Malmaison Oxford

My partner and I stayed here for our anniversary the staff on reception were very friendly as were the bar staff it is located in a good position as everywhere was within walking distance. It was cool staying somewhere so different to other hotels what with it being a castle and once a prison. Unfortunately the room was very small and the bed was so uncomfortable my partner and I didn’t sleep all night we were just tossing and turning trying to get comfortable with no luck I feel that the hotel is over priced and was very disappointed that we couldn’t do the basic thing that is expect from a hotel room get a good nights sleep

Very nice and interesting hotel with a lot of history. Upon check-in our receptionist was apparently new and in training because needed help from a more experienced employee, but check-in went smoothly. Everything was clean and very nicely decorated. Our room apparently had heating problems because it didn’t work. Had to call twice to the front desk but problem was never solved. Room was chilly throughout but the bed with its sheets provided warmth throughout the night. Breakfast buffet was varied and good. To the hotels credits upon check-out when I advised of the lack of heating, they discounted a reasonable amount from my bill. All in all a pleasureable experience and would recommend.

Putting aside the fact our room wasn’t available till 1600 (complimentary drinks to compensate) everything was great. Public areas of the hotel quaint but stylish. Everywhere spotlessly clean. Staff throughout excellent. Our 2 level suite amazing. Could do with a little more light especially in the coffee making area and bathroom. Also the small balcony a bit of a waste, maybe at least one small chair should be provided for balcony. Otherwise room close to perfect, very modern style. Restaurant equally excellent, breakfast superb as was dinner. Prices not over the top. Lastly hotel in a great location, close to everywhere of interest.

An amazing stay from start to finish. There were six of us for a surprise for my husband's birthday. From the minute we arrived to the minute we left I cannot fault anybody. I am not very well and they went to extra lengths to make sure everything was OK. Even giving us a private dining room for our evening meal. Unfortunately I didn't take people's names apart from William on front desk. We had booked a cell room but unfortunately there was no air-conditioning. William sorted everything out and we had a room in the main hotel which was huge (411) it had a beautiful roll top bath and a shower with a balcony. My son stayed in a cell room and was fine. We had dinner and breakfast there and the food was exquisite. So much choice for breakfast as well. The people who work there could not do enough for us. Thank you we will definitely be back.

We booked this Hotel for it's Uniqueness as a 60th Birthday Present for my wife's Brother. So glad we did..WOW, What a place to spend a Happy night in custody!!|Words, pictures & videos wont do this place justice, you need to come & experience it in person. From turning into the 'entrance drive' to be met by the excellent parking valets, Michael(he gave us a much appreciated guided tour later) & Jonathon, we just knew that we arrived 'somewhere special'. It was quite funny really in that on arrival, before getting to our rooms we'd handed our car keys, luggage & room payment over, just as I suppose you'd be doing with your own belongings when being 'booked into custody' when it was an actual prison. Apologies for not remembering everyone's name but make no doubt about this...All the staff we came across during our stay were extremely friendly, helpful & attentive, which just put the 'icing on the cake' to a very memorable & enjoyable stay.|Our 'accommodation' was in two Club Cell Rooms on the top floor of A Wing. Fabulously atmospheric whist being spacious, with plenty of storage & having a bath & separate shower. An amazing job has been achieved in transforming & enhancing all areas, from the cell rooms to all the other public spaces in having the amenities needed without spoiling the buildings integrity too much. Being 'on the wing' is quite thought provoking & you do get the sense of how it must have been when it was an actual prison. A must is a visit to an actual preserved cell on the same level as the restaurant. Grim but interesting.|We dined in the Chez Mal restaurant(great use of a limited space) in the evening & for breakfast, being looked after by Adrian & his team. The food, in choice, presentation, taste & service was fabulous. ||Many thanks to EVERYONE involved in what was an exceptional stay for the four of us, just wish we'd stayed an extra night.|Dave, Susie, Heather & Moz

Quirky hotel that has been cleverly converted from the prison it once was. It retains enough of the original whilst giving all the comfort and luxury that we wanted. Everything we needed was provided and we found it surprisingly quiet and we all slept well. It’s a great location in the city centre and has valet parking so everything is easy. Breakfast was really first class, with a lovely buffet selection of fruits, cereals and pastries etc and then the freshly cooked hot food. We all agreed there was no fault to be found in any of our food. We had dietary requirements that were dealt with easily and happily. All the staff we came across were very friendly, cheerful and helpful. We would certainly stay here again.

Make sure you book a room in the old cell block. This place is full of atmosphere. Cosy downstairs bar area. Short bus ride from Oxford train station. Well located for all the Oxford tourist attractions. Be careful when choosing which dates to stay. Room rates can vary by as much as 100% dependent on dates, so be flexible with dates if you can.

Malmaison is a chain of hotels in the UK. BUT this one is a Victorian Jail. What a interesting and delightful place to stay. It was in the center of town. The rooms were comfortable. I had Breakfast and dinner at the hotel. The food was very good. The front desk was very helpful.

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