The Store is a sleek spot in the heart of the university town.
Oxford has been a centre of learning since the 12th century, and is one of the oldest university towns in the world. The colleges developed in the 13th century, eventually coalescing into what is now called the University of Oxford. Oxford has remained pre-eminent ever since, and is today still consistently ranked as one of the top five universities in the world. I lived in the city when I was a student, and have revisited many times since – most recently, I returned to visit The Store Oxford.
The lore and influence of Oxford still permeate many aspects of British culture, from Harry Potter sets to books including Philip Pullman’s Northern Lights, to modern political life – around one-fifth of British MPs went to either Oxford or Cambridge. At less than two hours’ drive from London, and with regular bus and train services, it’s easily visited from the capital.
The colleges have had several centuries to build magnificent buildings, attract the brightest and best, and flatter the rich into creating and maintaining their huge grounds and lavish halls. The result is a few square miles in the centre of Oxford with historic buildings, devoted to scholarship, and steeped in tradition.
For such an illustrious city of learning, Oxford had remarkably few good hotels for visitors. But the city received a welcome boost when the old Boswells department store – closed during the pandemic downturn – was redeveloped into an independent hotel, The Store Oxford, which opened in 2024.
Rooms and suites
The sandstone façade from 1929 remains, right in the heart of the historic centre, but the interior is now sleekly modern, with all the five-star conveniences you’d expect. Security cards are required to move between floors and corridors; the colour palette is restful –dark greys and plain whites – with clean lines and minimal clutter.
We arrived early – around noon, well before the official 3pm check-in –but our room was made ready promptly, and we were given early access with no fuss. This allowed us to explore the town with our luggage already secure, reassured we could pop back at any time.
The rooms all share this simple aesthetic, but vary in size from compact (16 square metres) to spacious suites more than twice that size. Our room included a small balcony offering good views across the rooftops of a neighbouring college and towards the Sheldonian Theatre. Naturally, there’s fast Wi-Fi, in-room coffee machines, a kettle, room service, air conditioning, a safe, and more.
Restaurants and bars
It’s always puzzled me why a city of such eminence has no restaurants of note – a situation unchanged for all those years. There are indeed charming cafés and historic pubs near The Store Oxford – I love Hamblin Bread in the Covered Market, and The Turf Tavern, down an alleyway next to the Bridge of Sighs.
Perhaps those Oxford undergraduates and dons have always had their minds on higher things, too preoccupied with erudition to worry about mere victuals. The upshot of this is that you might as well dine in the hotel, where you’re guaranteed a table and fast service away from the tourist throngs and traps of neighbouring streets.
The Store’s Treadwell is a relaxing space with an appealing modern British menu. The “fish ’n’ chips” – the menu’s quote marks –comprised a fillet of grilled stone bass (a firm white fish from North Africa), with the accompanying potato chips battered. Usually, British fish and chips have battered fish, not battered chips, but we appreciated this playful inversion of the norm. We also liked the way Coronation Chicken spicing had been used in a sauce to accompany chicken croquettes.
The best meal was breakfast, with plenty of interesting hot dishes (Turkish eggs, avocado on toast with pickled cucumber, roasted mushrooms with Aleppo chilli and dukkah), plus a cold buffet – the berry compotes were excellent. Ask the staff if you have any dietary exclusions, as five of the eight breakfast dishes contain pork – you can then ask for non-halal or other ingredients to be omitted. The long marble bar in the entrance lounge of the hotel also serves drinks, snacks and small plates all day.
Plus, the rooftop bar and terrace offer views across central Oxford from the fifth floor – though this bar closes around 9.30pm. Oxford’s an early-to-bed city.
Facilities
The Store Oxford has a small gym in the basement with weights, a treadmill and yoga mats. There’s a lovely wet room, sauna and steam room, plus relaxation loungers that guests can use at no extra charge for an hour a day. There’s a spa too, with bookable treatments including manicures and pedicures.
One of the best perks the hotel offers – yet sings least about – is the free bicycle rental. We used their smart sit-up-and-beg roadsters to get around town at a stately pace, dinging bells at jaywalking tourists and swerving down the many lovely high-walled lanes on a whim. Motor vehicles are discouraged in central Oxford, so a bike is best –and the hotel provides locks and helmets. A quintessential Oxford experience, and one that makes you feel as one with the college students.
Verdict
London is the first port of call for many visitors to the United Kingdom, but consider Oxford as your second – it’s easy to reach and walkable. The Store is a central hotel, and one of the city’s newest, although this convenience does come at prices comparable to central London.
Make sure you visit Magdalen College to see the beautiful grounds, the Bodleian Library and Radcliffe Camera, and the Pitt Rivers anthropological museum. Christ Church Meadow is a stunning walk, and the Oxford Botanic Garden is a serenely beautiful respite where you can watch people punting on the River Cherwell. If your time is restricted and you only have one or two nights to spend, it’s well worth it, allowing you more time to explore the Oxford of bookshops and gowns, privilege and punts, at a relaxed and cultured pace.
GO: Visit https://thestoreoxford.com for more information.