The Store Oxford

Rooms and decor

Picture an old department store that locals walked in and out of for almost three hundred years, closing one day, then brought back to life as a smart boutique hotel — that's the charm of The Store Oxford. The building is the legendary Boswells store on Broad Street, which traded in Oxford from 1738 before it shut, and the developers chose to convert it top to bottom into a contemporary lifestyle hotel with 101 rooms and suites. The design keeps the spirit of the old building in the details and adds fresh, sharp modern touches: warm tones set against designer furniture, fabrics and surfaces chosen with care, so every room has a boutique character rather than the look of a standard chain. Rooms are easy on the eye, beds are soft, the in-room touches are well chosen, and many windows open onto the lively heart of the university city. Wake up to soft English light and a view of the old town. A lot of reviews agree the hotel is new, clean, good-looking and photogenic from nearly every angle — if you like something new and design-led but still want the story of a historic building, this mood should land from the moment you step into the lobby.

Food and amenities

If this hotel has a single heart, it's the rooftop bar, The Roof, which has become one of the city's sought-after corners. Head up and you get an open view over Oxford's spires, towers and old rooftops stretching into the distance — a rare thing, since the centre has few tall buildings. In the soft early-evening light, ordering a cocktail and watching the city slowly turn gold is the experience people keep mentioning. The mood is modern and unfussy, and it's open to non-guests too. Downstairs, the Treadwell restaurant serves contemporary British food with seasonal ingredients, plated nicely in a relaxed, design-led room that works for breakfast before you head out and for an easy dinner. Beyond food and drink there's a spa with treatments to unwind after a day of walking, a gym for anyone who doesn't want to skip a workout, and a concierge to help book tours, restaurants and trips around the city, plus free Wi-Fi throughout. Altogether it's a hotel you can settle into all day, with a good bar, restaurant and design-led spaces in one place.

Location and getting there

Location is genuinely the trump card here. The Store sits on Broad Street, one of Oxford's prettiest and best-known streets, directly opposite Trinity College — open the door and you're in the heart of the university city. From here it's a few steps to the Sheldonian Theatre, the classic ceremonial building designed by Christopher Wren, the legendary Blackwell's bookshop with its huge underground book room, and the Bodleian Library, one of the oldest libraries in Europe. The Radcliffe Camera, the city's iconic round building, and the University Church of St Mary, whose tower you can climb for a view, are both within about a 5-minute walk. If you like to ditch the car and explore on foot all day, this location is a dream — nearly every major sight and famous college is clustered within walking distance. For longer trips it's convenient too: Oxford rail station is about a 12-15 minute walk or a 5-7 minute taxi, and from there trains reach London Paddington in around an hour.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. The first thing to know is that The Store is a very recently opened hotel, so while the rooms and shared spaces are new and good-looking, some reviews note that service and back-of-house systems aren't fully bedded in yet — coordination or responding to requests doesn't always flow as smoothly as at long-established hotels. That's common for a new opening and should keep improving. The second is room size: because this is a conversion of the old department store, some room types, especially the entry-level ones, are more compact than some expect at this level, so if space matters, choose a higher room category or a suite when you book. The third is noise and facilities — rooms facing Broad Street or the busy Cornmarket side can pick up some daytime noise from the city centre, so ask for a room facing into the building for more quiet. And there's no swimming pool here; the facilities lean toward the rooftop bar, restaurant, spa and gym, so anyone planning a pool-side stay should adjust expectations.

Our take

From reading a range of real reviews, The Store Oxford sells its central Broad Street location, contemporary design inside the legendary Boswells building, and a rooftop bar with spire views with real character — one of the freshest and most exciting new options in Oxford right now. If your trip looks like waking up and walking a few steps into Trinity College, the Sheldonian and the Bodleian, coming back for a drink and spire views on The Roof in the evening, then finishing with dinner at Treadwell in a modern, design-led room, this is about the most polished new choice in the city. But if you care most about spacious rooms, service that's settled at every touchpoint, or a full pool, the compact entry-level rooms and the fact that the hotel is still in its early days might give you pause. Overall we give it 8.5/10 — best for couples and travellers after a new, modern, design-led lifestyle boutique in the heart of university Oxford.