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About
4.5
#4 of 27 hotels in Eau Claire
Location
4.7
Cleanliness
4.7
Service
4.6
Value
4.2
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
We're nestled within the bustling heart of downtown Eau Claire, right on the Chippewa River Trail, mere feet from the Eau Claire River, and just blocks away from several restaurants, retailers, pubs, parks, farmers markets, theaters, and various nightly events. Our unique property consists of two distinct buildings - The Main House and The Flats. The Main House hosts The Lakely - our cocktail lounge and music venue.
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
Mid-range
Centrally Located
Languages Spoken
English
Location
516 Galloway Street, Eau Claire, WI 54703
The Oxbow Hotel
342 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
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.
This was the third time I have stayed at the Oxbow in 3 years. It is becoming an annual event. We stayed in a room in the adjacent property, not the main building. The room was quiet and conveniently located on the main floor. Our car parked right outside our door. The room was clean with the exception of some salt crystals that were on the carpet tracked in from an icy sidewalk. We informed hotel management and within 5 minutes a very helpful employee arrived and vacuumed the entire room including the bathroom area. The staff has always been very helpful. Breakfast in the dining area was local sourced and not the standard fare with some interesting choices and old favorites with a twist. Not over the top, but certainly hip and trendy. The downtown location provides lots of opportunities for walking and exploring. The college vibe makes for an eclectic experience. No place I would rather stay in Eau Claire and added bonus a realistic price!
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Date of stay: February 2020
Value
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.
Response from OxbowLakely, General Manager at The Oxbow Hotel
Responded Feb 17, 2020
We're so glad you enjoyed your time with us. We're happy to have you back every year! It's so great that you're enjoying all that downtown Eau Claire has to offer. Our housekeeping team is grateul for your understanding. We can't wait for the summer months when our complimentary bicycles come out and sidewalk salt is a thing of the past. :) We hope you have a wonderful week, and we're looking forward to seeing you next time!
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This is a great place. Attentive staff, quirky details. There was a record player in my room and a vinyl library in the lobby so I could spin some songs. It is located in a great and growing part of Eau Claire with locally-owned shops.
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Date of stay: November 2021
Value
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.
Response from Cassandra Lueck, Marketing at The Oxbow Hotel
Responded Nov 24, 2021
Thank you so much for the review, we appreciate it so much, and hope to see you again in the future!
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The Oxbow and The Lakely are a definite place to stay when in Eau Claire. Staff was amazing and so friendly. Rooms are clean and designed cool. A record player in every room and you can borrow records from the front desk. I will definitely be staying here again.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Traveled on business
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 KatieRinglien, Front Office Manager at The Oxbow Hotel
Responded Jan 13, 2020
Thank you so much for your review! We're delighted that you had a great stay with us and enjoyed our extensive record library. We hope you'll come back soon!
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We were excited to stay at the Oxbow over the 4th of July. Check in was efficient and we thoroughly enjoyed being able to check out record albums to play in our room. The decor in the room created a mid-century modern, hip vibe. Other positives include good water pressure in the shower and good quality comforters and pillows on the bed.
The disappointment came when we pulled back the comforter to go to sleep. The sheets on one side of bed were noticeably damp. When we felt underneath the sheets the mattress was wet to the touch. We asked the front desk staff if it was possible to be moved to another room but they were fully booked. We were given 2 extra comforters to add to the top of the bed to sleep on.
The bathroom appeared clean but had a distinct smell of urine both in the shower area and at the sink. One of the screws that holds the toilet seat to the toilet was broken so the seat would slide sideways when you sat down.
The trash in the main room had not been emptied when the room was cleaned and there were crumbs of some sort under one of the night stands.
I suppose my main area of disappointment was in the lack of an offer for a discount on the room. We shared our feedback both with the staff person at the front desk in the evening when we noticed the problem with the bed and to the gentleman at the front desk when we checked out. Both apologized but that was all. I left disappointed and felt they could have done more to make up for the inconvenience.
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Date of stay: July 2021
Value
Location
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.
Response from Cassandra Lueck, Marketing at The Oxbow Hotel
Responded Jul 12, 2021
We appreciate very much that you have taken the time to share about your experience at The Oxbow, and are saddened that we were not able to provide the standards of service and quality expected, and that we pride ourselves on. Our Front Office Manager has tried to make contact, and would like to chat with you further about your stay. Sadly, reservations booked through online travel agents, such as Expedia, limit what we are financially able to offer at the time of your stay, but we feel very strongly about making sure our guests have a wonderful experience, and would like the opportunity to make it up to you! Again, thank you for taking the time to share your review -- your comments and experience are very important to us, and we look forward to connecting with you soon!
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I had high expectations of this being a super cute boutique hotel in downtown Eau Claire, but it did not live up to that hype. Unfortunately, it was little more than a Schitts Creek makeover to a motel- a little paint and some wooden dividers between the doors. Did it look cute from the outside? Yep. Inside though, it was a very basic room. It lacked a coffee maker and hotel standards such as body lotion. Unfortunately, our bathroom was not clean when we arrived with a lot of hair all over the floor. Additionally, the room was just. so. loud. We could hear guests next to/above us speaking and the parking was literally steps from the room so it was very noisy when people were arriving/leaving. I don't think the traffic was busy at all, but we could hear the cars all. night. long. It was just loud...no other way to put it. I can't imagine the main building would have been anymore quiet as there is live music (so nice to have!) in the Lakely, which we could hear the bass from in our room so I'd guess the main building would have the same issue. If wearing masks is an issue for you- we were told that masks were required when we checked in, regardless of vaccination status and including the fact that the worker was behind plexiglass.
The location of the property was great- we were able to walk to dinner with at least 5 dining options within a ten minute walk. Breweries and bars were close by too. The property looks cute with the trees covered in lights. The on property dining option, The Lakely, was nice to have, but the food was very disappointing for the price. I would definitely not recommend dining there other than possibly grabbing a cocktail or beer before finding another dinner option.
Over all, it was a loud place to stay. I would not return here when there are other options close by that, for the same price, would provide a far superior, more relaxing and inviting stay.
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Date of stay: November 2021
Value
Location
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.
Response from Cassandra Lueck, Marketing at The Oxbow Hotel
Responded Nov 30, 2021
Thank you for sharing about your recent experience at The Oxbow Hotel! We are saddened to learn that we missed the mark for your stay, but appreciate and value your feedback, and will share your comments with our management team. If you would like to further discuss your experience, I invite you to contact our team directly at hello@theoxbowhotel.com
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The room is is somewhat of a minimalist style. Kind of similar to a Scandinavian Motel 6. Does have high end toiletries, though. Bring your own vinyl records, Their record selection has a lot of redundancy of weirdness.
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Date of stay: August 2021
Value
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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 Cassandra Lueck, Marketing at The Oxbow Hotel
Responded Sep 24, 2021
Thank you for taking the time to write a review of your experience at The Oxbow Hotel! Our Vinyl Library is one of our most-loved amenities, and we love adding new records, so perhaps next time you will find something more to your personal tastes!
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We stayed at the Ox Bow when visiting our daughter who had just had a baby. We were attracted by the location which is just a short walk from the hospital and is equally close to most of the major downtown restaurants and the Riverwalk. It was also convenient in that it has one of the city's better restaurants which is also nice for appetizers and drinks beforehand. The service is informal and friendly while we slept better in the bed than we do at home. If we ever have occasion to return to Eau Claire we will look first at the Ox Bow.
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Date of stay: October 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.
Response from Cassandra Lueck, Marketing at The Oxbow Hotel
Responded Nov 1, 2021
Bill, we appreciate your review! Thank for you taking the time to share about your experience; we're so glad you had a wonderful place to stay and relax while visiting your daughter and new grandchild! We'd love to host your family again in the future!
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Enjoy that my home town is finally getting a little cool style back and this is one motel that is certainly bringing it. We stayed when we went to Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn and were very pleased with design of rooms and comfort in general. It was good to see how this motel has shifted from it's dark past which I recall. I wonder if ghost of the past life of this motel were the ones screaming at top of lungs at 3:30 am, only downfall! It was so unexpected and I would hope that the management can get that under control in future, aside from that we were pleased.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Value
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.
Response from Megan-Mattson-Oxbow, Front Office Manager at The Oxbow Hotel
Responded Feb 10, 2020
Thank you for your review and I'm so sorry to hear about the commotion! We do offer ear plugs at the front desk just in case that happens, and we will work on a way to get that better managed. We hope to see you again and thank you for staying with us!
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Adorable hotel in the middle of Eau Claire. Cute room, comfortable bed, great location, friendly staff. Loved the "little" touches, like the vintage ice buckets displayed next to the ice machine. With regards to the room: Storage is at a minimum - we had 2 small wire baskets to unpack into. The closet had 2 robes on hangers (nice touch) and only 1 other hanger for us to share. So don't pack too much. Shower head was attached at a very high angle, so it was aimed at the shower wall and splattered water every wear. Would have been lovely to have been able to adjust it downward. For us, the biggest issue was that our room had a VERY strong, overpowering odor, almost like someone had been burning incense or spilled strong cologne. We had to keep the windows open the entire trip (3 nights) to get the smell down to a bearable level. We tried shutting them for a bit, but the smell would get stronger and we had to open the windows again. The front desk thought it might have something that the housekeepers spray when they are done cleaning the room. I recommend reconsidering that step in the "cleaning" process.
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Date of stay: May 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:The bar/restaurant is closed on Sundays/Mondays. It makes enjoying a long weekend with a Monday...
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 Cassandra Volbrecht, Marketing at The Oxbow Hotel
Responded Jul 28, 2023
Thank you for sharing a review of your experience with us; we appreciate the feedback and are sorry to hear that there was an issue with an overpowering odor in your room. Please know that we are sharing your feedback with our leadership team so that they can determine what happened. Again, we apologize that this happened, and welcome you to reach out directly if you have any other feedback to share.
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The Oxbow offers a boutique vibe with its free vinyls, outdoor area, bands, drag brunch and more. The problem was the layout of our room missed the mark. It had a sink/mirror practically in the middle of the king bed area with hardly space to rest a toothbrush and comb. So once one used the bathroom you had to slide the door open and walk around the bed to wash up. The TV was large but it resided in the living area where the “couch” was. Our room was slightly noisy since we could hear the band playing downstairs in the restaurant. On the plus side the music stopped around 9, the water pressure was great and the staff was welcoming. Again, not a bad place just not my cup of tea.
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Date of stay: June 2023Trip 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 Cassandra Volbrecht, Marketing at The Oxbow Hotel
Responded Jul 17, 2023
Thank you for sharing about your recent experience at The Oxbow Hotel! We appreciate and value your feedback, and will share your comments with our management team.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hi Karl,
TripAdvisor does not allow me to include HTML or website links for some reason. Our phone number is 715-839-0601 if you would have a moment to discuss your experience; I very much look forward to connecting with you!
Sincerely,
Allison Gumz, GM
Hi Laura,
Great question! There's actually quite a few things to do in Eau Claire in the winter! We have great trails to explore via snow shoes (or regular shoes when there is no snow ;-) not too far from town, as well as great shops, cafes and dining options within walking distance. There is something for everyone, really! You can also check out one of our local publications called Volume One, which us locals use as a resource to find all the fun things to do in town. Hope this helps!
Sincerely,
Allison G., GM
Hi there! The King Suite Deluxe has a twin sized futon in the room, as well as the King sized bed. We do have rollaway beds available upon request and charge a modest fee per night.
As for bikes, we have ten adult bikes, one tandem and one Burley for our guests to use during their stay.
Hope to see you soon!
Hi friend!
Please call the Front Desk to secure your bike request for the weekend! We partner with a local gym called Fit Elite for our guests to access 24/7 just a couple of blocks from us, no charge! Be sure to mention at Check In and we'll get you taken care of.
See you soon!
Allison G, GM
There are more places to choose from in the Eau Claire area.
PRICE RANGE
$129 - $164 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
United StatesWisconsinEau Claire
NUMBER OF ROOMS
30
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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