Built in 1864, situated bang-opposite the world-famous Ashmolean Museum, the Randolph is probably the best-known hotel in Oxford. Its name raises eyebrows. In a good way. Since being taken over by Graduate Hotels in 2019, it’s benefitted from a preppy, uni-themed makeover, but traditionalists need not be alarmed. The building’s Victorian gothic grandiosity and general aura remain resolutely intact.
The Randolph has more than 150 rooms, all of which feel fussed over, thought about and cared for. Decor is probably best described as startling, eccentric and inexorably British, with curtains and carpets clashing in glorious disharmony. In fact, the whole place is humming with colour, from the vibrant waterfall of college crests by the entrance to the restaurant’s photogenic pink seating. The hotel’s eatery, the Alice (named after the Lewis Carroll books, naturally), is top notch and charming, consisting mainly of seasonal British fare with a modern twist. If you’re there for the weekend, you’d be a damned fool to miss out on the exemplary Sunday roast.
Neighbourhood
The hotel is extremely close to some of Oxford's biggest attractions. The Bodleian Library, the Oxford Botanic Garden and the Oxford Playhouse are all right there. And if you have a mind to get to know the university, the Randolph couldn’t be situated more conveniently, what with Balliol and Trinity colleges a few minutes’ walk away.
Nearby
The Ashmolean Museum: Obviously. Oxford’s most famous museum is directly opposite the Randolph’s front door. A mini-British Museum is very much the vibe. For fans of treasures from around the world.
Lamb and Flag: A lovely old, Grade II-listed pub, that reopened to much fanfare in 2022 following a period of closure. Thomas Hardy is said to have written a lot in there. A great mix of people.
The Covered Market: More than 50 independent shops, crammed (charmingly) into a 1770s indoor bazaar. Don't miss out on a fry up from the legendary Brown’s Cafe.
Time Out tip: Do not miss out on a cocktail at the hotel’s main, eye-popping Gatsby-like bar. Then, for a nightcap, head to the wood-pannelled Morse Bar. Author Colin Dexter wrote a lot of the ‘Inspector Morse’ novels in the hotel, so the bar is a bit of a shrine.
