We will be visiting England next summer for the Olympics, and looking to tack on a few days outside of the capital. Oxford is a favorite, but the place we stayed before is under new ownership. Any recommendations for an inn or B&B in Oxford in Late July?

What is your budget?

Given the high season and the Olympics, we're expecting to pay GPB200 or more....and we're only planning to be there three nights. So I'd say 250 for planning purposes. Looking at some other forums, people rave about The Old Bank....which is already 100% booked from July through September.

Oxford really isn't much of an "Inn" sort of place. Do you actually have to be IN Oxford or just nearby? Will you have a car? There are several places in Woodstock for instance, or in towns like Burford.

Or, if you liked the the one place -- does the new ownership scare you off entirely?

For Oxford recommendations, I'll start with my favorites. The Randolph Hotel has an excellent location just across from the Ashmolean Museum. I've been staying there off and on ( mostly on ) for the last 12 years. The Remont B&B is on Banbury Road but an easy bus ride ( 10/12 minutes) into centre of Oxford. Marlborough House B&B is on Woodstock Road and again has easy access via the bus into Oxford Centre.

www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/randolph

www.remont-oxford.co.uk

www.marlbhouse.co.uk

Also meant to ask --did you actually contact the Old Bank, or was it just the website said no rooms available?

Because many hotels can't process on-line bookings that far ahead.

oops -didn't mean to click post . . .

I went into the Randolph's website just to check (thinking it might not fit in your budget) and it also shows no availability. Just picked 3 random nights in late July.