What a shame

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-32356824

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...d-by-fire.html

I've never stayed there but it's a real icon of Oxford.

I hope that it's not as bad as it looks.

I'm a frequent guest at The Randolph. Over the last 10 years, it has become my favorite hotel in Oxford. I am currently booked for a night in late June. It's a beautiful and historic hotel and, as annhig said, an icon of Oxford. I hope the damage isn't too bad.

Quick, call Hathaway and bring Lewis out of retirement!

Well played, Ackislander.

What a shame! We spent a couple of nights there some years ago and loved the traditional feel.

I fear the hotel will be closed for extensive repairs and refurbishment. Possibly till 2016.

I just booked another hotel for my stay just in case but, as Alec said, it may take months to get it up and running. I feel sorry for those who had special plans. The Randolph hosts many wedding groups etc. and it will be very difficult to change plans at such a late date.

In the Oxford Times reporting talked w/ couples who are flying out and their passports were in their rooms and a couple from North Wales down for their anniversary and everything including handbag and meds are in their room. It wasn't clear when/if the bldg would be cleared for officials to go in and retrieve documents/etc for the guests.

There's no word on how extensive the damage is, and it's likely to be quite a while before they even know how long they'll be closed for. I imagine, though, that the owners have been secretly praying for something like this, and they'll grab the opportunity for really substantial (and prolonged) refurbing at the insurance company's expense.

The streets immediately surrounding it are still closed, as if Oxford needed another excuse for unmanageable traffic. So I can't get my plainsong fix at Mass tomorrow. But no-one seems hurt.

Some lucky guests are being re-booked into the Manoir aux Quatre Saisons: other poor sods into the legoland chain horrors near the ring road.

>>Some lucky guests are being re-booked into the Manoir aux Quatre Saisons:<<

I had read that and thought "wow", how lucky (as long as they can eventually get their passports/belongings)