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The Head of the River is widely acknowledged as one of the best pubs and places to stay in Oxford. With our very large outside terrace overlooking the river, and a short walk from the city centre.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
River View
Great View
Languages Spoken
English
Location
Folly Bridge St. Aldates, Oxford OX1 4LB England
The Head of the River, Oxford
4 reviews
Getting there
Good for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Nestled along the river, The Head of the River, Oxford, is celebrated for its charming atmosphere and scenic outdoor seating, with many guests praising the tasteful decor and comfortable furnishings. While the rooms earn compliments for their comfort and decorative touches, some visitors mention they are on the smaller side. The hotel's cleanliness is a standout feature, consistently recognized by guests.
However, opinions on service are mixed, with some highlighting the friendly staff, while others point out slow service. The location is a highlight, yet the value is questioned due to overpricing concerns.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Charming
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Relaxing
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My husband and I did a last minute weekend away to Oxford and booked the Head of the River using our Tesco vouchers… we were really pleasantly surprised.. the welcome and service from staff was warm and efficient, the restaurant/breakfast/bar area is interesting and inviting and the room (though small) was beautifully decorated and perfectly formed… little touches make such a small difference such as good lighting, full length mirrors, great bedding , controllable heating and a good nights sleep on a comfy bed! Breakfast was excellent with a good range of plentiful offerings. Nice little touches with pots of jams and Selections of teas and juices etc etc. In the summer , the outdoor seating by the river will be very inviting. The only things that could have made the stay absolutely perfect would have been slightly better quality tomatoes in the full English and less watery scrambled eggs.. plus a bigger room and some parking (which they can’t change due to the nature of the building and it’s location). All in all… would thoroughly recommend.
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Date of stay: December 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip: Our room was in the second floor with tiny narrow steps… be careful if you have mobility issues...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from David Oram, General Manager at The Head of the River, Oxford
Responded Dec 15, 2024
Hey, Good Afternoon, Thank you very much for taking the time to leave us such a pleasant and detailed review! We really value all feedback, I have passed your feedback on the food onto the head chef and with regards to the parking I could not agree more- I promise you, we would love to have a car park but there just isn't any space around or near us. I'm so glad all other aspects of your stay were positive and I do hope you'll be back to stay with us again in the not to distant future. Best wishes, David & Team
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My partner and I spent 3 nights in Oxford at the Head of the River. The place is superbly situated on the river just 200 metres from the Oxford rowing club.
It is very easy to get into the centre of town just a 10 minute walk past Christchurch college gardens.
The rooms were nice and simple but clean and well appointed. Unfortunately we had a problem with a minor leak in the bathroom on the second day but the staff handled it superbly and moved us to a different room.
The HotR is not a big hotel, it is really a pub with rooms. You should bear this in mind. However, the staff were friendly and helpful and the menu is really good. The chef has clearly put a lot of time and thought into creating the menu and it was a complete success. You really need pay extra for the breakfast it was so worth it.
All in all, as far as location, service, accomodation and food goes the HotR was well worth the money we paid (approximately 470 including breakfast).
We had a pretty good stay, loved Oxford and also had a Sunday lunch and an evening meal there. Can't fault the food.
Of you are looking for a convenient, central location with clean comfortable rooms and somewhere nice to eat then I totally recommend HotR.
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Date of stay: February 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â If you are travelling by car (we went by train) then I don't recollect a car park being...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from David Oram, General Manager at The Head of the River, Oxford
Responded Apr 4, 2023
Hi, Many thanks for taking the time to leave us a review. I have just taken over the the Head of the River and its great to hear that you enjoyed your stay with us. Hopefully you'll be back to visit us soon. Best, David
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2 lovely nights at this lovely boutique hotel. Breakfasts were great and between the two of us, we had full English, eggs benedict, avocado and poached eggs on toast and also a sausage sandwich. Food was was excellent each time. This is an old building so no AC in the room we stayed in (some do have AC) but there was a Dyson fan and we also took our own as the temp was so high. Tip, keep your windows closed, and lights off to keep the midges out. Parking: we would recommend the Redbridge Park & Ride just a few minutes away, ÂŁ8 for 24 hours and ÂŁ2 shuttle bus, it stops just 1 minute from the hotel. Amazing location, really helpful staff and can't wait to return.
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Date of stay: June 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from David Oram, General Manager at The Head of the River, Oxford
Responded Jul 1, 2023
Hi Joel & Tracey, Thanks for your amazing review! We're so glad you enjoyed your stay with us and we hope to see you again very soon! Best wishes, Team HotR
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Oxford was the last stop on our trip to the south of England. From the outside, the hotel looked nice and welcoming, with a nice view of the river. I would say the room was also up to standard, although the carpet was stained and many amenities were missing (e.g. shower caps or hairdryer). Arriving at the reception, we learn that, per "company policy", payment for the room must be made at check-in. How can I pay for a room before even seeing if there are any problems with it? For this reason, I ask you to show us. A receptionist, decidedly annoyed by my request, satisfies me with a very quick inspection of the room. Subsequently, we pay the asking price, hoping there are no problems in the stay. Unfortunately this was not the case. Excluding the rudeness of the staff, the room was very hot, evidently it had not been ventilated for a long time. It was almost impossible to sleep without opening the window or turning on the fan. I remember it not being warm outside the room, as it was a cold August in England. The misadventures don't end there. The next morning, for breakfast, we were offered EXPIRED Nutella. Once we point this out, they reply with a simple ok, and I didn't notice we eliminated the rest of the Nutella, which was also expired. In conclusion, we give two stars for the location, but everything else, especially the staff, were disappointing.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Cons: Very dark room, room could be cleaner, toiletries not replenished, overpriced for what you get
Room 1/5 - We went for a 'small double room'. The room we got was extremely dark with a very small window and did not look like any of the advertised 'small double' rooms, all of which were bright with lots of light. The room was quite dirty and the shower tiles had mould and could do with a clean.
The toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, shower gel) which were definitely not enough for 2 people for 2 nights were not replenished, a basic provision of most B&Bs, not least one where you are paying ÂŁ140/night.
The walls and door are thin and you can pretty much hear most things happening next door and everything in the corridor making it very difficult to sleep at night.
Breakfast 4.5/5 - breakfast that was included was really tasty and there was a food selection as well.
Location 4/5 - within 10 min walk to town centre. There is car parking on site. The closest is Westgate Shopping centre which cost ÂŁ35 for 24 hours
Value for money 2/5 ÂŁ140/night for a dark and dingy room with toiletries that are not replenished is overpriced, whether or not it is within walking distance to the centre.
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Date of stay: December 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
If our experience is anything to go by this place must loose a lot of money giving discounts for poor service because it’s not well run. They did the right thing when we sat down and told us the kitchen was busy so food may be a while. They omitted to say how long. Some starters arrived after about an hour, as did a sharing plate that had been ordered as a main by one of the party (minus the rocket and Parmesan side that had been ordered to accompany it).. we asked for some olives, the waitress didn’t hang around to ask how many portions we wanted and returned some time later with a small pot that contained enough for everyone at the table to have one olive each. Complimentary bread at this point would not have gone amiss. After almost two hours some mains arrived. 3 meals were still missing 20 minutes later. Waiting staff were oblivious to this until it was pointed out to them. Another 10 minutes and one of the missing mains turned up. Shortly afterwards a member of staff who said they would take 10% off the bill and not charge for service. The fact that this was offered so readily makes me think it is a regular occurrence. We were also told we could discuss further compensation. It was another 10-15 minutes before the final two mains arrived (chicken Caesar salads, hardly complicated to prepare), they had clearly been sitting around.The price of them was deducted from the bill. If you are going to charge £32 for a steak you need to have the kitchen organised so it can service orders effectively. Ordering is electronic so there is no reason for dishes to emerge at random. The erratic delivery can only be due to poor kitchen management. While the staff were pleasant they never once checked that we were ok, failed to notice that the full order had not been delivered, never asked if we’d like another drink. This was meant to be a family graduation celebration, it was memorable for all the wrong reasons. Unlikely to go back, the kitchen needs to be properly managed and if they can’t service bookings properly they shouldn’t take them….
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Date of stay: July 2024Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip: Just don’t bother
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from David Oram, General Manager at The Head of the River, Oxford
Responded Aug 6, 2024
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. Best wishes, David & Team
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The ok things first: the hotel is in a lovely spot and has a really good riverside beer garden. The beer is excellent and there is enormous choice if you like gin. The staff were ok.
It wasn't nearly enough, and if we had been staying more than one night in Oxford we would have moved hotels.
The most serious things first. We were allocated to room 21, which was in an annexe. To reach the room there was a short walk and then climb up three storeys via eight flights of steep wooden stairs in a blind stairwell. I'm a fairly robust 75 year-old, but my wife found the climb very tough
It was only on the following morning that we realised, this was the only escape route, and the Fire notice showed only the one staircase. If we had seen this earlier we would have left immediately. The fire door at the top of the stairs was open. I assume there is a fire safety certificate but we did not feel safe, albeit restrospectively
The room was clean and had a lovely bed. But it was very small - one person at a time moving around.
When we got back from our concert we had a drink in the bar, but it was uncomfortably cold, which I wouldn't mention except that it seemed to sum up the lack of generosity and hospitality of the hotel's regime. An other example was that when I asked if they were showing the rugby in the bar the next day, they said it was full and I'd have to find a pub in the city.
Finally, we came down to breakfast just after 9, to find that the cold buffet was looking a bit forlorn. The helpful staff produced some nice warm croissants, but my the bacon in my English breakfast reminded me of a bad day in the college refectory. It was more like a Sealink car ferry buffet than a four-star hotel.
Overal, it was nothing like a four star hotel.
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Date of stay: March 2025Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from David Oram, General Manager at The Head of the River, Oxford
Responded 6 days ago
Hi, Good Evening, Many thanks for taking the time to leave us such a detailed review. I'm really very sorry that we fell short of your expectations on a number of fronts, I would like to address those for you and your peace of mind. Your room- room 21 is not in an annexe, its simply in the wharf building which houses 7 of our 19 rooms and all are very much the same as the rooms above the pub (actually some benefit from a better view and can be quieter than being above the pub itself) the room itself was a 'comfy' room so one of our mid range rooms, we do have much more spacious rooms which are our indulgence rooms. I can also reassure you with regards to your fire exit concerns that we have very robust fire measures in place, have a fully up to date FRA, and following your email to the fire service we received a visit from the fire authority which we passed with no advisories so nothing to worry about there. The building is also a listed building so we cannot alter the staircase or add an elevator- one of the downsides, I guess, of a beautiful old building. I'm very sorry, about the temperature you experienced in the bar area having returned after your concert, we have both central heating and a lovely warm open fire so I cannot explain why it would have been cold, unless of course it was close to closing time and we had let the fire die down for H&S reasons. I'm also very sorry that we couldn't accommodate you in the bar area for the England rugby match the next day, we do only have a limited number of tables (21) and once these are all booked we are full, we always advise booking in advance to avoid disappointment. In terms of the breakfast, I'm really pleased the staff were helpful in providing you with buffet items, we do of course top it up as he morning goes by but as we get closer to breakfast finishing we do serve items from the kitchen directly to avoid food waste. I've also not ever had any complaints regarding our bacon but I will certainly pass on your comments to our HC. I do hope the above will have helped assure you of our commitment to customer service and safety and hopefully you'll consider staying with us again in the future. Warm regards, David & Team.
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This hotel is located less than 15 from almost all places in the City, at the river with an excellent outdoor serving area at the river side. No on side parking, but Park & Ride is 25 min walk from the location, at a good price. The room we hav was large an well equipped.
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from David Oram, General Manager at The Head of the River, Oxford
Responded Aug 5, 2023
Hi Folks, Thank you for taking the time to leave us such a nice review. I'm really glad to read that you enjoyed your stay with us and hopefully you'll be back again soon. Warm regards, David & Team
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What an absolute gem of a place to stay in Oxford which exceeded all expectations. Mark and his staff are friendly, accommodating, and all thoroughly lovely. I dropped my luggage off at the hotel then parked at the Redbridge Park and Ride just minutes away serviced by a frequent bus, very easy as the the P&R bus stops are very close by. My room No 5 The Dudley Room on the top floor was comfy, clean and so well furnished, I almost didn't want too leave the room I loved it so much. The hotel is also a pub/restaurant so lots of options for lunch/dinner and drinks on the river side. There's obviously some noise in the evening as you would expect from a pub/restaurant but wasn't a problem at all, in fact I really enjoyed hearing people having a good time together. Breakfast ( I'm a vegetarian) was excellent and very generous with plenty of choice for everyone. The location of the hotel was perfect, right on the rivers edge next to Folly Bridge, backing straight onto Christ Church Meadows and just minutes walk from the city centre. All in all I didn't want to leave and will definitely be back, next time for more than one night!
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Date of stay: September 2021
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Really friendly staff and check in was simple and speedy.
Room was a decent size (we stayed in room 9 - The Michael Palin Room). The shower was really good and the room had a great view of the Thames and the front of the hotel + had a huge bay window that you could open (yes a window in a hotel you can open albeit only a few inches). If I were on the TV show 4 in a bed I could highlight a number of cobwebs and some dust on the lights but overall I would say the room was extremely clean and had a comfy bed and I loved the decor. The pub was a nice place to relax and the food menu looked ok but was nothing special albeit reasonably priced and the breakfast was OK.
Negative - Oxford in general has nowhere to park and we had to use a shopping centre car park 10 minutes walk away (you will struggle to Dina’s any hotel in the centre to beat this but worth knowing)
I will certainly return and I would imagine in the summer months this place is brilliant as it’s on the Thames and has a huge beer garden
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Date of stay: December 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from David Oram, General Manager at The Head of the River, Oxford
Responded Dec 30, 2024
Thank you for taking the time to leave us such a lovely and detailed review. The feedback is brilliant and really helps us to know how and where we can improve. I do hope you'll come back and stay again in the future and yes we can confirm the beer garden in the sunshine is the best place in Oxford (in our opinion!). Many thanks, HotR Team
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There are more places to choose from in the Oxford area.
PRICE RANGE
$155 - $300 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
head of the river hotel oxford, head river oxford
LOCATION
United KingdomEnglandOxfordshireOxford
NUMBER OF ROOMS
20
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