Malmaison Oxford

Great location, fantastic building with stunning architecture and a great experience to actually stay in an old jail. All the staff very friendly and helpful. There are however a few factors that make this a 4 rating. 1. We were in the newer part which is above the slug and lettuce, on a Saturday night there's a lot of noise, shouting, music, general arguments and you will probably get woken up by this I'm the small hours of the morning. 2. Our room wasn't ready til nearly 4pm, when it should have been 3pm. 3. The room wasn't totally clean. Floor dirty The good parts: 1. Amazing location, very close to train station and to Oxford city. 2. Staff very helpful and friendly 3. It's dog friendly 4. Drench shower is amazing, so much power. 5. Beds are comfortable.

Probably the best hotel we have ever stayed at. We had a 'cell' in the main wing, which was absolutely amazing, and totally unique. The bar was great. Breakfast was first rate. But most importantly, the staff were impeccable. Right from the person who greeted us at the door, to receptionists, bar staff, waiters and even the cleaners. I would give 6 stars if I could.

I booked the hotel for my wife's birthday and it's an unusual but remarkable place. Given its history it lends itself well to being a hotel. They have done just enough to make it luxurious but keeping the old prisons history. Our room was in A wing which is 3 stories and other than the nice lighting and carpets looks very much like how it used to. The staff were kind, helpful and very welcoming from the moment we pulled up at the front doors. The room was clean, tidy and kept in with the prison theme from the carpet to the cushions, nicely laid out with plenty of space, if I had one criticism, it's that our room has a constant noise which sounds like it could be an AC unit running, this didn't bother us too much but if you're a light sleeper or like the sound of complete silence while you sleep it may be an issue. The on-site restaurant is on what you could call the lower ground floor along with one of the old cells they have left which was nice to see and experience, the food was really nice and the service was good with just the right amount of attentiveness. Would I recommend The Malmaison Oxford... Yes completely, not only for its unique side but the staff and the overall experience. Thank you for making my wife's birthday extra special.

The room was possibly the best we've stayed in. Great bedroom and luxurious bathroom. Every detail had been considered. All the staff we met were faultless. Nothing too much trouble from parking the car (great guy) to checking in (super helpful) to swapping pillows for more firm ones ( took 2 minutes). Didn't want to leave it was so enjoyable.

One night stay over the weekend as a couple with a baby. We really appreciated the large travel cot, changing mat and nappy bin in the room. We paid £300 for one night in a club cell room, which I’d say is excessively over priced. It’s very cool to see the old jail block, but you could see this without staying in a cell room as there’s limited aspects of the old building left in the room, which was relatively modern but facilities starting to feel dated. Bathroom had poor lighting and very cold tiled floor, would benefit from heating. Sleep was disturbed by the recycling bins being sorted for about an hour in the middle of the night. We were back to our room early so ordered room service of cookie dough sundae, overpriced and false advertising. It was just a dry cookie crumped over loads of cream, and plain ice cream. Breakfast was fine, good pastries. Parking on site is limited to 3pm - 11am, so if you’re staying outside those hours recommend the Westgate car park as it’s a very short walk and same price for 24 hours, and if you go over 24 hours you just pay the extra by the hour.

We stayed again at the Malmaison in Oxford on the 12 January just for a weekend away. We again stayed in a double club cell overlooking the exercise yard which to us are far the best rooms. Can we please say a great big thank you to Adrian who was our waiter for our evening meal and also served us for breakfast if the management read this please thank him for making our weekend very special. But all the staff are great from the moment you enter until you leave. I spoke to a few people who stayed there because of the history of the building. I know there is the museum tour but why not do small tours of the actually hotel as there is still thing to see? |Again to all, many many thanks and see you very soon!!

My husband and I stayed here for one night and considering what the building used to be, they have done an excellent job of converting the old prison into a rather quirky hotel. When you go into the main wing it still looks very much like it used to and one can only wonder at those who were incarcerated here. Your room is actually three cells. The main bedroom is two cells knocked into one with a door being put into the dividing wall of the third cell which becomes your bathroom. This layout provides for a surprisingly spacious accommodation with room for a full size double bed, desk wardrobe and storage. The bathroom is equally as spacious with a full size bath at one end and a walk-in shower at the other with wc and wash basin in between. The only thing you don't get is a view but remember, these places weren't built with that in mind, there are windows but these are set high in the wall. There is a small car park available (valet parking) but be warned, they don't tell you how much it is until after you've parked your car and handed your keys to the attendant and then the receptionist tells you that the nightly charge is £39! The on-site restaurant and bar offer some great food and drinks and the quality of the dishes that we ordered were really top-notch and prices were fair. However, when we got the bill, not one, but TWO separate service charges had been added, one for food and one for drinks! We queried this and was told that the drinks service charge was because the bar tenders "are not there to make and bring coffee but just serve other drinks" I have never heard of that one before and was quite shocked. This practice of adding on a service charge has got to stop, this is not the USA where even self-service tills seem to be entitled to a tip. Try paying your staff a decent wage in the first place and not expect your clients to make up the shortfall. I will always refuse to pay any service charge that has been automatically added to my bill and this establishment is no exception. If I want to add a gratuity for exceptional service, then that is my decision and mine alone.

We have had the best stay at the Malmaison in Oxford! The hotel is very quirky and the rooms are spacious, clean and keeping with the hotel theme! We loved staying on the main wing which still looks very much like a prison block (albeit a very luxurious one). Breakfast was varied and plentiful, and dinner was delicious! All of the staff and service were exceptional! Highly recommend and stay here if in Oxford!

No air conditioning despite paying £500+ for your stay?!?! If that does not sound awesome stay somewhere else. No clue how an upscale boutique hotel gets away with that at this price point. I guess it's on me since it didn't strike my mind that that would be possible. When I asked I was told that "our caliber room doesn't have air conditioning" which is insane since we literally booked the nicest non suite via the hotel site. Avoid if you like air.

In a two week period I have stayed in three different hotels in and around Oxford. By far this was the nicest and most fun of them all. Not only is it centrally located with a 5 minute walk to the train, food options steps away and 1 minute walk to a great Coffee Shop - The Art Café; the hotel itself is a masterpiece. As a converted prison, with quite the bit of history dating back hundreds of years, they have done a wonderful job in presenting some comfy digs to rest your head, restaurant on grounds to enjoy dinner or sip a drink on patio. The room I had was a cell room, so they technically converted three prison cells to make up one queen room with bathroom (and tub). It's quite cozy and quiet and I particularly liked the shower (some rain showers do not have enough pressure, however this one was perfect, the provided products lovely - especially the bar of soap ) I enjoyed sitting at the bar one night (being a solo traveler I prefer a seat at a bar rather than a table). The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. I opted for an after dinner drink to carry with me onto the patio, which had plenty of seating to gaze at the moonlight. I had one mishap (the iron destroyed a pair of trousers due to something being on the iron), the hotel promptly assisted and offered compensation. While not ideal losing a pair of trousers while traveling they were fair and I felt handled the situation properly. I would highly recommend this as a place to stay and look forward to my return visit!

Hotel was very attractive from the outside. So an unusual building. Signage for parking was missing and the porter got flustered when three cars arrived at the same time. Hotel was clean and modern. In the bathroom, Thought the tiles and shower tray looked older than everything else. Right in the middle of everything in Oxford. Had dinner in the restaurant and it was very tasty. Service was excellent and the gentleman took care of me very well.

Room was gorgeous and perfect! Had the best night sleep I have ever had, mattress was so perfect. The food however....was horrible, presentation was absolutely appalling. The service was dreadful, was waiting for our starter for over an hour..wasn't impressed when it arrived. The waiter would only take one persons drink order then just go and had to wait 30minutes for the drink to arrive.

I effing love this hotel. LOVE. Everyone has said it...there is something about staying in a posh hotel that used to be a prison that is...wonderous and weird and all kinds of things, but that is only part of the charm. The people that work here go above and beyond to make your stay with them amazing. The food is great, service is awesome, beds are HOLY CRAP AMAZING, showers are HOT, hotel is quiet, scenery is gorgeous...I mean, REALLY, I could go on and on. And the location? I had never been to Oxford, and this could not be a more perfect location. Minutes from the main streets and the Thames. Just perfect. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone.

Food was very inconsistent. I had pea and pancetta croquettes - completely tasteless. My wife had a prawn cocktail which tasted as if someone had split a cellar of salt into it. Wife's main was a very bland half of chicken that looked as unappetising as it tasted. I had a fillet steak, which was not bad but sadly spoilt by the worst béarnaise sauce I have ever tasted. Fortunately some Dijon mustard saved the day. The restaurant was so hot - poor (and very friendly) staff were melting - we couldn't face having desert and went back to our room. £115 for 2 very mediocre courses and a 250ml glass of wine each was far from good value for money. The experience was finished off by a very long wait for breakfast this morning - I had an omelette that was actually quite nice with 2 rashers of the most anaemic looking bacon I've ever encountered. Won't be returning (to either the hotel or the restaurant).

I decided to spent a night in Oxford on my way from Birmingham to London while visiting from San Diego, California. The hotel is an easy walk from the train station in Oxford and in the city center. The hotel was build in the old Oxford Castle, and most of the rooms are former prison cells, which is very unique. I have traveled throughout Europe and I have to say this hotel was very modern, upscale. The reception (check-in desk) is located in what looks like a few of the old prison cells, with low circular ceiling stones, low light. The staff was very friendly. My room was very modern, all the modern items you would expect (flat screen TV, cable, internet) and a wonderful bathroom with very large tub (I actually used it).... the only draw back was that the bed was not the most comfortable. It was a King size bed but it was really two twin beds pushed together. For such an upscale hotel, the bed comfort did not match. Too firm... The hotel is in a VERY good location, close to Oxford University, the city center with plenty of shops, restaurants and historical locations. Even with the bed being a bit too firm for my taste, I would recommend staying here if you are visiting Oxford (which by the way, is a great town to check out when visiting England). Cheers!

M is for Malmaison, M is for Magnifique!!!!!!! Je suis been on my travels this summer reporting back to fellow yelpinators. Have I found another boombastic joint for y'all??? AFFIRMATIVE!! Haven't you always wanted to go to prison?? Well you are firmly under arrest, you have the right to remain silent and do as I say. You have been sentenced to 2 nights at the Malmaison Oxford prison/gothic boutique hotel. This is one place where you won't be attempting prison break... A bold move, tidying up a prison to set up a hotel. Then again Malmaison hotels have never been standard have they? Make sure the tank is full though before you plan your visit. It will set you back no cheaper than at least £105 for a night in the standard jails!!! For those of you with cash to splash, you can go for one of the suites starting at a poultry £275 per night!! Malmaisontastic, my aim is to tick of each one of the 12 in the country.

very cool place. built in a former prision, some rooms in the prison wing, the correction block (seperate building) all built in with high class amenities and service. we have been here for the second time - and the only flaw would be that the shower - although it claimed it offers a nuclear hot option - was just barely warm. of course the price is what you expect from any upscale boutique hotel / but to charge 20 quid for an extra bed for our 4 year old is a bit audacious when the whole room is 190 per night. overall great place perfect location and crazy pricey.

Good food, service. An Oxford standout. Atmosphere is mildly Disney, but not bothersome.

Wanted to visit this hotel for years since it was converted from the prison they filmed bad girls in. We stayed in A wing in room 128. The transformation from prison to hotel is amazing the actual wing looks fantastic the room 3 cells knocked into one with original features mixed with contemporary modern furniture. A must stay if going to Oxford and for the historians amongst us.

Snug and cozy by Oxford castle, I met my friends for brunch and tea. I've always wanted to stay at a Malmaison and got a good deal on a room at Malmaison Oxford from hotels.com. The room was very comfortable, with generous toiletries, a nice bed and plenty of space. I ordered room service and had a quite good vegetarian sandwich (although my server didn't bring up mayo/ketchup with my fries, but I couldn't be bothered to call downstairs for it). The hotel is well situated in the city centre, a 5-minute walk from the Gloucester Green bus depot and a less-than-4-pound cab ride from the train station.

Decided to take a "punt" on this local hotel. I received an email to upgrade to a cell suite for an additional (low) fee, obviously this was too good an opportunity to miss. When we arrived some Americans were having fans taken to their rooms. Now I work with Americans and they are more than keen to demand more than usual, I asked the reception why they needed fans and was told that the cells don't have a/c. In the US, guests in hotels in the middle of a desert would expect near freezing temperatures, maybe they were really hot from shopping? The hotel uses outside air that's ducted. As a relatively undemanding traveller I suspected that this wouldn't be a big problem and continued with the booking. To cut a long story short, the cooling in the room is completely inadequate and because the windows don't open you are stuck... Not only this, but the nearly £30 fee to park my car was a little excessive. I suspect that the expense of building a hotel in an old prison forced the owners to not install a/c, however, the other non-cell rooms don't have this problem- so I'd suspect that this problem is due to local planning restriction. The hotel is surrounded by places to eat, bars and is very central to the town center. If you really must visit Oxford, for the novelty of staying in an old prison it's probably worth booking, but I'd recommend coming when it's not peak summer months.

This place is just cool. It's obviously got tons of history and yes, the main area looks like a prison, but the rooms have been redone really well and the views of the old castle outside your windows just add so much to the atmosphere. Service is really awesome - everyone we dealt with treated us really well and they were all super helpful. The location was perfect. Besides being across the street from my office, it is across the street from the shopping center and high street and around the corner from the bus depot. Additionally, the castle tour (right next door) is highly recommended. Will definitely be staying here on my next trip to Oxford.

what an amazing hotel - albeit very spooky. Oxford as a city is gorgeous and fascinating but this hotel is a sight to see. inside the prison cells have been transformed into luxury little rooms and the hallways feel very spooky. really nice bar in the hotel too. loved it.

Stunning hotel. Unique and impressive. A tad on the pricey side, but you get what you pay for and you're paying for is astonishing. Perfect for s special occasion. Worth every penny. Stay in the cells on the fourth floor if you can, for that extra prison experience. Quality cocktails in the bar as well. Although - make sure you're not in too much of a hurry. The attention to detail makes things take a little bit longer than you might expect.

This is a fantastically impressive and historical building, in a building that was used as a prison until 1996. (The hotel reassures guests that areas of the building that were used for corporal and capital punishment were made into offices rather than gust rooms.) But interesting is not the same as comfortable or well run. Here are some things anyone should know before booking. 1) The doors to the room are at *very* short. Most people will have to duck quite a bit to enter there rooms. I'm 6'2'', and the top of the door was at my shoulder. 2) The rooms are poorly lit: a similar level to a romantic restaurant. It is too dark to read a book for example. I mentioned this to the staff, and they said there was nothing they can do. There are less windows that usual in the rooms (prisons don't have windows!) and they don't open. 3) The beds are quite a bit harder than usual for a hotel. I like extremely firm beds, so I could still sleep on them, but even I would have preferred something a bit firmer. 4) The wireless internet is not good. Every five minutes my Skype calls were interrupted as a result. Also note: In the first room I was put in I couldn't get the heat to work. There were about 5 knobs that each looked like they controlled the heat. Eventually the front desk sent someone and determined the heating in the room was broken. So they moved me to a different room. In this different room the floor tiles in the bathroom were *very* hot. I asked them how to turn the floor heat off. Someone told me to turn the knob. I tried turning all the knobs and called back. The next person I got was surprised that there was floor heating at all, and sent someone to help me. This person came four times to the room, and spent over twenty minutes in the bathroom, until they finally determined how to turn down the heat. It was impossible for guests to do it themselves. If you want a romantic getaway at a interesting hotel, this place might be for you. But if you want somewhere comfortable and easy, I suggest going elsewhere.

They were quite courteous and our room was delightful. I, personally, loved the rain shower, but my friend did NOT. The water in the shower got really hot, which is great during a cold day outside. The only caution here is that if they call you a car, it is a private one as they don't call cabs. It cost us £12 vs £5 for a 5 minute car ride to the train station.

We only dined here one evening...but it was a really nice experience. Service was attentive without being overbearing....food was nicely prepared and timed. Wines by the glass were suitably priced and we were helped with selections. They graciously squeezed us in on a Saturday night between tables. Much appreciated. I'd love to try to stay here one night as it has such fabulous ambiance and history. My only complaint was that my salad (duck and parsnips?) was a strange, disjointed combination and that my poached pear (dessert) was undercooked. A few misses, but overall pleasing. I'd definitely go back.

Had a wonderful stay again. Great room, good food, and terrific historic grounds. If you want an experience and you are traveling here from another country, it is a great place for pics, food, hotel, and walkable shopping. It's an experience hotel and you can tell others you were in prison during your trip!

One of our Oxford team's top 5 - This is an atmospheric restaurant located in the converted cells of Oxford's old prison in the heart of the Oxford Castle site. The menu changes seasonally and the food is sourced locally.

neat hotel, neat experience converted prison (1888-1996, yep 1996) old Norman Castle from 11th century adjacent to oxford castle easily walk to the university and the town center, perfect location car parking available in front drive to cotswolds in 1 hour neat rooms, very modern look VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AND FIRM MATTRESS Poor Customer Service -the housestaff was unable to provide restaurant recommendations, we called down for car both days and both days had to go and get someone to get car after waiting downstairs, no concierge type services, had to specifically ask staff to assist us - directions, car, bags, etc polite but a little clueless about customer service smells a little moldy - it is a very old building once you see the prison yard and associate the smell, the whole experience feels a little like prison but it is a nice place and neat experience - not too gimicky either