Old Swan & Minster Mill

Visited Minster Mill for dinner to celebrate an anniversary. Dined the ‘Wilding Experience’ which was absolutely divine and extremely good value for money. There was an abundance of delicious food with some unique pairings of flavours which worked beautifully. The staff could not have done enough either to make sure we had a wonderful dinner. Highly recommend!

Wonderful service and very delicious food! The reception team is warm and welcoming. They really went above and beyond for us, which made the stay. We had the most delicious dinner at the hotel restaurant, the small plates menu gives such variety and the main options were out of this world. It was one of the best meals I've had in a long time. We were given a map of the local area and went for a lovely stroll, as well as a recommendation to explore Burford. A lovely town, lots of independent shops, beautiful scenery, and we ended up having breakfast there.

Disappointing Stay – Overpriced for a 4-Star Hotel We recently stayed at Minster Mill, and sadly, the experience didn’t match the expectations — especially at £300 per night. This is particularly hard to justify given that The Swan Inn, the 5-star sister hotel just across the road, was charging £260 per night. When we queried this, we were given an unconvincing explanation, and it made little sense for the supposedly more premium property to be cheaper. Our room was very small and not what you’d expect for the price. Even more frustrating was that fire pits used by rooms below caused smoke to drift directly into ours — leaving the room with a strong smell and our clothes affected as well. There was also damp clearly visible on the toilet walls, which is unacceptable in any hotel, let alone one marketed as a luxury retreat. Adding to the disappointment, we were placed right next to a wedding venue area without warning, making it hard to relax due to the noise and foot traffic. Connectivity was another major issue. There was no phone signal throughout the property, and while this can happen in rural areas, the WiFi was also down when we arrived, and it took over two hours to get it working again — not ideal when you’re trying to settle in or get basic information. The common areas were poorly maintained, with paint splattered on corridor floors and dirty chairs in the lounge and communal spaces. The location is beautiful and the property has potential, but the experience felt overpriced, underwhelming, and nowhere near the standard expected — especially when its 5-star sister hotel across the road offers more for less. We left disappointed and wouldn’t return unless significant improvements are made.

We live locally and walked over for a Sunday morning breakfast. Wonderful experience. Super helpful and friendly guy on reception. Sat outside in lovely garden. Food good, service was excellent and fast, apart from being served poached eggs instead of scrambled, which wasn’t an issue for us but when we came to pay, the staff had given us a discount. We didn’t expect it or ask for it so we’re very grateful for being so well looked after. In addition the waiter recommended we took a walk around the 60 acre wildlife garden, which was a fantastic place to explore and gave our dog an opportunity to cool off in the stream…Thank you to the breakfast staff at the Old Swan for a lovely Sunday morning!

I took my partner to Minster Mill for a big birthday. We had a wonderful stay. The room was fab...clean and spacious. Our spa treatments and experience relaxing and the food in the restaurant was excellent with a great wine choice. On top of this the team was friendly and welcoming. We will definitely be going back.

I have stayed here twice recently for work bookings. Unfortunately, the accommodation and service do not meet the expectations of a four-star experience. It feels like they are charging high prices mainly for the trendy Cotswolds location and attractive buildings. To truly earn a higher rating, the rooms need some refreshing, and housekeeping should be better trained to address details like half-used milk and water, as well as maintaining basic cleanliness standards. Staff (day & night) could do with a bit more uniformity in both presentation and service. On a better note - the food is good!

We went to the Swan for a drink because the hotel had a wedding on and was closed. The pub staff made us feel unwelcome, zero customer service skills, it certainly felt like they hated being there, so we took our drinks to the hotel garden and sat by the water which was beautiful and this made up for the poor welcome in the pub. We will return to the hotel but not the pub. The hotel grounds are lovely to walk round, felt historic which we love

Paid £500 for two rooms to be told we could only access pool facilities if we booked a treat at the spa. Treats at spa minimum £25 so for the family to have a swim £100 more. But only for 90 minutes. Web site uses the word COMPLIMENTARY for access but then qualifies it later stating you need to book a spa treatment. Guess my mistake but misleading. Won't be coming back. No value for £. A motel would be better value. Also, internet has not been working for months. Thus MUST be disclosed on web site. Some of us run businesses, connect with family etc and need internet access and with motel in valley so no phone coverage unless you climb a tree in the garden. Really really disappointed. Room standard below par.

Quaint hotel and great staff made my business stay enjoyable. If you want an "English countryside" experience, you will get it in this 15th century hotel. The basic rooms are small, but comfortable enough that I slept well each night. The convenience of the onsite restaurant was nice, and the food was decent. I stopped in the spa for a manicure which I do not recommend. The girl that did my manicure was very nice, but had a hard time getting my gel off so I ended up scraping it off my nails myself, and then the polish she used came out bubbly. Not worth the £50. The hotel also has a gym and free bicycles you can use. About 1/4 mile down the street are 14th century ruins that are worth a visit, just follow the signs to the church.

Lovely country inn and an authentic English inn experience. A bit out of the way in Oxfordshire but isn't that the point? The inn is staffed by a seemingly small but professional staff who check you in, draw you a pint, and show you to your room. The rooms are a bit small (it dates to the 15th Century) but comfortable and well appointed. The inn serves 3 meals a day and the menu is rather upscale. I only had lunch which was delicious and commensurately priced. The inn isn't really within walking distance from much to do so have a plan to get out an about via car. Overall, not a 5 star experience by far but very nice and recommended.

This hotel is slightly oddball, but set in a lovely village in Oxfordshire. The River Windrush flows next to the Mill, and the gardens and grounds are great for quick walks. There is also a Gym. The Mill is the hotel, while The Swan is the pub/resturant - all run by the De Vere group. This is a nice setup, though I guess it could be quite annoying in wet weather. The rooms vary, but some can be extremely small and cramped. The restaurant is also very overpriced, and I advise you look elsewhere for your tea! That said, and despite it not being the best hotel in the world, the setting and location make up for that, and we were happy with our stay here. Very good for visiting Oxford.

Beautifully situated hotel and old inn. Be aware there are two properties and more rooms than one might think looking at the web site presentation. Plus the inn seems to get plenty of local patrons wanting pub lunches and family dining seats. Bar was cosy with a goodly amount of draft beer taps and the menus for the various sittings of meals were thoughtful and expected of what is obviously a serious destination. I avoided paying 25 pounds for a swim in the spa center which can be avoided if you have a treatment in the spa. Lovely walk along the river aside the property and you can fly fish for half a day on said river (for 60 pounds) Reception made an error processing my final bill which probably wouldn't have been caught without my input. Rooms in the inn seem to have more hidden away rooms . Mercia room was at the top of a vertical spiral suitcase in the inn.! Help was needed to move suitcases. But the Mercia room had an outside patio albeit it close to the coolers by the kitchens. Parking easy and plentiful out back.