Check In
The lobby is large and there is plenty of space to wait whilst checking in. When I approached the desk, I was greeted by a very stern receptionist, who was efficient but managed to rub me up the wrong way. She was cold and didn’t even crack a smile. The documents were thrown at me and I was given my room card. I didn’t feel very welcomed.
The Room
The hotel has three main room categories, standard, executive and suite.
The rooms we had booked were all standard and from what I understand the executive rooms gave you bathrobes, mineral water and a few more treats but nothing to write home about!
The hotel was relatively modern and the rooms were in good condition. They had a contemporary style and were typical Holiday Inn carbon copy hotel rooms. Everyone a replica of the other.The room was fitted with the following,
A double bed with average linen. There was a pillow selection menu allowing you to order your favourite pillow from reception. The bed on the whole was comfortable but the mattress was a bit hard.
32” LCD TV with full selection of satellite channels and on-demand movies.
Wired broadband connection @ £15 per day. STEEP!
International telephone
Tea Tray and an empty minibar which could be stocked should you wish or used as a refrigerator.
Trouser Press
Writing desk and seating area.
Large built in wardrobe.
The bathroom was an average size and the water pressure was strong. The towels were very average and you needed to use two to ensure you got dry after a good shower. You could have probably seen through the fabric once it was wet! Standard toiletries were provided but again the quality of these was nothing to write home about.Overall it was a very normal Holiday Inn hotel room. It was fit for purpose but a few tweaks could have made it much better.
Restaurant/Bar
The hotel has a restaurant and a bar.
The restaurant sits at the rear of the hotel and serves traditional European dishes. Although we did not eat here it was certainly busy and the diners appeared to be having a good time. I did hear one customer complaining but his reasoning didn’t seem that valid and I didn’t really take his complaint that serious. It all appeared a fuss over nothing and I felt embarrassed for him rather than the staff!
The hotel bar was very normal. It sat next to the reception and was very open plan, I felt more like I was in an airline holding area waiting to board a plane rather than enjoying my dinner! There was a wide enough selection of drinks and beers and the prices were not that inflated for a hotel. Overall it wasn’t a bad bar, just not that great either!
Facilities
The hotel can cater for a wide variety of events and has conference rooms, available for events should they be required. Given the location of the property I imagine in the week it is busy with business travelers whilst full of tourists to Oxford on the weekend.
The hotel has a health club which provides gymnasium, pool, sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi, free of charge to all guests. After a good night out on the Saturday this was great fun with the kids on the Sunday morning after breakfast and we all had a lot of fun. There was no frowning from the other guests as the kids splashed around and we all felt comfortable unlike some more sophisticated properties where children are not so readily tolerated!
The hotel also has a large car park outside which again, is free for in house guests.
Breakfast
Breakfast was served in the restaurant and there was a huge buffet selection of both continental and English breakfast items. Served between 7am and 11am there was plenty of time to take the breakfast. The quality of food was good and it managed to quell my hunger before my swim!
Check out
Check out was at 12 noon and after returning to the reception desk my bill was presented by a more friendly clerk than the one who checked me in and was settled with ease. Our weekend in Oxford was over and I would certainly consider returning again.
Summary
If you are looking for a good location for Oxford then the Holiday Inn is certainly worth considering. Although not in the city centre, the location is close enough and you will save money compared to a city centre property.
Everything about the property is very Holiday Inn. You will not be wowed but you will have a comfortable stay and to be fair for the price, who can really complain?
If you want to explore Oxford with or without a family then give the Holiday Inn a chance.
Stay completed August 2009. Stay booked at www.holidayinn.co.uk
Advantages: Modern, great location, excellent facilities Disadvantages: Can be expensive if not booked through a deal
...for the many deals that Holiday Inn offers on its website or in the national press. I usually pay between £50 and £75 per room per night which includes a substantial breakfast, although the hotel regularly offers a deal over a weekend where you get two nights bed and breakfast and one dinner for two people for approximately £99 per room per night.
Having stayed in both standard and executive/deluxe rooms, I would not recommend paying a lot more ... ...rooms, as the improvements are not overly significant. However, if it is possible to get an executive/deluxe room for a small fee or as part of an all inclusive deal, it is well worth trying at least once.
The Bar
The bar is open throughout the day to residents and non-residents alike and tend to get rather busy on the weekends. Residents from the Travelodge can often be found in the bar - but at 11pm each night you have to charge drinks to your ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Luxury Facilities, modern and clean Disadvantages: Bit pricey if booking last minute
...free, unlike some of the holiday inns. There is a park and ride bus within walking distance and so access into Oxford Town Centre was easy. It was far better to get the bus than park in the town as this is really expensive. The only downside about this hotel was the restaurant was quite small, although the food was varied and good with cost being competive with local restaurants. If breakfast is not included in your room rate (optional) it is really ... ...the car park which offers breakfast cheaper. I booked online which is cheaper and if you book in advance you can get a better price. There were various online sites offering discounts for this hotel, but I found the actual holiday inn site cheaper when I booked. ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Very clean, excellent value for money, breakfast provided. Disadvantages: A few more nearby dining options would make it a perfect place to stay.
...I stayed here for a few nights in October 2007 whilst visiting Oxford.
The parking lot is large, providing more than ample space even during a fully-booked night. Being right next to the Kassam Stadium, this hotel is super for those wanting to partake in watching Oxford United.
Check-in was very fast and efficient; the staff were very welcoming and polite. Our rooms were on the third floor which was just a short elevator ride from the lobby.
The rooms themselves were spotless. Nicely arranged, with a good sized sofa bed in the room too. The bathroom area was incredibly clean and modern. No bathtub is provided, but the power showers are excellent. Plastic cups, shower caps, soap, face towels are provided in the bathroom. A nice touch: if you forget any bathroom items then you can ask reception for complementary...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Close to Oxford Street for all your shopping needs! Disadvantages: Expensive, really small reception and bar area
...I have stayed in many HolidayInns around the UK, and this has to be one of the smallest. However, what it lacked in grandeur it gained in location. Situated in Marylebone just 5 minutes walk away from Oxford Street for all your shopping needs!. Also just 5 minutes walk from the nearest underground being Bond Street, Oxford Circus station is a 10 minute walk, this is obviously handy as there is no parking at the hotel.
My main reason and attraction for staying in this hotel was a 2 nights for the price of 1 offer that Priority points were offering. If you have never heard of this, it is a scheme offerered by the HolidayInn Group which allows you to gain points for staying at HolidayInn, HolidayInn Express, Crowne Plaza and Intercontinental Hotel Group. Not just in the Uk either but around the world. Once you have...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: cheap, comfortable bed, decent bathroom Disadvantages: nowhere to get food from apart from teh Little Chef, nasty pillows
...Oxford. The HolidayInn would have just worked too expensive for a family of four, so we eventually booked a night in the Travelodge and eventually ended up staying there for four days.
We booked online, as we usually do just a day before traveling, and thus paid the full rate of £60 per night - but it was still less than two thirds of what any other place was offering.
For that, we got a family room with a normal double bed and a sofa with a pull-out for the children.
Travelodge is a chain of cheapo motels, they have 300 sites all over the UK. They operate on the principle of Everything you need and nothing you don't and they claim to keep things simple and consistent because we understand that all you want is a restful place to sleep.
These are certainly admirable principles for many a utilitarian or family trip, and particularly...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
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