Wake up to the City of Spires on your doorstep at Vanbrugh House Hotel
With the warmer summer days coming to an end, it was lovely to squeeze in a final sunny weekend in Oxford recently, staying at Vanbrugh House Hotel. With it’s world famous colleges, dreamy spires and more famous Alumni than you can count, Oxford is a city I’ve long been meaning to visit.
With a rich history of its own, and a perfect location to explore the city, I was keen to see what Vanbrugh House Hotel‘s boutique accommodation had to offer for a weekend break.
Disclaimer: Although I stayed at Vanbrugh House Hotel for a PR trip, all experiences and opinions expressed in this blog are unbiased and 100% my own.
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Where is Vanbrugh House Hotel?
Vanbrugh House Hotel is nestled in the heart of Oxford, a city renowned for its rich history and academic prestige. Located on St Michael’s Street, this charming boutique hotel enjoys a prime position within the city’s historic centre.
Its central location means that you are only a stone’s throw away from iconic landmarks such as the Bodleian Library, the Radcliffe Camera, and the world-famous Oxford University colleges.
Vanbrugh House Hotel’s convenient location makes it an ideal choice for for a weekend break where you want to soak up as much of the city’s many things to see and do as possible.
How to get to Vanbrugh House Hotel
Being so centrally located, there are a number of ways that you can get to Vanbrugh House Hotel.
If you are travelling by rail, Oxford Station, which has several direct links to other parts of the UK, is only a 10 minute walk away. You could also take a bus from the station to the city centre that takes around 5 minutes.
If you are driving, there isn’t a car park on site at the hotel, but we found that pre booking parking at the train station was easy enough and not badly priced.
History of the Vanbrugh House Hotel
Vanbrugh House has a fairly interesting past of it’s own. The boutique hotel is named after the renowned architect Sir John Vanbrugh, celebrated for his distinctive and innovative Baroque designs. Most notably, John Vanbrugh was the mastermind behind the iconic Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located just a short drive from Oxford.
Originally built in the 18th century, the building that now houses Vanbrugh House Hotel has seen a fascinating evolution over the centuries. From its early days as a private residence to its transformation into a coaching inn during the 19th century, the property has played various roles in Oxford’s history.
Today, Vanbrugh House Hotel retains its historic charm, with its Georgian façade and period features, while seamlessly blending modern amenities and luxury to offer guests a unique setting during their stay in Oxford. Staying at Vanbrugh House Hotel is like stepping back in time while enjoying all the comforts of the present, making it an ideal choice for those seeking a taste of Oxford’s rich heritage without sacrificing modern comforts.
Vanbrugh House Hotel room review
The rooms at the Vanbrugh House Hotel are by no means huge, but they do have a lot of charm. There are 22 rooms altogether in the hotel, and with it being a listed building many of the original quirks and unique layouts remain. The double room we were in for instance still had it’s original fireplace.
If you like a modern and minimalist room, this may not be for you, but I found the combination of traditional features and modern amenities to make for a very homely stay, which feels in fitting with the quintessentially English setting of Oxford.
In terms of amenities in the room you’ll find all of the basics such as tea and coffee facilities, space to store your luggage and a hairdryer. There were also two fans in the room which I was really thankful for with it being the hottest weekend of the year! Old buildings can really hold the heat, but with the fans on we were able to sleep comfortably.
There are also some nice little touches in the room linking the hotel to the Oxford and it’s own history. The oxford landmark mugs were a cute touch, and there was also a bit of information on the wall about the history of the building.
Again, the bathroom wasn’t huge, but the unique space had been utilised well to include a decent sized shower, and space to store towels overhead by the sink. Although the room is clearly quite old it still felt nice and clean, and whilst it isn’t overly luxurious it’s more than sufficient for a couple of nights stay.
There are also White Company toiletries in the bathroom, which I love the scent of. They are the same toiletries you get on P&O cruises, so the smell brings back a lot of fond memories of other travels.
Breakfast at Vanbrugh House Hotel
Breakfast at Vanbrugh House is a little outside the norm as it’s actually served as a hamper, of which you choose the contents the night before.
The hamper contains a selection of yoghurts, pastries, cold cuts and cheeses. It can either be delivered to your room or enjoyed in the dining room downstairs in the hotel. You could of course also take the hamper out to enjoy as an early picnic in one of the many lovely gardens nearby, or even arrange to take it on a punting trip!
Whilst it’s not the most exciting breakfast selection I’ve seen, it was tasty nonetheless and there was plenty in the basket to keep you full for the morning.
Add a river punting experience to your stay
A real highlight of my stay at Vanbrugh House Hotel was getting the opportunity to do a river punting trip down the River Cherwell. The great thing about this experience is that by booking through the hotel all of the hard work of planning how and when to get to the boathouse is taken care of.
We were picked up by taxi from right outside the hotel, then driven over to Cherwell Boathouse where we were greeted by our fantastic river punting guide!
Whilst you can also hire a boat and give punting a go for yourself, it was wonderful to be able to sit back and glide along the river on a sunny morning in the safe hands of our expert punting chauffeur.
Having a local guide really enhanced the experience too, as he gave us loads of information about the places we were passing as well as answering our many questions about what it was like growing up around and attending the famous Oxford Collages.
All in all it was a lovely way to spend a more chilled out morning in Oxford doing something very quintessentially local!
After a blissful hour of riverside views, nature and sunshine, our punting trip did unfortunately have to come to an end. Getting back into Oxford was a breeze though, as our pre-booked cab was waiting to pick us up and drop us back at Vanbrugh House Hotel ready to continue our day exploring Oxford.
I’d definitely recommend booking this experience for a relaxing weekend away, and doing so through the hotel made everything so much easier and allowed us to make the most of our short time in Oxford.
Vanbrugh House Hotel – would I stay again?
Considering it’s perfect location, comfortable rooms and the ability to enhance your stay, I’d definitely stay at Vanbrugh House Hotel again if I was planning another trip to Oxford.
With a nice blend of history and traditional architecture, coupled with modern amenities, Vanbrugh House Hotel makes for a perfect base to get lost in the captivating attractions Oxford has to offer!
Book to stay at Vanbrugh House Hotel
Booking a stay at Vanbrugh House Hotel is easy to do through the hotel’s website here, where you will find the best rates, availability and any special offers or packages. If you prefer to book through Booking.com you can simply add your dates below to search for a room.
Things to do nearby in Oxford
Oxford isn’t short of things to do, but if you’re short on time I’d recommend doing one of the free walking tours around the city to give you a chance to see all of the highlights and get a bit of history at the same time. We did a great free tour of the Colleges led by an Oxford Uni student that gave a really unique perspective.
A few other things I would recommend seeing and doing:
- Visit the Covered Market – there are loads of great independent shops, cafe’s and bars in here. Tap Social in particular is a great place for a drink.
- Get an amazing locally produced ice cream from G&Ds
- Visit some of Oxford’s world-class museums
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