Old Parsonage

One for art lovers, the Old Parsonage is filled with works from the owner’s private art collection, and the atmosphere of the hotel is refined without being stuffy.

The ivy-clad house, built of warm Cotswold stone, dates back to 1660 but the thirty rooms have a crisp, contemporary feel with clean white walls and marble bathrooms.

The elegant Parsonage Grill – which spills onto a lovely walled terrace in summer – and delightful garden mean you may have difficulty leaving the hotel grounds. If you can persuade yourself, the hotel has a number of vintage bikes that are the perfect way to explore Oxford’s historic streets.

The hotel’s location, a few minutes from the centre, makes it easy to walk to all the main sights, while being slightly out of the main tourist throng. The Old Parsonage has famous neighbours; Keble, Somerville and St John’s colleges are all a stone’s throw away.