I arrived at The Store with mixed feelings; I left the same way, although it wasn’t always like that.
Created in partnership with EQ Group (Europe’s leading hospitality and investment platform with over €1.7bn of hotel real estate across 5,000 keys) Reef Group (“passionate about design, investing in urban areas to maximize potential”) and currently manages this new 101-room “boutique” hotel.
Today, worldwide hotel management, property development and asset management go hand in hand. Some companies are principled in their creations; Others prefer much less, seeking only profit and not remotely interested in their sense of place or community.
In addition to branded hotels (Novotel, Ibis, etc.), the EQ Group also develops “Independent Lifestyle” hotels, such as the excellent Hôtel Dame des Arts in Paris.
But I mourn the gradual disappearance of independent hotels run by individuals with enthusiasm, integrity and vested interests, and the emergence in their place of a multitude of corporate, commercial enterprises.
The former is becoming rare as hens’ teeth, but fortunately there are still two fine examples here in Oxford: the characteristic Old Vicarage and the elegant Old Bank, illuminated by the magnificent private art collection founded by Jeremy Mogford of Oxon. both addresses.
When Oxford’s much-loved historic department store Boswells closed and was destroyed by Covid in 2020, it was bought by EQ Group and Reef, who promised to honor its history.
Founded in 1738, the Boswells could hardly be expected to recreate the treasure trove of huge luggage stacks, haberdashery, pharmacy, toys and tea room, but they did, they claim, create “a labyrinth of beautifully designed spaces and installations”. “This evokes a sense of discovery and curiosity.”
Really? Discovery and curiosity? Installations? This place feels Scandinavian to me: slick; modern; simple; It could be anywhere.
The marble-clad bar, visible from the street at the front, runs almost the width of the building, and the entire ground floor at the rear is devoted to all-day dining, drinking, afternoon tea and co-working, with connecting spaces including: Sofas around a glass-fronted fire; all carefully thought out to attract the attention of hotel guests as well as off-street visitors.
Goodbye Boswells. There is absolutely no sign of you in their bedroom. Experienced hotel manager Simon Drake says the plan for each is such that guests immediately feel comfortable, able to move around the bed, unpack, sit comfortably at the table, etc. He said that it was carefully planned to provide space.
Maybe so, but at least in mine, a “Deluxe SuperKing” costing between £370 and £450 per night, they’ve forgotten any character or interest.
Plain walls and curtains; the window is too high to see out; no artwork; small, functional bathroom with shower only. I could be in a superior Premier Inn. “Period features and fun touches that nod to the past offer a sense of origin and place,” the blurb says. It’s not in my room.
The restaurant is named Treadwells, recalling a notorious 19th-century arcade that once stood on its site. Treadwell Pass was full of hawkers, scavengers and schemers, but the hotel’s attempt to recall its characters by “referencing them in playful ways throughout the menu” seems wrong and confusing to me.
Fancy a full English for breakfast? Its “fun” replacement features a strange bun smothered in roasted bacon, scrambled eggs, scallions, coriander and red pepper, with a side of smashed sausage patties that playfully replaces a standard sausage.
Please don’t say things out loud to me. Give me nice surprises – a wow factor here and there – and give me warmth, character, heart and soul. In fact, I found them both in the Store, but not on the ground floor or in the bedrooms.
The basement contains a gorgeous little spa with a scented thermal suite, walnut-panelled relaxation area and several treatment rooms.
Here I was treated to a wonderful facial and face massage by Ukrainian Alicia, who found refuge and hospitality in Oxford with her children.
My time with him encouraged me and I found a wow factor right at the top of the hotel: a roof terrace, part of which is surrounded by magnificent views of Oxford’s dreamy towers and the countryside beyond.
Good elements, not so good elements: as I said, mixed feelings.
Double bed and breakfast from £285
1-5 Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3AG (01865 950666; thestoreoxford.com)