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Reviews of River Hotel

2 out of 5
River Hotel
17 Botley Rd, Oxford, England

Reviews

8.2

Very good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 74 out of 226 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 110 out of 226 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 23 out of 226 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 12 out of 226 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 7 out of 226 reviews" "

8.6/10

Cleanliness

9.0/10

Staff & service

7.8/10

Amenities

7.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Douglas

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2024

6/10 Okay

Joseph

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023

8/10 Good

Gareth

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Cosy hotel, centrally located with free parking
Excellent service and friendly helpful staff. Excellent location, right next to the train station, plenty of free parking. Hotel was clean and warm despite it being freezing. Our room didn’t have an en suite and had to access our private bathroom across the corridor. Room was cosy, a little old fashion in decor but added to the charm. I would definitely return and recommend.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Susan

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Just what we needed in Oxford
The River turned out to be just what we needed when visiting the city to see a concert. The location was great as you don’t need a car to get around Oxford, so you can use their free car park and walk ten minutes to the actual city centre. The large building has a lot of character and the breakfast room was delightful, with windows looking out towards the river. There was a good cooked breakfast plus we could have chosen cold items, cereals etc. The bedroom was older style yet was very comfortable with modern conveniences. The staff were pleasant and helpful. I wouldn’t hesitate to book the River Hotel again if I return to Oxford. Because of the lack of a lift and the steps to the front and rear of the hotel, it wouldn’t be suitable for people with serious mobility issues, but for others I would highly recommend staying there.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

8/10 Good

margaret

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Very quaint cosy hotel by the river, walkable to everywhere , right across Oxford train station , amazing , cosy, clean room , perfect English breakfast, a gem in Oxford . Love it!!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Mr. Lynn

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Pleasent stay in this small hotel nearby Train station and short walk to city. Stayed once before and still as enjoyable. Nice cooked to order breakfast. Has everything you need there with friendly staff. Their motto is: Large enough to be comfortable.. Small enough to be friendly..
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Gerald

Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Noni

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Really close to the station and easy walk to the old town. Lovely location on the river and great breakfast.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023

8/10 Good

helen

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
two night stay in oxford. Great location for train travel. The hotel was very clean and tidy. Breakfast area was very clean and tidy also .Staff were very attentive . The only problem was lack of air conditioning during heatwave.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Diane

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The River Hotel was a quaint and lovely place for the three of us! The breakfast was delicious! Our only problems came when 1. We got locked out of the hotel by accident because their receptionist is not available around the clock. And 2. We did not receive maid service or get clean towels. But when we asked for them, the situation was quickly rectified. Ella at the front desk made some excellent recommendations for places to eat. We really appreciated her expertise and kindness. We felt like we were staying in a fairytale cottage. The construction on the bridge was a minor inconvenience, but it was wonderfully easy to walk to the city center.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
When we were visiting Oxford, I was reading Dorothy Sayer’s “Gaudy Night”, as one does, and this hotel felt very much like coming out of the book. Yes, most of its furnishings would work very well in that time (including horrible only-hot/only-cold taps), but the service was always like from non-corporeal profit-optimizing times. Very friendly, very human approach. And yes, concerning cleanliness, everything was standard and clean.
Stayed 8 nights in Aug 2023

8/10 Good

szelin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Old english B&B style accomodation. Clean n quiet- all u need. Linen, towels excellent. Convenient to bus n train
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023

8/10 Good

Colin

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Plenty of parking and easy walking into Oxford city centre. Friendly, helpful staff. Great breakfast.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

John

Travelled with family
The proprietor was very nice
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Lorraine

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Front desk staff were great. Property is centrally located and adjacent to the Thames for walking.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Karen

Stayed 2 nights in May 2023
Response from River Hotel Team on 14 May,2023
Thank you for your kind review and we hope to welcome you back to the River Hotel on your next visit to Oxford.

10/10 Excellent

Helen R

Stayed 3 nights in May 2023
Response from River Hotel Team on 14 May,2023
Thank you for your kind review and we hope to welcome you back to the River Hotel on your next visit to Oxford.

6/10 Okay

Thomas

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2023
Response from River Hotel on 12 Mar,2023
Thank you for your kind review and we hope to welcome you back to the River Hotel on your next visit to Oxford.

8/10 Good

Marianne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A very warm and welcoming hotel, staff very friendly and helpful , great location and good value for money with a relaxing atmosphere. The only reason i didnt rate it excellent on every question was that our room was quite small but overall a lovely stay and would stay here again
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023
Response from River Hotel on 12 Mar,2023
Thank you for your kind review and we hope to welcome you back to the River Hotel on your next visit to Oxford.

8/10 Good

YUDING

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness
Poor sound insulation, I can hear very clear
Poor sound insulation, I can hear my neighbor very clearly
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2023
Response from River Hotel on 12 Mar,2023
Thank you for your review. We were fitting new carpets on the corridors which may have affected the sound proofing.

8/10 Good

Laurie H

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
I would recommend.
This stay was for the Saïd Business School’s Reunion Weekend. I am glad that I had an opportunity to experience this hotel. Consider the vintage of the building (1800s), it has been exceptionally well maintained and guests can feel that when they are in the building. Some minor details, such as the crack on the ceiling where the light switch in bathroom attached to my room (Room 4), could have been attended, overall everything was tightly organized. The hotel had a warm and lovely feel and the included breakfast offered healthy choices.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2022
Response from River Hotel on 18 Oct,2022
Thank you for your kind review and we hope to welcome you back to the River Hotel on your next visit to Oxford.We shall attend to the damaged ceiling tile in your bathroom.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Room comfort
Location was excellent. Near city centre and good food and drink locations. Car park good, easy to find. Disappointed about breakfasts as, reviews excellent but had to choose a time slot in the hour window. On holiday not keen to tie ourselves into a 10 minute slot. So didn't do breakfasts. Room was small but we knew beforehand. Not a problem. Nice to have bath, towels changed daily and room clean. Minor query about bedding dealt with immediately. No problem. Bed was small. Not a problem in itself but very uncomfortable. High centre of bed but sloping sides didn't make for good sleep.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2022
Response from River Hotel Team on 9 Oct,2022
Thank you for your review and we are glad you had a good impression overall. You booked a room only rate but breakfast is available as an addition. There is flexibility at what time you come for breakfast, if at all. We ask for a suggested arrival time so we can manage the kitchen preparation and service, especially if guests ask for an early start, but this is only a guideline.We are sorry you felt the bed small and uncomfortable and we shall look into this immediately. A standard 'queen size' double bed is 4'6" wide by 6' long (138cm wide and 182cm long) and found as standard in our double rooms. Our mattresses are hotel contract quality and recently installed, we regularly receive high praise for a comfortable sleep.Assuring you of our every attention.

8/10 Good

Marie

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The staff was amicable and helpful, and I appreciated the extra amenities offered. I would return and recommend this cozy hotel in Bath.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2022
Response from River Hotel on 4 Oct,2022
Thank you for your kind review and I trust your experience in Oxford was the same as that in Bath!

10/10 Excellent

Lisa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very Pleasant Stay...
Choose this hotel due to it's close location to the city center but without the noise of more centrally located hotels. It was very quiet. The bed was very comfortable. They served a nice full English breakfast and everyone on staff were very helpful and personal. Overall just what we were looking for. (Yes the room and TV were small but who goes to Oxford to hang out in a room watching TV? Plus they have a very nice lounge as well.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2022
Response from River Hotel on 11 Sept,2022
We are delighted to know you enjoyed your stay with us. We look forward to welcoming you back to the River Hotel again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Brenton

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
A wonderful surprise! We will be back.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022
Response from River Hotel on 25 Jul,2022
We are delighted to know you enjoyed your stay with us. We look forward to welcoming you back to the River Hotel again soon.

8/10 Good

Kathryn

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Cute little hotel, just very dated and tiny. It was next to the train station, so very convenient to getting to and from the area.n
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022
Response from River Hotel on 18 Jul,2022
Thank you for your review; we are delighted to know you enjoyed your overnight stay with us. We look forward to welcoming you back to the River Hotel again.

8/10 Good

LAUREN

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Enjoyed our stay here
Quaint English hotel conveniently located in Oxford. The made to order breakfast in their dining room is a wonderful way to start the day. Friendly staff, clean accommodations. Easy walk to all of the major University attractions, downtown, train station and Gloucester Green bus station.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2022
Response from River Hotel on 18 Jul,2022
Thank you for your review, we are delighted to know you enjoyed your stay with us. We look forward to welcoming you back to the River Hotel again.

10/10 Excellent

James

Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2022
Response from River Hotel on 4 Jul,2022
Thank you for your review with top marks and we are delighted to know you enjoyed your overnight stay with us. We look forward to welcoming you back to the River Hotel again.

10/10 Excellent

Carole

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Lovely old building, but well maintained, lots of little extras, like an honesty bar. Warm friendly staff. Lovely gluten free breakfast. Perfect for walking to town, shops and restaurants, but also lovely walks along the river. Will definitely return.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2022
Response from River Hotel on 3 Mar,2022
Thank you for your review with top marks and we are delighted to know you enjoyed your overnight stay with us. We look forward to welcoming you back to the River Hotel again.

2/10 Terrible

David

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
There was no one there when I got there. The email said there would be. Signs indicated I should go to the backdoor to be let in. No one let me in through the backdoor. The only way to get in was to give them a call. Not everyone who arrives in the UK immediately has a working phone - they rely on being able to check into their hotel. On the phone, they said there would be someone in the morning, but then in the morning there again wasn't.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2022
Response from River Hotel Manager on 28 Jan,2022
Thank you for your feedback. As explained in the booking confirmation email, our reception is currently open on reduced hours. We sent you an email with details to gain access to your room. Expedia have recently been masking email address from us so we will follow up with your booking agent to ensure emails are being delivered. The reception was again open from 8am on Sunday morning. We are sorry you missed us.

10/10 Excellent

Janet

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Immaculately clean Warm and confortable. Lad
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2022
Response from River Hotel on 10 Jan,2022
Thank you for your review with top marks and we are delighted to know you enjoyed your overnight stay with us.

10/10 Excellent

Iona

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely stay
It’s very clean, shower is good, bed is very comfortable, staff are friendly and helpful. it’s a nice stay overall all.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2021
Response from RIVER HOTEL on 12 Dec,2021
Thank you for your review and we are delighted to know you enjoyed your overnight stay with us.

8/10 Good

Sarah

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very happy with service and fabulous breakfast, also have a lovely small bar area which we found very useful after returning late in the evening. The rooms were OK, maybe need a little updating but quite adequate for our stay.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2021
Response from River Hotel Reception on 6 Dec,2021
Thank you for your review and we are delighted to know you enjoyed your overnight stay with us and enjoyed the use of the honesty bar.

10/10 Excellent

Stuart

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Best night's sleep ever!
Fantastic little find situated in walking distance of central Oxford. First class service with lovely warm bedrooms. Breakfast was second to none with a great choice on offer.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2021
Response from River Hotel on 24 Nov,2021
Thank you for your review and we are delighted to know you enjoyed your weekend with us; your kind comments have been read by the whole team. We welcome you back to the River Hotel should you return to Oxford.

6/10 Okay

Fiona

Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2021
Response from River Hotel on 14 Oct,2021
Thank you for your review and we welcome you back to the River Hotel on your return to Oxford

8/10 Good

isabel

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Good to have parking and be close to town
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2021
Response from River Hotel on 26 Sept,2021
Thank you for your review and we are delighted to know you enjoyed your stay with us.

10/10 Excellent

Andrew

Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2021

10/10 Excellent

Jojan

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2021
Response from River Hotel on 8 Sept,2021
Thank you for your review and we are delighted to know you enjoyed your stay with us.

10/10 Excellent

jane

Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2021
Response from River Hotel Reception on 17 Sept,2021
Thank you for your review and we are delighted to know you enjoyed your stay with us.

10/10 Excellent

PHILLIP

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Really enjoyed the stay here, 2 minutes from the railway station and a 10 minute walk into the centre Friendliness was fantastic and Sharon never stopped at breakfast time
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2021
Response from River Hotel Reception on 4 Aug,2021
Thank you for your review and we are delighted to know you enjoyed your stay with us; your kind comments have been read by the whole team.

8/10 Good

Mr. M. D. Williams

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2021
Response from River Hotel Reception on 24 Jul,2021
Thank you for your review and we are delighted to know you enjoyed your stay with us.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great location by the Thames with free parking and a short walk to the City centre. Breakfast was very good, the staff and service were excellent. A few things could do with been updated but overall a good place to stay. I would definitely stay there again.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2021
Response from River Hotel Reception on 24 Jul,2021
Thank you for your review and we are delighted to know you enjoyed your stay with us.

4/10 Poor

Barrie

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
There was nobody at reception when we arrived 2pm had to make a phone call to be told the number to put into the incom to let us in key to room was left on a desk in reception didn’t see anyone. Was advertised including breakfast there was no breakfast available . The room was cold uncomfortable and the bath mat was filthy. I could not recommend this hotel to anyone.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2021
Response from River Hotel reception on 24 Jul,2021
Thank you for your review. Due to low occupancy with travel restrictions imposed, the reception desk was not staffed throughout the day, however staff were on hand remotely to answer any questions. The room rate you booked on Expedia was a late notice, room only, non refundable rate; breakfast would have been an additional add on. We are concerned the bathroom did not meet our high cleanliness standards; but we can assure you the bath towels and all bedding will have been freshly laundered for your arrival.  Heating is thermostatically controlled in each bedroom and central heating was left on overnight as June weather was cooler than usual. As such, we always ask for comments to be made during your stay so issues can be rectified without delay; the staff received no negative feedback when you checked out the following morning.

8/10 Good

Xiande

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very close to the Oxford station with restaurants nearby.
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2021
Response from River Hotel on 17 May,2021
Thank you for your review and we welcome you back to the River Hotel on your return to Oxford

10/10 Excellent

Holly, Bexhill

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
We loved the people, the owner and staff. They could not have done more to make our stay comfortable. I don’t think there was anything we didn’t like.
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2020
Response from River Hotel on 1 Apr,2020
Dear Holly, thank you for your kind review and we hope to see you again when you make it back to Oxford, in the mean time, stay safe.

10/10 Excellent

Tim

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good weekend stay
Great location near to the river, station and town centre. Friendly helpful staff. Comfy room that seemed recently decorated.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2020
Response from River Hotel on 12 Mar,2020
Thank you for your review and we are delighted to know you enjoyed your stay with us. Your room was redecorated this year as have (or currently being redecorated) all other rooms on the same floor. We look forward to welcoming you back on your next visit to Oxford.

8/10 Good

Ryan

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019
Response from River Hotel on 6 Dec,2019
Thank you for your review and we are delighted to know you enjoyed your stay with us.

2/10 Terrible

Mansoor

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Room size disappointing
The room was very small and the tv was as small as an ipad
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019
Response from River Hotel on 5 Dec,2019
Dear customer, we are sorry you were not happy with the hotel; our listing on hotels.com is for a 2* hotel with a "double bed 38 sq feet (4 sq meters) room", while you were offered a king size bed and a slightly larger room. You chose to make other arrangements and were not charged despite receiving a late cancellation request. We trust you found somewhere in the centre of Oxford which better met your expectations.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The staff were excellent - friendly and helpful and it was a quiet location. A nice clean room and a good breakfast.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019
Response from River Hotel on 25 Nov,2019
Thank you for your review and we are delighted to know you enjoyed your stay with us, we look forward to welcoming you back to Oxford on your next visit.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Business traveller
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness
Great location, basic room and bed
Great location, 5 minutes from train station. Basic room - bed has no duvet - just old blankets and cover. Got bitten by some bugs when sleeping. Bathroom is OK - has a heating unit, which was effective on cold mornings. Friendly staff, and decent breakfast included in price.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2019
Response from River Hotel on 11 Nov,2019
Thank you for your review. We have checked the bedroom occupied and found no evidence of bugs and would like to make it clear we have never had issues with bed bugs on the premises. Our bedding is not old and is professionally laundered; we have many reviews about the comfortable, clean sheets. We ask you report any issues to reception during your stay so they can be properly investigated. Thank you.