Hotels

Vanbrugh House Hotel

20, 24 Saint Michael's Street, Oxford, OX1 2EB, GB

Rating: 4.1 ★ (242 ratings)

Details

Echoing the grandeur of Blenheim Palace, with which it shares an architect in Sir John Vanbrugh, this 18th-century townhouse stands on Saint Michael's Street, a prime location in the heart of Oxford. The Vanbrugh House Hotel, a Grade II listed building, retains significant historical charm, including original panelled rooms and delft tiling acknowledged by the Ashmolean Museum. Some even say vestiges of ancient fortifications against Viking invasions lie hidden behind cellar walls. Each of the 22 guestrooms is individually decorated, blending this period character with contemporary styling and modern comforts like Nespresso machines and free WiFi. Many rooms are named after historical figures or places connected to Oxford, with their stories displayed for guests to discover.

Within this stylish boutique hotel, you'll find an intimate and refreshingly informal atmosphere. While some sources indicate the hotel has a bar and brasserie with a terrace, others state these are not present, instead highlighting the generous continental breakfast served with locally sourced produce. The hotel's central position at 20-24 Saint Michael's Street means you are mere minutes' walk from Oxford's iconic university colleges, theatres, museums like the Ashmolean, and the historic Covered Market. The Saxon Tower of St Michael at the North Gate, Oxford's oldest building, is also nearby, offering panoramic city views. Whether you're in Oxford for its history, culture, or vibrant atmosphere, this hotel offers a unique and characterful base for your explorations.

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Location

Contact

+44 1865 244622

Comments

Kenneth Candito
3 Mar 2026
2.0 ★
Where to begin! Check in was harried with no help with our luggage. The room on the first floor was like an oven. Asked for a fan and the plug did not work. The room had no place to put our luggage. The shower head only dribbled and then it would not stop. Safe did not work. Coffee pot did not work. The next day the man in the office got the safe and coffee pot going. The shower is probably still dripping. Not at ALL what we expected. Left the next morning at 8:00. Couldn’t leave fast enough.
Feel bad leaving this review but it’s the truth.
Vijay Kapur
14 Feb 2026
5.0 ★
After booking I called the hotel to enquire about the room. As it is a boutique hotel João talked me through the rooms available. He politely told me a guest had arrived and shortly called me back. He explained the rooms thoroughly and helped me select the room. As it was a special occasion so I requested some small decorations which he said he would arrange.
We then continued to spend 15 minutes on he the phone as he we discussed how I could spend my stay in Oxford as I am new to the city.
On arrival Elena was fantastic. Amazing service. Thank you to you both for helping me treat my partner and have a wonderful stay. Big clean spacious rooms and fantastic location.
Laura E
11 Feb 2026
2.0 ★
The only positive is the location.

This hotel is extremely expensive for what it offers. It took my husband and I about 20 minutes to check in after a long drive because the woman behind the desk was so slow, which was aggravating.

The room was old and looked absolutely nothing like the online photos.

There were stains on the sofa and on the curtains that looked disgusting.

The mattress was so hard it felt like sleeping on the sidewalk. I travel a lot, and I don’t consider myself very picky, but my god this bed was awful.

As others have said, this hotel is very noisy.
s creed
29 Jan 2026
2.0 ★
We stayed in the room 7 suite. Its felt dated with paint peeling and not like the advertised photos. Noise as the door has a large floor gap. Work on road outside and scaffolding all over the hotel. Alot of noise as student union is opposite. Shower floods tge bathroom if turned on full. Lamp also blew when turning on. Not worth £600 for two nights.
Dana Ray
24 Jan 2026
2.0 ★
A disappointment. We paid for the accessibility to the city--but there is no reason to pay anything for a room one cannot sleep in. Street construction, which the hotel knew about (how could they not know?!), began around 5am. They insist by email received multiple weeks later that it did not start until 8am which is an embarrassing attempt to gaslight us after we were the ones who woke up to equipment rolling through the streets and clanging poles/pipes at the construction site literally outside our window. No, the hotel does not control city projects. But they knew about this work and did not inform us. When we expressed distress, they said they were not "legally required" to inform us. They did change our rooms for the second night to a room away from the street--I can only assume other guests then suffered the same way we did. For the price of this hotel and the claim to luxury, it was very poorly managed on all fronts.

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