Name: Vanbrugh House Hotel
Address: 20 24 St Michaels Street, Oxford, OX1 2EB, GB

6/10

Pleasant

02 Aug 2026

Roberto

Room is clean and quiet.

10/10

Exceptional

01 Aug 2026

Cheryl

This was perfect for my stay:
- Easy to find from the train station
- Check in and out were trouble-free
- The room was comfortable, clean, and quiet
- Easy to walk to anything you'd want to see in Oxford.

10/10

Exceptional

30 Jul 2026

Deirdre

Great central location in Oxford, for walking & catching the sights. The accommodation is very lovely historical building, with good size rooms & lovely old bath tub. The staff is very helpful & accommodating. No air conditioning, fans in the room helped & keeping the curtains closed. Highly recommended

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jul 2026

Madeleine

Excellent location, excellent service.

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jul 2026

Kathryn

The location of this hotel was PERFECT. It was in the center of the historic area and we could walk everywhere! We love historic buildings and this one was great! Everything was comfortable and clean. We would stay here again!!

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jul 2026

Gary

Front desk were friendly and very helpful

6/10

Pleasant

23 Jul 2026

Charles

The room was clean and spacious. The hotel was in a great location. Only a five minute walk from the train station. Sadly, the room did not have air conditioning and was very uncomfortable. The room also did not have a mini refrigerator to keep beverages and snacks cold. The desk employee said they were going to correct those issues over the winter. I hope so!

10/10

Exceptional

22 Jul 2026

Peter

This is not a traditional hotel, but actually much better. The property is historic, the rooms have real character, and everything you could want in a room is all there. The staff are delightful, helpful, and attentive. And the location is central yet completely quiet.

8/10

Excellent

22 Jul 2026

Caroline

It's incredibly well-placed in the centre of Oxford, and given its location, competitively priced. Some of the rooms are larger/more elegant than others, with a huge bath and a private garden, but the one I stayed in this time was perfectly decent. There's no air-conditioning, but I was provided with a fan which worked well.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jul 2026

Andy

The hotel is well placed in the centre of Oxford, about a 10 min walk from the station. It is positioned on a quiet side street with easy walking access to Oxford's historical sites, shops and restaurants. The staff were very friendly and helpful; whilst, because of the age of the property, air conditioning wasn't available in the room, fans were provided to help successfully deal with the exceptional high temperatures. We enjoyed our stay and would use the hotel again on future visits to Oxford.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jul 2026

Harvey

Well awesome staff . Large well equipped room .Huge shower with lots of towels . Superb location central for everything.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

19 Jul 2026

John

It was difficult to write this review. The Van Brugh hotel was in a historic building in Oxford and was well run and maintained by enthusiastic and helpful staff, facts that are reflected in my \"excellent\" ratings of the staff. However, the reason for my \"ok\" (rather than \"excellent\") rating for our overall stay is because we stayed at the hotel during a time in which Oxford was experiencing a consequential heatwave and our room was on an upper floor, with no air-conditioning and windows that could only be opened partially. The hotel tried hard to help by providing multiple fans (four) in the room, but -- because of the severity of the heatwave -- these were not sufficient to keep us cool, especially during our sleep time. Air-conditioning was really needed.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

18 Jul 2026

Carolann

This room was totally a little misrepresented by the pictures and the stars on Expedia.
The room was very clean, 2 of the staff people were as helpful as they could be, but 1 was horrible. The thermostat in our room was turned off or broken but the thermostat in the hallway right outside our door never got below 27°. It was so excruciatingly hot. Granted we are in a heat wave, but the windows don’t open more than 3 inches and our room faced another building so you could never get a breeze. On top of that there was a broken mini bar cooler inside of a cabinet that was just pumping out hot air. I discovered it because one corner of the room was so much hotter than the rest of the room. When I opened up the cabinet door, there was actually a blast of heat that you could see. I touched the top of the cabinet and it burnt my finger fingers. Worried about a fire. I asked person on duty who insisted that no such thing exists. I asked him to accompany me upstairs. When he saw the frig, he STILL said NONE of the rooms have mini coolers, including the suites, and even so it’s not plugged in. It’s just because of the weather that the coooler is that hot. Instead of removing frig he tried to pick up the entire cabinet. His coworker looking very embarrassed said “wait wait wait we have to unplug it!” Within half an hour the temp started coming down. Hairdryer missing a piece was replaced with one that had coil so red hot it MELTED THE BRISTLES on hairbrush. I bought a dryer next day.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jul 2026

Anca

A unique combination of character and comfort. Very helpful staff, impeccably clean , all services at high standards. I loved staying at Vanbrugh House Hotel and will definitely book another stay. The location couldn't be better; all the city attractions plus the train station are within 10 min walking distance, at the most.

Business

8/10

Excellent

14 Jul 2026

Leigh Niles

This hotel is charming and so well located in the heart of central Oxford. I was there during a heatwave and unfortunately they don’t have air conditioning so that colored my impression a bit. I’m guessing most of the year, this isn’t a concern, but during the summer months, it was pretty toasty in the room. I stayed in one of the suites and it was very well appointed with a huge bathroom with double bathtubs. Some things to note: they don’t have elevators. I was lucky enough to be on the ground floor and they will carry your bags up, but just something to be aware of. Overall it’s a lovely hotel with Oxford charm to spare.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

11 Jul 2026

Jill

Wished the room included a fridge so we could have chilled our beer and wine, but the staff was wonderful and gave us fresh ice buckets each night to assist. They will be putting fridges in August is what we were told.

We had room 6 and were beyond delighted to have a patio cozy patio That was larger than the room. That was a lovely compliment to the charming room. I would for sure stay at this Hotel again.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jul 2026

Elizabeth

Location couldn’t have been better. Very central to all of Oxford, but remarkably quiet! If you are trying to adjust to the time zone, this is a great spot!!

Family

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jul 2026

Susan

The hotel is an older building that has been renovated and updated without losing its original charm. The staff are friendly and helpful and the room was clean and comfortable though like most Oxford buildings it is not air conditioned. The breakfast is very nice and we enjoyed our stay.

Family

6/10

Pleasant

02 Jul 2026

Shu Ling

Very good location. Price reflects location and cleanliness. Facilities/ maintenance slightly off par. Shower taps need updating & there wasn’t a mini fridge in the hot Summer. Although had two effective fans.

Friends_and_family Family

4/10

Poor

26 Jun 2026

Loraine

Did like the character of the hotel.
Location was good.

Did not like heat and no air circulation.
Did not like stairs up to second floor, but at least assisted by staff to carry bags up and down.

Friends

6/10

Pleasant

26 Jun 2026

Shelley

Excellent location. Rooms were clean and comfy. The staff were very helpful. We had a ground level room and had an outside garden to relax, it could have been better it was not maintained. Couldn't sit out there. They had a basic continental breakfast, but it was good. Would have been a more enjoyable stay had there been air conditioning as we stayed during a heat wave.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

26 Jun 2026

Derack

The location of this hotel cannot be beat. The bedding & towels were great.
What was sorely lacking was air-conditioning!!! Oxford was in the middle of a heat wave and our room was stifling hot. So much so, we only went to our room if absolutely necessary. There was NO airflow, either. Even though we had two small fans in the room. Also the lay out of our room was ridiculous, with the shower right at the entrance with the sink & toilet around a corner. The breakfast buffet was VERY basic..for what was charged.

Friends

2/10

Poor

25 Jun 2026

rukmini

I do not think that I have stayed in a more uncomfortable hotel room than this one. There is no air conditioning. There is no elevator. The shower faucet could not be set to anything other than hot. One tiny window in the room which could not be opened more than 6 inches. The room itself was pokey.
We were given a top floor room during a heat wave with a tiny portable fan which had no chance of providing any relief.
The only positive was the location.
Would avoid at all costs

Family

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jun 2026

Kevin

Lovely room, beyond my expectation, and a perfect location in central Oxford. The staff was helpful and friendly too.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jun 2026

Jody

Our room was lovely, clean, and very comfortable with historic charm. The hotel was convenient to all that Oxford has to offer, history, culture and restaurants.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

17 Jun 2026

Gillian

The bed linen and towels were lovely. The tea/ coffee/water were good. Helpful things like the iron, and hairdryer etc were useful. The mirror and towel rack was for a 7 ft giant ie I could only see the top of my head in the mirror and struggled to get the bath towel off the shelf. The mattress had a topper on to try and disguise the fact it needed replacing. I slept well but I was on my own. The staff were excellent and very helpful.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

15 Jun 2026

Sophia

Staff was so sweet! Everything was close by

Friends_and_family Friends

4/10

Poor

13 Jun 2026

Cathy or Aaron

Very disappointed on arrival. We had reservations for 3 rooms and 5 nights. I feel that the hotel was misrepresented. The rooms very really small and overcrowded with unnecessary furniture. The bathroom was tiny. We paid extra for the breakfast but never used it. The first morning I went down to get a cup of coffee and was not permitted to take it back to my room. I asked right away if we could shorten our stay to 3 nights. The request was denied and I was told to call hotels.com. After an hour on the phone they were able to negotiate us leaving one night sooner. Which was appreciated.
The beds and pillows were very hard and uncomfortable. Definitely would not recommend staying here. The one positive is the location.

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

12 Jun 2026

Stephen

This hotel is fine. You are paying for the location. Skip breakfast - it's a cold continental breakfast with very limited selection. Disappointed for the price paid.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jun 2026

Anton

Good base for centre oxford. Got a great room and breakfast was good. The room was clean

Self

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jun 2026

Patti

Location was excellent and staff were super helpful

Partner

8/10

Excellent

31 May 2026

Claire

Great location. The only down side … south facing room was baking hot!

Self

10/10

Exceptional

30 May 2026

Kaj Rikard

Nice hotel in quiet area and very central in Oxford. Nice room and the suite Vicars.... have an excellent bathroom and a nice garden.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

29 May 2026

Ruth

Excellent location. Staff was very helpful with local advice on tours/things to do/restaurants.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 May 2026

Ayla

Such helpful staff. WhatsApp service to reception and they bring extra towels/drinks etc to your room, so quickly too. Stored luggage for us and was in our room ready. Shower was good, fan in the room. Really central location. Was a lovely stay. Thanks to all staff.

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

28 May 2026

Alfred

Ideally placed to explore all Oxford has to offer. Room and facilities were all we could have asked for and the staff were very willing to assist when required. A very good choice.

Partner

4/10

Poor

28 May 2026

Alejandro

The room had no air conditioning, and opening the windows did not help. It’s a old building that barely feels modernized and I do not recommend staying here

Self

8/10

Excellent

27 May 2026

David

Great location and value.

Family

8/10

Excellent

27 May 2026

Xiaofan

Checkin process could be more eficiente.

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

26 May 2026

James

We have stayed at the hotel a few times now and have always been happy. On this occasion however the heatwave took it's toll and the hotel is not really geared up for hot weather. The room fan didn't help and no fridge meant we had to drink very warm water during the night. With temperatures due to get worse as the years go on they will need to adapt better.

Family

8/10

Excellent

25 May 2026

David

Decent continental breakfast including poached eggs. Really does need A/C for very warm nights (as per when we stayed). Fan was provided on request which was fine but it can be very warm if you can't open windows due to being at street level.
Also the lack of a lift DOES need very clearly pointing out on the website(s). All in all a very nice stay though and a lovely room and staff. Terrific location.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 May 2026

Arnaud

amazing for couples

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 May 2026

IAN

Good central location and within walking distance from railway station,.
Rooms lovely and a very welcoming boutique style hotel.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 May 2026

Deborah

It is in a very convenient location. The mattress and pillows were comfortable. It was pretty and clean.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

22 May 2026

Kyoungeun

Great location. The beds are not as flat as I would like but it is very clean. Staff are kind. Personally wished a little more flexibility regarding my guest being able to drop something off to the hotel on be half of me while I was preoccupied with graduation ceremony (given we had 2 rooms booked for 10 days - we can’t just disappear, and I was providing all information and full responsibility). Very well heated, but a little noisy with people above - but expected as a beautiful historical hotel.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

20 May 2026

Jeffrey

It was quite noisy, with the shower drain from the upstairs unit so noisy it woke me up. It was so loud I thought the water was actually pouring into my room.

Fantastic location ….

Self

10/10

Exceptional

18 May 2026

Barbara

Superb room, great location, nice furnishings and linens.couldn’t ask for better

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 May 2026

Howard

Great location and room. Very helpful staff.

10/10

Exceptional

16 May 2026

Darcie

The location was amazing. Walking distance to everything we wanted to see and do. The staff were very helpful and accommodating.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

16 May 2026

John T

The room was beautiful and large. Their location is excellent. Close to all the sites. One issue was the level of noise. There was construction in the adjacent building creating noise throughout the day. At night noise from the cafes down the street. There was also a large party at the Oxford Union across the street. Something that probably doesn’t happen regularly, better quality windows may have helped. The AI concierge service was non responsive when asked for a recommendation for lunch.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

13 May 2026

SUSAN

You stay here for the location, which is ideal for walking to much of what Oxford offers. The building is old enough to be historic, something to keep in mind when choosing. Lots of atmosphere, small room with floor that slopes. The bed was very comfortable and the linens nice. I liked having the Nespresso machine in the room for coffee to go with my morning TV news. Bathroom nicely updated. I did object to the worn-out carpet and extremely dirty windows. For that I requested, and got, a reduction in the breakfast charge. Staff pleasant and helpful. Agreed about the carpet and said windows cannot be cleaned because of access constraints. Breakfast room pleasant and a good place to chat with fellow travelers.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

12 May 2026

Judi

Very helpful front desk manager ! Pleasant, and efficient making for an easy check in and check out .

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 May 2026

Leela

Excellent location and service. Great staff and very clean rooms.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

04 May 2026

Paul

Hotel & Staff were excellent, informed us of services at the hotel and also nearby. Hotel had prepared relevant papers for the visually impaired guest in our party, presented professionally with no fuss. Room great, lovely bath and shower.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

02 May 2026

Helen

Sadly the room was not great. Horrible cheap very uncomfortable mattress on a wooden bed that everything we walked near it we bashed our knee on. Room small. Used the wardrobe and ripped a good linen shirt because the door handle was fitter with a screws going all the way through and sticking out the back to far. Bathroom appalling. Mouldy shower curtains and due to it being a disabled one there was no room to stand and shower without bashing yourself on all the handles and chair. Totally flooded floor everytime we used it. Wet feet going to the loo at night then! Shame as it is in a perfect position to enjoy oxford. Sadly not the best 35th wedding anniversary stay. But Oxford is fab

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

30 Apr 2026

Laurie

Convenient location.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Apr 2026

Lloyd

Very attentive reception , upon arrival and help with local area from her Male clolleague.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

21 Apr 2026

Susan

Super location, very central to everything in Oxford. Polite staff. Clean and spacious room. We did not eat breakfast in, so can't comment on that, but loads of options nearby. Heads up to older visitors that there is no elevator, so perhaps ask for a low level room.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Apr 2026

JAMES

It was a great stay. The room was very large and the beds were super comfortable. The location is just fantastic for central Oxford. There was some noise in the street in the morning, but you will not escape that in the centre of Oxford. I would definitely recommend the hotel

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

19 Apr 2026

sonali

Location is great.

The room was very small. Not enough space to fully lay out a cabin size suitcase. Also there are no elevators in the building. Dragging your stuff two flights up the stairs is a great way to start and end a trip.
Staff was helpful. Rooms were cleaned daily.

Self

6/10

Pleasant

17 Apr 2026

christopher

Good area with lots of cafes for breakfast.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

11 Apr 2026

peter

Step into Room 18 , although signed , is a bit precarious if you are unsteady on your feet . Light switch to bathroom kept falling off . Breakfast , although nice , is overpriced . Location is very convenient for city Centre .

Self

10/10

Exceptional

11 Apr 2026

Juliana

Enjoyed our stay. Hotel is centrally and conveniently located but it is on a quiet street. Staff were very friendly and helpful.

10/10

Exceptional

06 Apr 2026

Edel

Suites are incredible.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Apr 2026

Caroline

Delightful room and very conveniently located

Self

8/10

Excellent

30 Mar 2026

Brenda

Do not eat breakfast

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

30 Mar 2026

Robert

I unfortunately have a number of complaints about the room. I was in room 2 on the ground floor. The accessible bathroom was very tired and the shower flooded the bathroom every morning.

There is a cleaners cupboard / store right outside the bedroom and i was woken up every morning at 06.00 by noise and/or staff chatting.

8/10

Excellent

28 Mar 2026

Shelley

Good stay

10/10

Exceptional

26 Mar 2026

Alan Lazarus

The hotel was located right in the historic center. The hotel was very clean, the staff were helpful, they have started to use a breakfast room downstairs rather than the breakfast baskets. They indicated you could take a look and decide whether you wanted to opt in or opt out after seeing the breakfast, the breakfast was fine. We were in the largest room which had a couple of bathtubs and a walk out to the back garden. If you like a very firm mattress, you will be happy. My partner preferred something a little softer, and we asked if they could put a pad or a duvet under the sheets, the management was very accommodating and put a duvet or something similar underneath and that made the bed much better. The room was spacious. Although there’s lots of pressure for the cold water, there’s not much pressure for the hot water in this rooms shower and so taking a shower can take extra time. We would definitely stay in this hotel again given its cozy and welcoming appeal as well as its location and price.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Mar 2026

Jen

Room is very cute and situated very well. It’s close to shopping, restaurants, and the colleges of Oxford. My only con would be no real concierge to take the luggage to the rooms and no elevator. I loved our stay here and would stay again.

Family

4/10

Poor

23 Mar 2026

Christopher

Poor value. No towels in my room; had to ask the night-porter to find some. 10am on Sunday morning: corridors littered with soiled towels my departing memory. Declined £20 for a \"continental breakfast on top of £317.

Self

6/10

Pleasant

22 Mar 2026

Ogechi

Great central location, shops nearby and a quaint, pretty room. However our check in process was very slow due to a flustered, and seemingly unprepared receptionist (who managed to give the couple ahead of us keys to an already occupied room!). The light switch to the bathroom was missing so we couldn’t turn the light on in there (inconvenient at best, a safety issue at worst) and other lighting/lamps in the room were also not working. At checkout we weren’t asked how our stay was but we proactively provided them with the above feedback anyway, as the missing switch was a particular concern.

10/10

Exceptional

19 Mar 2026

David

Center of Oxford, great location

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

19 Mar 2026

Mathew

Great location and room, but the bed was terrible

10/10

Exceptional

18 Mar 2026

Guinevere

Yes

Self

10/10

Exceptional

16 Mar 2026

Rebecca

Great position in the middle of Oxford, staff were very helpful. Hotel was clean and well appointed

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

16 Mar 2026

Paul

Excellent location right in the centre of town. Room was clean, big and the bed was comfortable. Only negative would be that the room felt stuffy because you couldn't open a window.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

14 Mar 2026

ALLAN

Room was rather cramped but acceptable for a one night stay. Continental breakfast against was acceptable but very expensive

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Mar 2026

Alan

Great location for a visit to Oxford.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Mar 2026

Kristina

Really warm welcome and room was lovely! Very central close to shops restaurants and museums and gardens

10/10

Exceptional

09 Mar 2026

Paul

Nice hotel in quiet street but in centre of town

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Mar 2026

Beryl

Had a really enjoyable stay here. Lovely big twin room, No 12 , 1st floor Lewis Carrol.
Staff exceptionally helpful 👍
Close to all amenities, shops, restaurants, historical buildings & transport.
Would definitely stay again.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

02 Mar 2026

David

A warm welcome and superb facilities.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

22 Feb 2026

William

Great room

Self

10/10

Exceptional

20 Feb 2026

Jeremy

The guy on the reception was excellent and his customer service skills were exceptional.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Feb 2026

David

Great location, clean rooms, excellent breakfast and super friendly staff

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

08 Feb 2026

Andrew

The room was fabulous. Staff wonderful. Breakfast great
Small downside the mattress is quite hard

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Feb 2026

Oliver

Nice big room and staff always friendly and helpful

8/10

Excellent

05 Feb 2026

Robert

Wonderful staff. Nice amenities. Great location. The beds need to be burned. The ruts in the mattresses were so deep we could barely turn over and you’re literally stuck in one of the two “lanes” all night.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Feb 2026

Martin

Comfy room, great location, helpful staff

Partner

2/10

Poor

03 Feb 2026

gareth

The nosiest hotel I have ever stayed in, bin men at 5am person in reception watching videos on their phone, staff setting up breakfast early morning!! No sleep decided to get up and go home

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

01 Feb 2026

John

The room was lovely, as were the staff. Cleanliness of the room and hotel was great, and the beds were comfortable. Lovely touch by replenishing waters etc in the room. We felt the continental breakfast was overpriced. However, we felt let down by the fact that the shower did nid not work whereby there was no water pressure or any warm/hot water.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Feb 2026

Nadine

Beautiful hotel, very clean and fantastic staff. Perfect location.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jan 2026

Chay

The room was absolutely beautiful with excellent amenities. A great location and a high level of service from staff.

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

25 Jan 2026

Sharon

Great staff, clean room, lovely downstairs room with a lovely garden. We will be back

Partner

8/10

Excellent

25 Jan 2026

Cat

Friendly staff, clean rooms, very central to Oxford

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

22 Jan 2026

Jennifer

Friendly staff! Great location! Wonderful room!

Business_and_leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

18 Jan 2026

Hayley

There wasn’t enough hot water for showers either in the evening or the morning. But the rooms were clean and the hotel was nice and quiet, in a great location.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

18 Jan 2026

Luke

Really nice room with tea and coffee. Lovely bathroom in an excellent central location

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jan 2026

Louise

Lovely cosy room. Location and staff excellent. Exceed expectations - especially when comparing to the cost of other hotels in the area and what we got at Vanbrugh House Hotel.

Partner