qwovadis

http://www.mercure.com/gb/hotel-6668...te-hotel/index from 70-80 quid for me great place
londontown.com booking.com lots of other cheaper places with honest reviews.

qwovadis

JRR Tolkein the Lord of the Rings author used to live next door.So a super nice place location with lots of character at a great price. "Inkwell" society aka "the inkies" used to meet there CS Lewis Narnia author and all the gang.

fleur64

Wow - that is steep! If I were doing it again, I might try the college residence. I met a few people who were doing the Oxford Experience and swore by the residences.

flanneruk

"I'm curious to know what area (or hotel) would be your preference."

I don't do hotel recommendations in SE England. Never stay in them: never really darken any of their doors.

BUT if I were a tourist in Oxford or Cambridge, I'd try to stay in a college (if possible south of Keble, west of St Hilda's and east of Nuffield) because you get a unique opportunity to stay in an enclosed Medieval/Tudor/Jacobean community. I'd accept that even if that means a "new" (post 1800) bedroom, its facilities are going to be a lot worse than almost any hotel - but make sure the accommodation was within the historic college.

If most Prime Ministers put up with it for three years (and the properly educated among them did for four), a night's dodgy hot water's not going to hurt you.

HG001London

i would also second staying in one of the colleges as it will be a different experience to the norm and is one of the most historic universities in the world and smack bang in the centre of Oxford.

http://www.oxfordrooms.co.uk/

thursdaysd

"its facilities are going to be a lot worse than almost any hotel "

Lol. Actually, the Keble en-suite single I stayed in last March had only one problem - way too hot! The bathroom (and hot water) was fine, the bedroom a good size and the desk enormous. It was very quiet, despite looking over the quad, but since it was Easter there were very few students in residence. It was reasonable walking distance to the center, and there was a bus stop nearby. You can buy dinner in hall some nights, besides eating breakfast there.

thursdaysd

I still haven't sorted the photos from that trip, but my Keble photos, including some of the room, are here: http://kwilhelm.smugmug.com/Travel/R...2010-11/Oxford - password oxford.

April

qwovadison - That site is showing about £110 per night for the Mercure for my dates. Thanks for the link to the London site - it's one I hadn't seen.

flanneruk: I know you don't do hotel recommendations but figured you'd know the area well. Dodgy hot water is ok with me as long as I have my own bathroom, which, I guess, would leave St Stephen's House at £99.00 a night.

thursdaysdon: For me, being too hot is better than being too cold. What time were breakfasts served? Thank you for showing your photos.

Thanks, all!

MmePerdu

Buttery room photos here: http://tinyurl.com/6slcam9

There's just 1 single, @ €55+, small but comfortable.

thursdaysd

April - sorry, I don't remember the times for breakfast, which might also be different in term or out, weekend or week. Since I don't remember, I assume they weren't much different from B&Bs.

MmePerdu

Correction re Buttery single, make that £55+. But you knew that.

April

Yes, I knew what you meant, MmePerduon. ;-) I'd have to go a day later to get that room, or get a Standard Room - Single Occupancy for £265.00 for the three nights. Or switch rooms after the first night.

There could be a big flaw in my plan, however. The dates as they stand have me leaving Oxford on a Sunday. I read somewhere that car rental outfits in Oxford aren't open on weekends (or Sundays anyway). I wanted to rent a car and head out to the Cotswolds. So I'd either have to leave a day earlier or stay an extra day... but do I really want four nights in Oxford when the Cotswolds beckon?

Oh my. To make matters worse, I just realized that is the May Day weekend so presumably car rental outfits wouldn't be open on Monday, the 7th, either.

Once again, things aren't falling into place for Oxford. I'm beginning to wonder if I should go there on a day trip, or reverse the order and visit the Cotswolds first. The order only really matters in my head as I'd rather keep places that involve ancestry together.

Thanks, thursdaysd.

April

Ok, I think I've got it now. Because of the car rental issue, I think my stay in Oxford will have to be cut down to two nights. I can always return later if I want to.

Thank you for your thoughtful advice, everyone.