Principal Oxford Spires Hotel

Up a long driveway that winds through verdant grounds rich with oaks and daffodils is a building made out of yellow Headington stone and featuring a great glass atrium. Thanks to renovations in 2016-17, interiors are chic and modern, aside from a handful of rooms that have yet to be refurbished (as of summer 2017). Attractive hardwood floors, white walls spruced up with black-and-white artwork, and cozy gray and tufted tweed seating are found throughout the lobby and blend seamlessly into the restaurant. The hotel attracts a mix of business guests taking advantage of the hotel’s conference facilities, and tourists looking to stay within walking distance of the city center.

The Oxford Spires Hotel’s long driveway insulates it from the noise of the Abingdon Road, one of the main thoroughfares straight into the center of Oxford. It is a 10- to 15-minute walk up this road to the heart of the city, although it may take far longer if guests choose to take the scenic route through Christ Church Meadow, whose great wrought-iron gates jump out at you on the way there. Once travelers are in the center of Oxford, pretty much everything is a five-minute walk away at most -- and much of that is spent dodging students on bikes and tour groups. Although the Oxford Spires’ location may seem slightly out-of-the-way, one positive is that it has abundant parking spaces, which are in short supply in the medieval city center. Oxford station is an eight-minute drive away. Expect a transfer time of approximately an hour to Heathrow Airport by car.

Rooms are all large and bright, and the majority of them have benefitted from a 2016-17 refurbishment. Those that have been revamped are decorated in shades of rich chocolate and teal, with midcentury modern furniture. Standard rooms have not yet been redone, outfitted with dated blue-patterned carpet and heavy wooden furniture. Beds with crisp, white linens, desks alongside chairs, and sitting areas come standard, as do flat-screen TVs, minibars, tea- and coffee-making facilities, and closets with irons and safes. Bathrooms follow a similar design disparity, and either have shower/tub combos or showers. Some have lovely four-poster beds. The design becomes more chic in higher-category rooms, which also add larger seating areas. Many rooms have lovely furnished terraces, while others have poor parking lot views. Note that many guests have complained of the lack of air-conditioning, though it's common for U.K. hotels not to have AC. 

The Oxford Spires Hotel has a long list of amenities aimed at keeping both business guests and vacationing tourists satisfied. An indoor pool and a spa with treatment rooms for massages and wellness therapies, a hammam, and a sauna are all available for leisure-minded travelers. Additionally, there is a decently equipped gym with treadmills, a rowing machine, cycles, cross-trainers, weight-training machines, and racks of dumbbells. Guests rate the hotel’s buffet breakfast highly, and the restaurant also serves lunch and dinner with two- and three-course options. There’s also a less-formal bar that serves drinks, sandwiches, and afternoon tea. At the business end, the hotel has seven meeting rooms, the largest of which can accommodate 266 guests. The hotel has free Wi-Fi throughout and free outdoor parking.