The Old Bank Hotel

Rooms and decor

Picture a honey-stone Georgian bank building standing right on High Street in the heart of old Oxford, then imagine someone with a real eye for design turning it into a boutique hotel — that is the charm of The Old Bank Hotel, a 5-star independent that Jeremy Mogford brought back to life from an old bank. Inside are 43 rooms done in a restrained contemporary style that sits easily alongside the character of the historic building. Ceilings are high, windows are large, and many rooms open their curtains straight onto ancient spires and old colleges. Bathrooms are finished in marble, the beds are comfortable, and because this is an old building each room has its own shape and size — nothing like the identical boxes of a big chain. If you like a stay with character and a story rather than four identical walls, you will probably fall for this place from the first step.

Food and amenities

What sets The Old Bank apart from any other hotel in town is the owner's contemporary British art collection, hung right through the building from the lobby and corridors and stairs to the rooms and the restaurant. Walking anywhere in the hotel feels like taking in a gallery, a small detail that adds a lot to the stay. The food side centres on Quod Brasserie & Bar on the ground floor, facing High Street — one of the busiest and most popular spots in town. Locals pack in from morning coffee through lunch to dinner, with contemporary European food served in a high-ceilinged, airy room that has the real buzz of a brasserie. And the part many people love is the rooftop terrace, where you can sit with a drink and take in Oxford's famous Dreaming Spires in panorama — an angle no other hotel in the city can offer.

Location and getting there

If this place has one trump card, it is the location, full stop. The Old Bank sits right on High Street — "the High" — at the very heart of old Oxford, and you step out into the middle of the city's loveliest colleges and ancient buildings. It is about a 3-minute walk to Radcliffe Camera, the iconic round building, and the Bodleian Library, with University Church of St Mary the Virgin directly across the road. Christ Church, the college used to film Harry Potter, is about 5 minutes on foot. You can wander the old stone lanes, drop into the historic Covered Market or head to the river without ever taking a car. Oxford railway station is about 12–15 minutes away on foot or by car, with easy connections into London and a central bus stop nearby. If you want to wake up and explore the university and old town from the most central point possible, this location is close to a perfect ten.

Things to know before booking

To help you decide, here is the straight talk. The trade-off for being in the heart of the High is noise — rooms facing the street give you the full city atmosphere, but you also get traffic, evening crowds and the early church bells that come with an old university town. If you are a light sleeper, ask at booking for a quieter inward-facing room. The other thing is that this is a boutique hotel in a historic building, so there is no spa, no pool and no gym — anyone after full resort-style facilities may find it light on amenities. And because it is an old building, rooms vary in size and shape, some roomy and some compact, so check the room type carefully when you book. Last is the car question — parking in central Oxford is scarce and costs money, the streets around the hotel are a restricted zone, and anyone driving in is better off planning parking ahead or using the city's Park & Ride.

Our take

After reading through hundreds of real reviews, The Old Bank Hotel is a hotel selling a central old-town location that is genuinely hard to beat, plus real character from the whole-building contemporary art collection and the memorably lively Quod Brasserie. If the trip in your head is exploring Oxford's colleges and stone lanes from early morning, coming back for a drink on the rooftop under the spires, then closing the day with dinner at Quod without ever taking a car, this is the most complete pick in town. If instead you want somewhere quiet and away from the bustle, or a full spa and pool, the central location and boutique style here may not tick every box. Overall we give it 9.2/10, best for couples and travelers who want to soak up Oxford from the true centre of town.