First look inside the new Store hotel in Oxford city centre

Simon Drake was appointed general manager of The Store hotel last year, and has had to contend with a number of delays affecting the building programme.

But he said the proposed opening date for the new hotel on the site of the former Boswells department store in Cornmarket was now "very achievable".

READ MORE: New signs go up at The Store 

Contractors are working hard to apply the finishing touches inside the hotel and Mr Drake is confident that everything will be in place and ready for the opening on May 7.

"The May 7 opening date is very achievable and I'm confident it will happen," said the general manager.

"Staff are being briefed to start a month in advance of the opening and there are still about 20 positions available."

Mr Drake confirmed the opening schedule after inviting the Oxford Mail for a sneak preview inside the hotel.

Department store Boswells closed in 2020 and the historic building in Broad Street has been transformed into a 101-bedroom hotel with a rooftop bar and terrace.

Owners Reef Group had hoped to open the hotel before the end of the year but contractor Gilbert-Ash was hit by unexpected delays.

The history of the site will not be forgotten after Boswells staff left behind 2,000 old prints, reflecting the department's store's history.

Some of these will now be displayed in the hotel's bedrooms.

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Guests will be given a further understanding of the history of the site through QR codes.

"There will be a QR code for guests in the bedrooms which will give them an understanding of what they are looking at through the window," added Mr Drake, a former general manager of the Randolph Hotel.

"It's a very historic site - the Treadwell restaurant on the ground floor is being named after Treadwell Passage which used to run between 30 and 31 Cornmarket Street," he added.

"And from some of the bedroom windows you will get views no one else will see - including parts of the old city wall dating back to 1660."

The Treadwell will use sustainably sourced produce from local suppliers and aims to bring multicultural influences to British dishes.

Also on the ground floor, The Bar at The Store will have floor to ceiling windows overlooking Broad Street, with a fireside snug next to it.

For guests looking for luxury, 14 bedrooms on the two top floors have their own roof terraces, with deluxe level rooms costing from £380 a night, £100 a night more than entry level bedrooms.

Only 11 out of 101 bedrooms have been fitted with baths - but that is a deliberate decision allowing designers to make individual bedrooms more spacious.

In the basement, just below Broad Street, there is a sauna, steam room and gym.

It is perhaps The Roof bar and terrace which will generate the most excitement among guests because of its stunning views of the dreaming spires.

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Mr Drake estimates that he has counted about 57 spires which are visible from the roof terrace and will invite guests to make their own calculations.

Oxford colleges, the Westgate Centre, and even the John Radcliffe Hospital are visible from the terrace, which will be open to the public and offer seating inside and outside for about 70 guests.

"It will be a beautiful cocktail bar, open from 9am until late, and open to the public seven days a week - it's not just for the exclusive use of hotel guests," said Mr Drake.

"There will be a meat smoker on the terrace and The Store's signature burger will feature a double patty with three cheeses and chorizo jam, with fries for £20.

"Hawkridge Distillers will supply our vodka, gin and rum for the cocktails."

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

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