Had lunch here in the courtyard on a boiling summer's day. Ordered just one course - but our dog got served straightaway with a bowl of water and a tidbit from the kitchen! Food was excellent and after a hot walk around the town and park we went back for a cream tea. Really nice staff, too. And go inside... more

My partner and I stayed at the MacDonald Bear Hotel last month for a two day stay as we explored Blenheim Palace and the surrounding Cotswolds. Overall I suppose we enjoyed our stay here- but the place was a more than a bit shabby. Our room was pleasant enough with a comfortable bed and bathroom- however the tortuous hallways and... more

We just used this hotel as a stopover on a long drive from the North of England to the ferries from the South Coast and we chose it as it was very near Oxford which we had never visited before. We loved our short one night stay and were pleased that we chose to stay here rather than Oxford. I... more

Stopped here for one night only due to time constraints but very enjoyable. The location is only a few hundred yards from Blenheim Palace which we found out after we overshot the car park entrance and drove to the end of the road to find a space to turn around. The car park doubles up as the outside courtyard and... more

We stayed overnight at the Bear after a day at Blenheim Palace. The location can't be bettered, just yards from one of the palace main gates and very handy after a good few hours taking in Blenheim. The hotel is a curious mix of dark oak and uneven floors and contemporary chic. We stayed in the Glover Room, with its... more

We're just back from a weekend at The Bear Hotel. The staff could not have been nicer. Everyone was very helpful, attentive and nice. I was a little disappointed with our room, the Blenheim Suite. It was a duplex, and the only windows that opened (a couple of inches) were upstairs, which made it quite warm despite the fact that... more

A wonderful hotel with first class service almost next door to Blenheim Palace at a reasonable price. The room was spacious, comfortable and had every amenity that a first class hotel should have. The service and staff were excellent. We ate in the restaurant, which was a bit fancier than we expected. The quality of the food was excellent (although... more

I was delighted with my stay at the Bear Hotel. The rooms were very comfortable and clean, all staff were friendly and most accommodating and the breakfast selection and quality was excellent. more

Normally I only write good reviews for TA but I was so fed up with the service here that I feel compelled to warn others about this hotel. We stayed here as part of a wedding party at Blenheim. The rooms are run down, noisy, poorly sound proofed and/tiny. Guests arriving to check in at 1pm in time to change... more