The project was designed to extend the hotel’s bedroom capacity, increase its F&B options and complement the venue’s existing event spaces.
River and garden
Oxfordshire-based Four Pillars Hotels has doubled the hotel’s capacity to 84 rooms as a result of the six-month renovation.
The group, which currently owns and operates six hotels in Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, employed design firm DeSallesFlint to create two room designs for the new bedrooms – both designs take inspiration from the heritage of boating in Oxford on the nearby River Thames.
The 10 ‘river’ rooms enjoy uninterrupted views over the hotel's 30 acre grounds to the River Thames and feature a blue design, while the remaining 12 ‘garden’ rooms have a green-tone design and have views of nearby Heyford Meadows and the hotel’s Walled Garden.
Both room designs feature floral fabrics and traditional tweeds alongside more contemporary ‘twists’ as well as air conditioning, iPod docking stations, free Wi-Fi, LCD digital televisions and bathrooms with drench showers.
The new bedrooms have been built in a new development on the site but are linked to the hotel’s existing buildings.
Multi-functional
At the same time as building new bedrooms, the hotel has converted an existing courtyard area into a new multi-functional conservatory.
The conservatory, located next to the venue’s River Room Restaurant, accommodates up to 90 people and will be used to serve Sunday lunch, afternoon tea or a full restaurant or bar menu to both hotel guests and local residents.
The conservatory will also be used to complement the hotel’s existing event facilities – when combined with the Little Barn, River Room Restaurant, Oxford Suite and Eights Bar it will support larger events with up to 350 guests.
New car parking spaces have been added to the venue to support the new facilities.
The four-star hotel, which is housed within a number of medieval buildings, also boasts a bar and lounge, leisure club and conference rooms.