Oxford Cowley hotel

We booked here because of its proximity to the Mini Factory we were due to visit. Faced with an automated check-in, we struggled a little. Luckily there was someone on duty who came to help. We hadn't noticed that there was a charge for parking! Only when we went to the restaurant in the evening did we become aware of this. After this hotel, we stayed in a Holiday Inn Express where breakfast and parking was inclusive. It was definitely far better value than Premier Inn.

The welcome at the hotel was unfriendly, and guests were also required to pay extra for parking. Unfortunately, the experience deteriorated further the following morning when the overhead shower did not work and the handheld shower attachment was broken. At the time, there was nobody available at reception to report the issue to. When I later contacted the hotel, I was told that because I had been unable to find a member of staff at the time, there was effectively nothing for them to act on. No apology was offered. Overall, this was a disappointing experience, particularly given the lack of customer care when problems were raised.

Good location for Oxford, room wasn’t as clean as it should be, sticky worktops, slimy shower tray and loo not cleaned, air con was needed and worked well, food not up to beefeater standards, ours was poor quality and 2 other tables complained.

Not up to PI normal standard, very poor. Arrival: a bloody awful self check-in and key maker. Terrible software. Bring back a proper receptionist! Car parking was charged extra. Premier Plus room not a plus at all. Desk lamp did not work - no bulb. Why was it not checked when room prepared? Took an hour and two trips to reception to get a bulb. We had requested an extra sheet. It was not provided. Aircon noisy. Not possible to open window and have curtain closed. Somebody had nicked the bath and replaced it with a large shower tray. Shower provided only a dismal trickle of water. Bed was a hardboard base with a relatively thin mattress. Pillows thick and hard. The most uncomfortable arrangement that I have seen in many a year. On site "restaurant". Evening meal great service but poor food. Menu proclaimed "You love this" about dishes that I hate and would not touch. Loads of horrible hot spicy food and a lack of decent British meals. Portions small. Food lack lacklustre. Not good value. Breakfast - when we went for breakfast we were told that we should have booked, but we had not been told that when we booked or when we checked in, and there was no information in the room. Bacon was very fatty. Only one hash brown in the tray, no sign of any staff to replenish the tray. I requested poached eggs but they never arrived. Scrambled eggs were a cold rubbery lump. Mostly foreign staff whose grasp of English is debatable. The only good thing about this hotel is its location for visiting the Mini plant. For anything else, stay somewhere else. PI is usually a fairly safe bet, but this one is overpriced, under performing and very disappointing.

I like this hotel as it is ideally situated for me to visit Oxford for business, right opposite Mini Plant Cowley, though traversing the roundabout outside during peak times can take a while due to the traffic light sequencing. Atmosphere is ok. If you want to just be alone that's fine, or you can sit in the bar, meet clients in the bar if you wish. The rooms are a decent size though the removal of the long work stations and replacement with small round tables is not to my liking as there is no room to set up my laptop and work notes on these new tables. The rooms are good value for business clients as you can ensure you have a very decent breakfast (Shaun and his team are super efficient in the mornings), and an evening meal (the evening staff are not very efficient and you can end up waiting for ages to be noticed / served) so no need to travel out if you don't want to. The rooms are nice and clean though the outside smoking / drinking areas would benefit from being maintained more ( a lot of cigarette butts on the floor, empty glasses left out and the grass needs cutting behind the restaurant. My room on the second floor was nice and quiet and i didn't really notice other guests walking past my room even though i was at the top of the stairs and by the lifts. As previously discussed the service from the breakfast team is excellent, the check-in staff are also helpful and efficient. It's a pity that the evening bar / restaurant team aren't so efficient.